As President, Business Operations & Planning, Jolene ensures the company is best structured and aligned to meet owner and property needs with specific oversight of internal communications, planning across the business verticals, enhancing brand partnership success, as well as leading asset management, risk/compliance, and procurement initiatives.

Jolene spent 11 years with Starwood Hotels & Resorts (W Hotels Worldwide, St. Regis Hotels and Resorts and The Luxury Collection). Jolene was instrumental in the launch of W Hotels, starting with opening the fourth W Hotel in Seattle as Director of Sales & Marketing, then leading the field marketing team for W Hotels, and finally in NYC as Vice President, Brand Marketing for W Hotels, St. Regis and The Luxury Collection.

Jolene was honored as one of Lodging Magazine’s Outstanding Women in Lodging and has served as president of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of Professional Convention Management Association and awarded Supplier of the Year by the Washington Society of Association Executives. She currently serves on the Washington Filmworks Board of Directors, the Editorial Committee for the Washington Hospitality Association, and the Washington State University Board of Advisors for the School of Hospitality Business Management.

Jolene is a Washington State University graduate, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications/Public Relations. Here is a little-known fact – Kanye West, sang the song “Jolene” to Jolene when she was his dinner partner at a New York Fashion Week event. And the word that best describes Jolene is: ham (not the kind one eats).