SHM Update - October 2018
Alumni and Industry
Dawn Sweeney named 2019 Hospitality Executive of the Year
The School of Hospitality Management and the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society have named Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, as the 2019 Hospitality Executive of the Year.
PSHRS recognizes 2018 alumni award recipients
The Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society and Penn State School of Hospitality Management honored ten alumni during the 2018 Alumni Awards Reception on Oct. 10 in conjunction with the school’s annual Alumni in the Classroom event. View the photo gallery.
Alumni of the Year
Hugh Roth ’87
Senior Vice President, Chief Customer and Business Development Officer
PepsiCo Global Foodservice Division
A 30-year veteran of the foodservice, consumer packaged goods, and services industries, Hugh joined PepsiCo in 2013. He has held various senior sales, marketing, and general management positions with PepsiCo, ARYZTA / Otis Spunkmeyer, The Coca-Cola Company, and American Express. Hugh is currently responsible for the strategic business development of PepsiCo’s largest current and prospective national and Global Foodservice chain customers, representing more than $3 billion in annual sales for PepsiCo’s Foodservice division. Under his leadership, Hugh’s team leverages the best of PepsiCo to bring insights-driven innovation, breakthrough experiential marketing programs, and a diverse food and beverage portfolio led by Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Lipton Iced Tea, Starbucks, Lay’s, Doritos, Gatorade, Quaker and Tropicana, to help PepsiCo’s customers differentiate themselves in the market, drive revenue and profit growth, and create consumer loyalty.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management from Penn State and began his career with Sheraton Hotels as a food and beverage industry executive. He is a member of the board of directors of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, a member of the Industry Advisory Board of Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management, and an advisor to numerous small and medium sized companies in the consumer-packaged goods and services industries.
Alumni Industry Achievement Award
Jamie Moore ’96
Director of Sourcing and Sustainability
Eat’n Park Hospitality Group
Jamie Moore earned his degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management in 1996. After graduating from Penn State, he started his first job as a storeroom manager at the Capital Hilton in Washington D.C., and progressed as assistant purchasing agent for Hilton Central Purchasing, director of purchasing for McLean Hilton and the same role at Hilton Pittsburgh. He moved on in 1999 to national accounts manager for the lodging division of Alliant Foodservice in Freedom, Pennsylvania. In 2000, he joined Eat’n Park Hospitality Group where he has been serving as director of sourcing and sustainability for nearly 18 years. In his current role he is responsible for implementing FarmSource, a local purchasing program, and increasing purchasing leverage by consolidating purchases through all divisions of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group. He inspects all local sources of supply (farmers and small producers) to ensure they meet or exceed food safety standards and defines and refines the food positions for the company and is the spokesperson for the restaurant’s commercials. Jamie participates in the PSHRS Pittsburgh Network, and has served on several boards including the PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Slow Food Pittsburgh, The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safty, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Industry Advisory Board for the College of Health and Human Services.
Jack Moyer ’89
Vice President and General Manager
1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa
Jack Moyer is a 1989 graduate of the Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management program and serves as the vice president and general manager of the 1905 Basin Park Hotel and 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, a Historic Hotel of America and one that most recently has been recognized by Southern Living as “The Best of Arkansas.” After graduating from Penn State, Jack joined Hilton Hotels, transitioning to Nemacolin Woodlands and later to Adams Mark Hotels in Tulsa and Mobile, Alabama. Jack left the corporate world on a grand adventure in the independent world in 1995, accepting the challenge to restore the Basin Park property which soon evolved into the ultimate challenge of rebuilding the Legend of Arkansas’ Grand Dame – The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa. Jack is married with grown daughters (one entering the industry in 2019) and is an active community leader and volunteer hospitality educator. He has been recognized as the Gold Key Winner in Arkansas (Leading Hotelier), Main Street Award of Excellence, 2014 Hospitality Person of the Year and the Historic Hotels of America – 2011 Hotelier of the Year.
John Rubino ‘86
Executive Vice President
Crossroads Hospitality Interstate Hotels & Resorts
John Rubino is executive vice president of Crossroads Hospitality – Interstate Hotels & Resorts’ division specializing in select-service properties. John is responsible for overseeing overall management of the company’s 300-hotel portfolio of select-service and extended stay hotels throughout North America. With over 30 years of experience in the hotel industry, John has held various operations leadership positions as senior vice president, vice president, regional director, area manager, regional trainer, and general manager with Interstate in addition to management roles and executive-level positions with Trust Hospitality and Island Hospitality. Throughout his career, John has opened over 25 nationally branded hotels, and assisted transitioning over 200 hotels into a new management company. His passion for the industry led him to becoming an adjunct faculty member of travel and tourism at Penn State, instructing students in dining room management and front office management. He has also authored course books in hotel management for national educational organizations. John has served as a board member for a number of industry organizations including the Northeast Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lackawanna County Hotel Association, and Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International. He is a graduate of Penn State, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management.
Emerging Professionals- Graduates
Sean McGinley ’15
Assistant Professor
Dedman School of Hospitality
Florida State University
Sean McGinley, an assistant professor of hospitality management at The Dedman School of Hospitality at Florida State University, earned a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a Ph.D. in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management from Penn State.
Sean’s teaching areas include hospitality leadership, ethical management, lodging operations, and sustainability management. His research focuses on managerial career progression, turnover, career change and sustainability in the hotel industry. Sean also serves as an academic adviser to the Eta Sigma Delta hospitality honor’s society Florida State chapter. Additionally, he serves as a reviewer for a number of academic journals and conferences. Sean is a member of the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education and has presented his research at numerous international conferences. He also serves on the Dedman School of Hospitality’s strategic planning committee. Finally, he has been an active participant with International Programs at Florida State, having taught in Panama and Italy the past two years, and is scheduled to teach in Switzerland this summer.
Emerging Professionals- Undergraduates
Patrick Keenan ’08
Capital Asset Project Manager
B.F. Saul Company Hospitality Group
After graduating from the Penn State with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management, Patrick joined Hillstone Restaurant Group working at its Houston’s and R+D Kitchen concepts in Florida, New York, and California. He went on to work as the general manager at a few restaurants along the East Coast, including Barcelona Wine Bar and most recently, Ristorante Acqua Al 2. Patrick then started a new role as a hotel operations project manager with the B. F. Saul Company Hospitality Group. He has recently been promoted to data security manager and capital asset project manager and is enjoying the new challenges provided.
Patrick grew up in Springfield, Pennsylvania and now lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Amy, and two children Eleanor and James. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, the great outdoors, and anything automotive.
Danielle Marullo, ’12
General Manager
The Club at Park Avenue by Convene
Danielle Marullo graduated from the Penn State Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management program in 2012. She is currently a general manager with the award winning hospitality start up, Convene. She was previously the general manager of restaurants at the five-star Peninsula Hotel in New York City, the assistant general manager of The Todd English Food Hall in New York’s famous Plaza Hotel, and a food and beverage manager and hospitality sales manager at the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York. Beyond her extensive experience “in the front of house,” she is a professionally trained chef, having graduated with distinction from the Professional Culinary Arts program at the French Culinary Institute. Always the entrepreneur, Danielle founded her own catering and baked goods company called The Hungry Gnome which has recently expanded into the mass production and wholesale distribution of her famous scones for sale at restaurants, cafes, hotels and conference centers. In 2013, Danielle appeared on the Anderson Cooper Live talk show where she was the winner of a special edition of Food Network’s “Chopped” moderated by Ted Allen. In Spring 2014 she was the third place winner of Spike TV’s “Frankenfood,” and was also a top 12 finalist on NBC’s Food Fighters. To express her love of cooking and entertainment, Danielle posts her original recipes and instructional cooking videos on her website and Youtube Channel entitled, “Got Room For More.”
Danielle is grateful to the Penn State School of Hospitality Management for teaching her the skills and mindset to be a successful member of the hospitality community.
Micah Smith ’08
General Manager
Courtyard by Marriott Arlington Rosslyn (Marriott International)
Micah Smith is general manager for the Courtyard Arlington Rosslyn by Marriott in Virginia. After graduating from the School of Hospitality Management in 2008, he joined Marriott International in the Marriott Development Program (now Voyager) at the Courtyard Annapolis. He has since been promoted multiple times within the Courtyard and Residence in brands including operations manager in Annapolis and Rockville, director of services in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, and assistant general manager in Washington D.C. and Alexandria. Prior to his most recent promotion to general manager in Arlington, Virginia, he was the general manager for the Courtyard Fairfax Fair Oaks by Marriott. Throughout his career with Marriott, Micah has delivered great results in key metrics including 20-point increase in AES, 15 percent RevPAR growth, 2.1 percent increase in GOP, 15-point year-over-year overall satisfaction score and 97 percent leadership score. Micah also has led multiple regional initiatives including Take Care Initiatives, community service initiatives, GSS Initiatives, and is a power budgeter supervising multiple hotels budgets. Micah also is a graduate of the exclusive Marriott Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) and the Marriott Leadership Excellence Program.
While a student at Penn State, he was the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality Student Chapter President.
Tim Vogelbacker ’11
Director of Finance and Accounting
Marriott International
Tim Vogelbacker is a hotel director of finance and accounting at Marriott International. He also serves as the lead director of finance and accounting for the Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey hotels. In his roles, he provides strategic financial leadership to both his property and surrounding markets. After graduating from Penn State in 2011, Tim began his career in Marriott’s management trainee program. From there, he worked in various finance roles throughout the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. markets. In 2015, he was promoted to a director of finance and accounting and returned to his hometown of Philadelphia. He recently finished an assignment as a multi-property director of finance and accounting.
Over the past year, Tim created and led various initiatives in the Philadelphia market to help integrate the Starwood legacy properties. These initiatives included: developing innovative multi-property staffing models, training Starwood controllers, and assisting with the sale of hotels. As a result of his efforts, Tim was awarded the Americas Eastern Region Finance Business Partner Award earlier this year. In addition, Tim actively recruits students at Penn State and volunteers his time to assist the treasury arm of the PSHRS board. He is currently pursuing his Master of Business Administration degree at Villanova University.
Sara Quinteros-Fernandez ’09
Metabolic Dietitian
University of Maryland Medical Center
Sara Quinteros-Fernandez graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, and is a pediatric clinical dietitian at the University of Maryland Medical Systems' department of Pediatric Genetics and Metabolism in Baltimore, Maryland. She is also founder and CEO of Little Chef’s Kitchen, which teaches K-12 students about healthy eating and cooking. Through grant funding she developed lessons and interactive culinary demonstrations utilizing local and seasonal ingredients. The program is implemented at multiple schools, including in Syracuse, New York, and Nappa, California. After receiving her degree in hospitality management, Sara studied culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America, and then went on to receive her master’s degree in Nutrition Sciences and Dietetics at Syracuse University. While studying at Syracuse University, Sara and Little Chef’s Kitchen partnered with Dr. Edwin Weeks Elementary School to teach cooking and nutrition to students as part of an after-school program. Sara recently formed a partnership with DC Greens, a program that uses food education, access and policy to advance food justice in the nation’s capitol, as well as the program’s Produce Rx sector, which allows medical providers to prescribe fresh fruits and vegetables to families who are unable to afford them as part of their medical care.
Alumna creates first Early Career Professorship in Hospitality Management
Elizabeth M. King, a 1979 Penn State graduate with a degree in political science, has endowed the Elizabeth M. King Early Career Professorship in the School of Hospitality Management. The endowment—which will support promising faculty and promote innovative teaching and research—is the first early career professorship in the school, and will be a powerful tool in recruiting and retaining the leading educators in the field.
SHM academic partner of 2018 Bisnow Lodging Investment Summit
The Penn State School of Hospitality Management was an academic sponsor of the 2018 Bisnow Lodging Investment Summit (BLIS), held on Oct. 23 in Washington, D.C.
The conference was attended by more than 200 participants and 30 speakers. Professor John O’Neill introduced the CEO panel, and Fran Taloricco ‘91, managing director, East Coast, Best Western made a presentation, as did Conti Professors and Industry Advisory Board members Dan Lesser, CEO, LW Hospitality Advisors and Mark Lomanno, Partner, Kalibri Labs. SHM students Leif Barron and Alex Myers also attended the conference.
Record attendance for 13th annual SHM Alumni in the Classroom
A record attendance of more than 100 alumni participated in the 13th annual Alumni in the Classroom, which is an outreach program that provides students with an opportunity to learn first-hand about the careers they are pursuing.
The two-day program held on Oct. 10-11 included alumni serving as guest speakers in 56 hospitality related classes as well as five education sessions on key issues in the industry. Alumni from the graduate program also participated on a PhD alumni panel.
In conjunction with the Alumni in the Classroom event, the PSHRS Alumni Awards Reception was held at the Nittany Lion Inn where ten SHM alumni received honors. Enjoy photos from this year’s program.
Next year’s Alumni in the Classroom program will be held on Oct. 16-17, 2019.
Faculty and Research
College names new Dean
Craig J. Newschaffer, associate dean for research in the Dornsife School of Public Health at Drexel University, has been named the new Raymond E. and Erin Stuart Schultz Dean of Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development, following a national search. Newschaffer’s appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2019.
Students
PSU graduate student master of ceremonies at Asia Pacific CHRIE Conference
Michael Lin, graduate student in the School of Hospitality Management, was master of ceremonies for the Gala Dinner at the Asia Pacific Council of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Educators (APacCHRIE) Conference held at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China from May 31-June 2, 2018. Lin was also honored by his Alma Mater as the student guest speaker for the department’s 30-year anniversary.
Students inducted to Eta Sigma Delta Hospitality Honors Society
Eta Sigma Delta (ESD) is a national affiliation which stands on five points of honor: excellence, leadership, creativity, service, and ethics. The Penn State chapter of Eta Sigma Delta is one of over 60 chapters in hotel schools around the world. The ESD mission is to enhance the Hospitality Management experience for high-achieving individuals within the major.
Taly Mayer and Chuk Ng are seniors and co-presidents of the Penn State chapter. Breffni Noone, associate professor of Hospitality Management, is the faculty adviser.
PSHRS/SHM events
PSHRS Alumni Job Board
PSHRS Alumni jobs has moved to the new nittanylionCAREERS website offered by Alumni Careers Services.
Alumni News
- Braedan Quigley ’00 HRIM was recently promoted to director of sales and marketing at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas. Previously he was sales and marketing director for Hyatt Resorts-Caribeean based in Miami, Florida.
- Kelly (Horrocks) Angotta ’05 HRIM recently started a new job as controller for Waterford Hotel Group, Inc. in Colchester, Connecticut. Previously she was a controller for the Sheraton Hotel at Bradley International Airport.
- Charles Snyder ’05 Intl Studies recently started a new job as vice president, lodging development for Marriott International. Previously he was vice president, business development for Charlestowne Hotels in Charleston, South Carolina.
- Sarah Iannucci ’06 HRIM recently started a new job as assistant general manager at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware. Previously she was general manager for Bertucci’s in Springfield, Pennsylvania.
- Jeffrey Scypinski ’10 HRIM recently started a new job as director of sales for Four Seasons New York. Previously he was a senior sales manager for the Hilton New York Hotel and Towers.
- Marissa Weaver ’15 HRIM was recently promoted to assistant general manager at Tiller’s Kitchen and Bar at the Marriott (White Lodging Services) in Westminster, Colorado. Previously she was a food and beverage manager at Le Meridien and AC Hotel (White Lodging Services) in Denver.