People in the News in 2000

Staff Writer for The Timeshare Beat
December 29, 2000
As is common in the timeshare industry, there was a lot of 'people movement' in the year 2000-- but perhaps there was a little more movement than usual this year because of Sunterra's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing early in the year. While other developers publicly remained fairly quiet about that event, or expressed hope for Sunterra's survival, they were privately raiding a large pool of talent suddenly on the loose and looking around for bargains on Sunterra properties.

In addition, the revamping, downsizing and upsizing of other companies, plus the creation of brand new timeshare companies, kept the flow of timeshare people moving.

One of the most recent and notable moves was the announcement in December that Dean A. Parker, RRP, one of Fairfield Communities' former top executives, left that company to accept a position as the Regional Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Starwood Vacation Ownership, based at the company's Orlando headquarters. His initial responsibilities will include directing the pre-opening duties for Starwood's new 1500-unit Sheraton Vistana Villages flagship property on International Drive.

Parker is a 19-year veteran of the Vacation Ownership business, most recently working as the Vice President in charge of both properties in Fairfield's largest selling region, Orlando, FL. With Starwood, he will initially focus his concentration on the successful roll out of the Sheraton branded Vacation Ownership products in Central Florida, with future expanded duties which are expected to include the integration of the Starwood business model for the existing and future eastern projects as well as those planned for the Caribbean.

Other industry notables have also been lured to Starwood's ranks this year. Longtime Marriott veteran Dave Broderick, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for MVCI's Western Region, announced his resignation effective July 12 to take the position of Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the equivalent region with Starwood. Broderick has leadership responsibility for all sales and marketing initiatives in the western region. He was responsible for much of the success of MVCI's Western Region and is expected to provide the same level of expertise and leadership in his new position with Starwood.

With Dave Broderick's departure from Marriott, Ron Hensel was promoted to Regional Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Marriott's Hawaii projects. Rick Owen was also promoted, to Regional Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the West Coast Projects. Both men are 20 year industry veterans and have been with Marriott for many years.

In addition, Russell Gilman left his position with KSL Recreation as Vice President Sales Operations for a similar position with Starwood's western region offices in California. Gilman had come aboard with KSL when they decided to investigate timeshare as a new addition to the company, and left when they decided against it. His expertise and experience will meld well with Broderick's as they move Starwood's presence in the Pacific arena forward. Keep an eye on California and Hawaii.

Starwood Vacation Ownership also lost some veteran players this year, people who had been with Vistana for a long time. Bill McLaughlin, President and CEO and Jeff Carter, VP Sales, have both been staying home enjoying Starwood's contract buyout money. Phil Jackson, Director of Sales, is reported to be consulting for Starwood's new resort at Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

Joe Viola, working for the Berkley Group, opened their new 350-unit timeshare resort, the Vacation Village at Weston in Florida earlier this year. Joe Viola has been running that track since its inception in 1993, which must be something of a record in this industry. With a sales staff of almost 200, Vacation Village at Weston is the 8th phase of the RCI Vacation Village at Bonaventure resort. All but phase 1 are purpose-built 2-Bdrm lockoffs.

RJ McHatton, VP of Eagle Crest Vacations operations in Central Oregon (the sister company to Trendwest Resorts), finally moved on in August to Trendwest's massive new MountainStar Resort project in central Washington to sell full ownership real estate. McHatton had worked for Eagle Crest for some 13 years, in both sales and marketing.

Joel Lazar, formerly of Raintree Resorts' Cimarron Golf Resort in Cathedral City (Palm Springs area), is now Vice President of The Owners Club by Club Corp, in Telluride, Colorado. Lazar is chairman of ARDA's Membership Development Committee, which develops methods of promoting and retaining membership in ARDA, with the indefatigable Sandra Woolard working as Staff on that committee.

Shell Vacations has seen a lot of movement among its properties this year.

Michael S. Finn, who also writes a column for The Timeshare Beat, is Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Timescape Resorts, LLC. Timescape Resorts is an Epoch Properties company with offices inWinter Park and Kissimmee, FL. It has assembled a team of timeshare industry professionals, including Ronnie Lamkin, VP, Operations, formerly with Island One and Interval International; Paul Smith, Director of Sales, formerly with Hyatt Vacation Club, and Anthony Matosich, Director of MIS and Marketing Technologies, previously with Marriott and Airtours. Together, this team will be marketing the new AmeriSuites Vacation Club at Calypso Cay Vacation Villas, in Orlando, FL, south of Lake Buena Vista.

Andy Gennuso - Sunterra Resorts’ Western/Pacific Region vice president (1997-2000), quietly left that beleaguered company this year to start his own company with Les Abeyta, whose experience includes finance and operations positions with The Welk Resort Group, Hilton Grand Vacations Co. and Sunterra Resorts; and Kevin Pereira. Together they formed WestPac Resort Group. Concurrently, Anthony Sharp, former Executive Vice President of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, became the new owner and developer of Peaks Lodge at Breckenridge, an unfinished Sunterra Resort which is back under construction and which WestPac Group is marketing. Peaks Lodge at Breckenridge will feature a fractional ownership structure, with 20 shares of ownership per condominium.

Shari Levitin has hitched her considerable star to RCI's new Global Points network this year, with an official partnership to ensure that RCI Points is presented accurately and consistently at the resort sales table. The Shari Levitin Group will provide on-site and on-line certification training for sales associates of RCI Points affiliates as part of the overall affiliation process. It is doubtful that there is anyone else as thoroughly knowledgeable in the subject, or more enthusiastic about it.

Cynthia Huheey said goodby to ARDA this year and is pursuing other avenues of interest. Replacing her as President of ARDA is Howard Nusbaum, who comes with a background in hotel and lodging management and who has been getting a crash course in the nature of the timeshare business.

Amy Isom, senior vice president for Carlson Vacation Ownership, has become a driving force in the company's expansion plans. Among other things this year, she helped to cement a deal between Carlson and Orlando-based Island One Resorts, founded by CEO Deborah Linden. (Some well-known names that came on board Island One this year include Robert Webb, president, and Art Zimand and Cary Erfurth, directors.)

Steve Adelson, a longtime executive of Intrawest, was appointed vice president of The Village of MonteLago at Lake Las Vegas. The Village of MonteLago will include approximately 820 condominiums and townhouses, 125,000 square feet of retail space and 50,000 square feet of office space as well as a 350-room Ritz Carlton hotel that will include approximately 80 luxury fractional condominiums.

Rae Hostetler, who was the public voice of RCI for many years, has gone out on her own this year with the opening of Hostetler Public Relations, a freelance company specializing in communications programs for the timeshare and hotel industries. Rae has more than a decade of experience working in public relations and broadcast journalism. She has worked with national journalists from The Chicago Tribune, The Detroit Free Press, The New York Times and New York Newsday to place positive articles about timesharing. Her journalism background includes working for the NBC-television affiliate in South Bend, Ind. as a news anchor and reporter, as well as holding the position of news director for South Bend’s number one radio station. You could say that she's well qualified...

Marge Lennon, of Lennon Communications Group , was thinking of slowing down this year. Instead, she has begun sharing her considerable office space with a talented group of young people who are gifted designers, webmasters and who are otherwise gifted in the tech/computer field. Though they will remain two separate companies, they expect to collaborate on many projects due to the synergies of their creative talents. So instead of slowing down, Marge is cranking things up.

Bob Hagedorn has reportedly been named President of the Berkley Group's new Berkley West division, with its headquarters apparently to be in Las Vegas, Nevada.

John Soderberg was recently tapped to be the new PD at Epic' Scottsdale Resort, with Anthony Trujillo as the new Marketing Manager.

Larry Maloney, who was the DOS at Sunterra's Embassy Grand Beach Resort in Orlando, has taken a position as Director of Sales for Marriott's new Horizons Resort in Orlando.

Warren G. Hall has taken over the sales and marketing reins for Divi Resorts. Hall was previously with Sunterra Branson and the Lodge at Maple Creek.

Dave Lowney took an extended hiatus from his 10-year career in Hawaii to attend to family matters, but we hear he is considering returning to the industry. We also hear he is well-regarded as a top-level performer by those he worked with, and we wait to see who will grab him up.

Tony Walker, longtime DOS for Pacific Shores Nature Resort on Vancouver Island, has joined West Coast Timeshare Ltd. (Point to Point Destinations) as VP Sales in anticipation of West Coast's impending expansion.

Katie Eldridge was named to the position of director of communications for The Canyons resort in Utah. Eldridge comes to the position with nine years' experience in television and radio broadcasting. Most recently, she was employed by Metro Networks in Salt Lake City, where she was the morning news anchor for three radio stations. In addition to her journalistic experience, she has also worked as a ski and snowboard instructor at several resorts in the Pacific Northwest, as well as in the German Alps. In her new position, Eldridge will oversee the communications and public relations activities at The Canyons.

Ted Curtis was recently appointed Senior VP for Hilton Grand Vacations in Orlando, and it is said that he began to instigate a lot of changes right from the get-go.

In Europe:

Former Universal Vacation Club executives in Europe, very unhappy with the way that Club was being operated and who got out while the getting was good:

Michael and Viviane Tolan, with Platinum Resorts International (a full service Vacation Ownership Corporation based in the Middle East and Europe that develops timeshare property, markets and provides services to Club Members) were not content to just work very hard developing their principal businesses. Michael has also gotten the ball rolling with with the GSO (Global Sales Organization), an industry association dedicated to responsible trading practices and industry growth worldwide, with affiliates in over 25 countries. In their spare time, late this year, the couple also became the proud parents of twin boys and organized a new charity.

In Australia and the Asia-Pacific region:

Joe Sita has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Accor's new Première Vacation Club (APVC). Sita was the General Manager of Development at Accor Asia Pacific and has been integral in the expansion of Accor in the Asia-Pacific region. He will be supported by a senior management team with over 50 years experience in the timeshare industry, including:

Very special thanks go out to all the people who write so wonderfully for The Beat, and without whom we would be so much less than we are: Jerry Sikes, with his 51st column(!) for us this week; Simone, who shows us Europe with panache and style-- through a European's eyes; Fern Modena, who shares her extensive timeshare knowledge and experience with us; Fast Eddie, who is willing to share his wanderings with us; Peter Shield, who can write about anything and make it fun; Lisa Schreier, who really knows about advertising; Michael Finn, who writes thoughtful pieces about industry issues; James Gilmartin, who is an expert on marketing to baby boomers; Steve Ward, who shares his technical and website knowledge with us; Chip Noe, who writes with passion; the mysterious and opinionated writer(s) of Inside Washington, who make us think; The Shadow, who knows the industry inside out and isn't afraid to speak out; Steven Rue Bromberg, an industry insider and timeshare traveler who occasionally and colorfully fills us in on what's happening in the TS world with a Buzz in the Biz; Kirby Wright, who let us see inside the OPC world, tongue in cheek; and all the fine folks who have written about their experiences, likes and dislikes and travelogues in It's Your World. And to THE STAFF, who do everything else! Did we miss anybody?

Ending on a solemn note, James Vellema, Chairman and CEO of MPTV, Inc., passed away after a long illness on early Friday morning, March 24. A longtime industry veteran, Vellema and partner Hurley Reed had purchased the Lake Tropicana Apartments in Las Vegas out of the Glen Ivy bankruptcy several years ago and had been struggling to turn the project into a timeshare resort. Mr. Vellema's influence in the early days of the timeshare industry in the USA was considerable, and he was considered a serious player.

Hurley Reed took over the reins of the company after Vellema's death, and if all goes well the company will sign an agreement with Arizona-based Remington Financial Group on Jan. 9, 2001 for a construction loan to finally begin the project. It is unfortunate that James Vellema will not be there to enjoy the moment. We wish his family and friends well.

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