Hard Work & Dedication

Julian is a Partner at New Castle Hotels & Resorts and is responsible for the Company’s overall investment strategy and performance. In his leadership role, Julian oversees all aspects of the Investment Co., including asset management, business development and investor relations and serves as New Castle’s liaison to brand partners and industry groups.

Julian has been honing his leadership skills from an early age. At 6 years old, he was the youngest person in the world to receive a black belt in Taekwondo, training that paved the way for his disciplined commitment to establishing a career in hospitality. A double-major in Economics and Environmental Studies, Julian furthered his capabilities in these disciplines during his work abroad at a non-profit microfinance organization in Panama and volunteering among conservation specialists in South Africa. These diverse experiences are among many that helped shape Julian’s well-rounded business acumen and ability to always see the big picture among the granular details.

 Julian’s dedication to achieving excellence in the underwriting process and refining New Castle’s investment strategies is informed by years of transaction, appraisal and feasibility study experience at prominent hospitality firms include HEI Hotels & Resorts and Hospitality Valuation Services (HVS). Since joining New Castle in 2017, Julian has further established the Company as a trusted and respected partner for a variety of institutional investors and developers.

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Jeremy is a Partner at New Castle Hotels & Resorts and most enjoys working with people and teams, preferably in person, to solve and prevent problems big and small.   He oversees the Company’s Development efforts and Technical Services, Technology and Shared Services platforms.  Jeremy views problems as knowledge opportunities and takes an analytical approach to drive enduring solutions.  

Since joining New Castle in 2008 Jeremy has overseen the construction, redevelopment, and renovation of many hotels including the transformation of the historic Algonquin Golf Resort in New Brunswick, the first Canadian hotel to join the Autograph Collection by Marriott, and more recently the renovation and overhaul of the historic Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax, Canada.  He has also supported the ground up development of several new hotels in Charleston, Jekyll Island and Nova Scotia.  As technology continues to transform business and customers alike, Jeremy has initiated changes throughout the Company including in our Shared and Technical Services disciplines.  Our corporate office is a resource center for each hotel and team member and as a service-oriented business we continue to leverage technology to better support our associates and guests.  

Prior to joining New Castle in 2008 Jeremy spent 15 years in the construction and environmental engineering fields in New York City, working for several prominent firms including Stone & Webster Engineering.  Previously he worked as a Construction Project Manager while attending college in Chicago, but his most memorable job was his first beginning at age 13 - as a caddie at Chicago Golf Club while growing up in Wheaton, IL.  “I wish I knew then what I know now about that golf course; it is one of the finest designs in the world”.  

He graduated from Wheaton College and lives in Ridgefield, CT with his wife and two sons.   Jeremy enjoys golfing, skiing, the outdoors, and home improvement - often listening to Blinklists while finishing one of many ongoing home projects.  He loves live music including jazz, rock, and jam bands, and over the years has been to more than 100 Grateful Dead shows.  

Jeremy is a member of the Marriott International Westin Owner’s Advisory Board and serves on the Sustainability Committee for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).  He is an Advisor to Dwell Optimal, a real estate technology company focused on extended stay business travelers.  He  helped develop the Pacaya Lodge & Spa in Nicaragua, visiting several times during design and construction.  The lodge is part of Opportunity International Nicaragua and was conceived as a hospitality and tourism training facility to help break the cycle of chronic poverty in Nicaragua.  He has also worked on education initiatives in Nicaragua.  

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A career hospitality and education executive, Tom Nolan is our Chief Operating Officer who abides by the principle that, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel”.

With a depth of experience in leadership roles and a vast passion for delivering exceptional experiences and services – Tom certainly delivers on this mantra.  

Graduating from Bentley University, with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, Tom has always exhibited a competitive nature evidenced in both his remarkable professional achievements, and the fact that he was also elected to his university’s Athletic Hall of Fame for his tennis prowess.

Tom has had a long-held interest in sporting activities throughout his life, adding golf to his racquet sports passion and, like every good New England fan growing up he avidly follows all the Boston sports teams.

In his more relaxed moments, he appreciates a good read (his favorite book being Seabiscuit) and family travel with his wife Lynne and three children, holding a special fondness for Martha’s Vineyard.

He also is a committed to volunteer work, especially with the American Cancer Society, and as a youth mentor; founding the “10 who are 10” Foundation – a scholarship program for 10-year-old D.C. students. 

In a hypothetical world. Tom allows that his ideal dinner companion would be Winston Churchill because of his fortitude and determination; and probably because he shared another of Tom’s guide posts for life, to “never, never, never give up”.

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Judi Scofield credits two passions for her exceptional drive; she loves spending time with her family and is always looking for ways to help people.

Judi was an Army brat who moved 24 times before she arrived in Connecticut at age 16. She was born in Kentucky but lived multiple times in Maine (where both of her parents grew up), Oklahoma, Texas and Alabama and also lived in Germany, Iran, California, and Massachusetts . Even though as a teen she considered a career as a flight attendant, her travel industry aspirations are now well served by her senior role with New Castle where she directs corporate financial strategies and manages banking relationships, including raising equity and placing debt.

After spending 10 years at Arthur Andersen where New Castle was a client, she joined New Castle in 1993 as Director of Financial Services. She was named Vice President, Finance/Treasurer in 1997, and has served in her current role since 2011. She evaluates all investment opportunities and is extensively involved in all aspects of hotel acquisitions, as well as monitoring existing investments.

That’s a daunting agenda of top-level executive responsibilities, but Judi’s prepared for it. A graduate of the University of Connecticut’s School of Business, she received a Bachelor of Science (honors) Magna Cum Laude in accounting and finance, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CTCPA).

When it comes to helping people – she tries to do that each day in her role at New Castle, but outside of work, she’s been involved with the Appalachia Service Youth Mission for 15 years, making homes safer, warmer and dryer and is the Finance Chair for her local church.

We often have to remind her to take care of herself too, which she does by spending time with her family, playing golf, reading and hitting up hot yoga classes. And of course, she still loves to travel.

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Bryan Woodhouse is a curious guy. By that, we mean that Bryan is always asking questions and seeking answers on what’s new in the industry, what are the new trends, new expectations. What we love about Bryan is that he takes what he learns and shares it with the rest of us.

Proof positive of this characteristic is the fact that he’s an accounting journalist with zero accounting background; gaining his knowledge from attending as many conferences as time would allow in order to educate himself on the latest accounting standards, tax law changes, and technology trends.

This zest for knowledge and collaborative team-centered approach to successful management is best reflected in phrases he utters regularly, “It’s not important who gets the credit, it’s about the job getting done.”

Bryan’s outlook on successful business leadership comes naturally as a graduate of Bentley University, arguably one of America’s most prestigious business schools. Bentley is located in Boston. This probably explains why some of Bryan’s favorite sports teams are the Boston Celtics, the Boston Red Sox, and the Boston Bruins. How he came to adopt the Dallas Cowboys we may never know. But that penchant for occasional cognitive diversity may explain why his favorite movie is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

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“Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.” Sure, it’s a quote from The Outsiders, Anna’s favourite book, but we like to think that as the VP of Corporate Accounting the line also guides her approach to overseeing our accounting transactions related to income and real estate taxes; property purchases, sales, and financing; leads the corporate yearend tax return process; and general corporate accounting.

Anna’s played a key role with New Castle Hotels since 1992, after receiving her Bachelor of Science in Accounting, from Central Connecticut State University. After a few months in her initial role with the operations team as Accounts Payable Clerk, Anna quickly moved through the ranks as Staff Accountant, Assistant Controller, Corporate Accounting Analyst and then Manager, Senior Manager, Director, Senior Director and now VP of Corporate Accounting.

I mean, that’s a lot. If you think about it, you could easily compare Anna’s intelligence, talent, and depth to the same characteristics embodied by her beloved New York Giants offensive line. We’re kidding. They’re awful.

Anna turns the outdated stereotype of “boring ol’ accountant” on its head, boasting outside-interests as eclectic as they get. When she’s not on a boat or enjoying a day at the beach, Anna is…serving as a Eucharistic Minister in the Roman Catholic Church. Another favourite pastime is overusing the red heart emoji in the same way others are known to abuse their exclamation mark privileges.

She’s exceptionally smart, so we let it pass.

Anna credits New Castle’s entrepreneurial environment with allowing her the opportunity and space to learn and grow in each role she has held, but we reckon her intense focus and commitment to getting the job done is actually more of a guttural reaction to the profound disappointment she felt when Frenchy dropped out of Beauty School in the movie Grease, a top-of-the-list, all-time cinematic classic in Anna’s books.
Frenchy’s career trajectory wasn’t going to happen to Anna, she’s made absolutely sure of that.

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Born in Colombia, Daniela immigrated to the United States when she was nine years old, however it is quite possible she holds lingering resentment that this journey didn’t instead result in her landing, at least temporarily, at one of the Hogwarts Schools of Witchcraft and Wizarding (preferably Ravenclaw to be specific).

Alas, her early years took a different path and resulted in an impressive list of education accomplishments including a Bachelor’s in Psychology from UCONN and a Master’s in Human Resources Management from UCONN’s School of Business. Daniela has been able to weave her human resources expertise into her love for the tourism and hospitality industry, where she first started as a front desk agent at the Hilton Garden Inn in Norwalk in 2009. She quickly made a name for herself with the leadership at New Castle Hotels & Resorts, wearing a vast number of hats including administrative assistant, sales coordinator, benefits administrator, benefits manager, human resources manager, corporate director of human resources – all leading to her current role of Vice President, Human Resources for New Castle. In this position, Daniela is responsible for providing strategic leadership to the Human Resources function, as well as supporting the shared services platform by guiding the company & it’s properties through the competitive labor market and solving for any people & culture problems as they arise.

Her love of travel has taken her many places, but her favourite is London, England for the food (editor’s note: Daniela says she’s a “big foodie” but we think that’s questionable since she also identifies as a picky eater), culture and sites. After completing her master’s degree, her husband gifted her with a trip to London that centred around visiting the famous Harry Potter studio. She’s since returned this loving gesture by begrudgingly attending NY Knicks games to support his favourite team, even though she’s a die-hard Lakers fan.

An avid crafting fan, Daniela loves creating pieces for her friends and family, and continually finds ways to support the community either by assisting at food banks or supporting local charities that provide resources to young, single mothers. She tries to adhere by the late, great Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s advice, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

We would be remiss to not mention her affection for “Pez Koi”, the family fish.

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The way John Wilson sees it, life is like a box of chocolates. Sure, it was Forrest Gump who first described it as such, but we can’t argue with John that it does aptly describe his approach to both his professional and personal life.

As Vice President, Performance, John has responsibility for overseeing the operations of the company’s seven Canadian hotels and resorts, as well as centralized accounting and special projects. And, like that box of chocolates, in this role, John never quite knows what he’s gonna get.

In a job where he has to influence and shape operational best practices across the portfolio to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of guests, associates and partners alike, you just know that there’s going to be more than a few surprises. But his record shows that he’s more than ready for a challenge.

John joined New Castle in 1996 to help bring the shuttered Nova Scotia Hotel back to life as the first Westin-franchised hotel in the world and recently oversaw a multi-year $16 million renovation of the hotel including guest rooms, public spaces, a new lobby bar-restaurant and major upgrades to mechanical and life safety systems.

A native of New Brunswick and graduate of St. Mary’s University in Halifax, John has over 24 years with New Castle and has earned multiple promotions and the company’s General Manager of the Year Award in 2017.

That’s a lot of time checking out hotels, so he can be forgiven when he admits that in his spare time he likes to get outdoors, particularly at the cottage or the beach. When he does hunker down to relax, it’s often re-watching his all-time favourite movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. Box of chocolates indeed.

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If you Google “What makes a good sales leader” (and we did), you’ll learn that the best in the business are extremely curious, remarkable observers, strong planners (and even better “doers”). They are also, perhaps most importantly, not afraid to try something new. Those characteristics and traits perfectly sum up Pamela Suhr, New Castle’s VP Sales, a person who responds to the question, “what’s your favourite sport?” with, “You name it, I’ll try it.”

Pamela is a consummate professional having developed and led sales and operations teams through various start-ups, mergers and conversions for organizations across the continental US and Canada – gaining strong experience with international feeder markets. Her career has seen her work for both large-scale hotel brands as well as independent hotels, with a focus on Florida resorts and mid to luxury urban properties, in a diverse range of senior roles.

In both her personal and professional life, Pamela isn’t afraid to seek out adventure, living by the famous words of Anais Nin, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” Her skills, expertise and energy fuel our team’s drive to constantly be innovating and seeking out unique opportunities and solutions for our clients.

In addition to enjoying art, travel, reading (Hamilton by Ron Cherno and All the Lights we Cannot See by Anthony Doe are two of her favourites), exploration and discovery outside of work, Pam also makes time to volunteer in the community – most recently with her local library and fire department.

And while, like all good communicators and sales people (*according to Google), she claims to keep an open mind, you will not be able to convince her that any version of Blade Runner comes close to the cinematic genius of the Harrison Ford original.

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No silver spoon here but you could metaphorically surmise that Denise McNeil may have been born with one of those soft room key soothers in her mouth.

Growing up in Brackley Beach, Prince Edward Island, Denise’s potential was recognized early on by her parents, owners of a small property, who put her to work at the family business as soon as possible. Denise will tell you that those were the days when the closest thing to a computer at the front desk reception area was a poster board filled with paper rack cards.

Obviously, it took some extensive training, deep attention to the communications revolution, and a whole lot of smarts to progress to her current position at New Castle as the VP, Digital Strategy and eCommerce.

Inspired by her childhood gig, Denise went on to graduate from the Tourism Hospitality Management program at Mount Saint Vincent University. The program allowed her to take part in an incredibly memorable work experience at Jasper Park Lodge, which she will be quick to note came before marriage, kids, and a mortgage. After her studies, Denise launched her career with NCH in revenue management at the Westin Nova Scotian. And while we won’t share the year she started out with us; we can disclose that it coincided with Eddy Murphy’s “Party All the Time” climbing rapidly up the Billboard 100 chart.

Despite being known as a consummate professional and fearless leader, Denise remains at heart an “Islander”; returning home frequently to spend time with family and enjoy cottaging and beach life.

And while she may modestly describe herself in her off-work hours as someone who likes to stay connected to home life, particularly supporting her children in their active paddling competitions, she allows that she’s been an active concert spectator, the most memorable being held at a small theatre in Portland, Maine featuring her favourite band Snow Patrol. In fairness, Denise’s affinity for Snow Patrol is likely the only time she has ever been “off-brand”.

A consummate professional who has witnessed advocated and managed dramatic change in the hospitality industry, Denise defines NCH's commitment to innovation. Snow Patrol aside.

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While the vast variety of our food and beverage offerings are willingly consumed by our clientele, that aspect of our management responsibility daily seems in turn to happily eat up the talents and attention of Daniel Ambron.

Daniel has 20 years of restaurant and hotel experience and has been vice president of food and beverage operations since 2016. A former executive chef he’s also worked to open or renovate eight of our hotels during that time.

Always looking for ways to make great service become excellent he is quick to refer to a quote from Danny Meyer, author of his favorite book, “Setting the Table”, that, “A great restaurant doesn’t distinguish itself by how few mistakes it makes, but by how well they handle those mistakes.”

Which, perhaps, could also sum-up the plot of his go-to movie, “Wedding Crashers”.

A Certified American Hotel and Lodging Institute Food & Beverage Executive, Daniel is also a certified sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers) and working towards certification as advanced sommelier. To underscore the depth of his passion towards these pursuits, the man even named his dog “Rhone” after one of his most preferred wine regions.

In his personal time Daniel likes to work on home improvement projects, finessing his fitness, and travelling and staying active with his family.  

And although he’s an acknowledged leader in the competitive milieu of the food and beverage field, and loves to dine out, he’ll quietly admit that he rarely has a meal better than what his wife prepares.

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With over two decades of experience Alex has established a well-deserved reputation as one of the most respected management professionals in the hospitality industry, evidenced by an earlier designation in an issue of Hotel Magazine as “one of 37 GM’s to watch”.

Yet he also manages to combine his professional accomplishments with a varied and balanced schedule of personal pursuits.

The bilingual (English and Spanish) graduate of a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Miami’s Florida International University remains an ardent fan of that city’s sports team, the Dolphins, Hurricanes, Heat and Marlins. One of his favorite childhood memories remains going to his first ever Miami Hurricanes football game and watching them win the National Championship. And that interest extends to his family life where he enjoys playing baseball, soccer and basketball with his children and watching them play youth sports.

He also coaches some of those youth teams, and finds time for community work with Greenhouse 17, Habitat for Humanity and Lady Vet connect, along with volunteer professional involvement as a Board member on the Blue Grass Hospitality Association, the VisitLex CVB, and the Kentucky Hotel & Lodging Association.

It’s clear that Alex pursues life with enthusiasm; and the title of his favorite movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, probably explains his expressed fondness for the quote “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken”.

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Jim Seitz has been in the hospitality industry for almost three decades developing a reputation for tremendous leadership and a proven track record in multiple brands and new hotel openings.

His career began with a front desk position in the industry after attending Washington State Community College, and proceeded through the ranks of General Manager, Regional General Manager, Regional Operations Manager, Senior Area Director & Area Director. Along the way he has shown a passion for openings, development / acquisitions, analytics / accounting, culture, engineering & the food and beverage sector.

However Jim’s wide range of interests isn’t confined to his professional life. He likes to travel, attend concerts and, very intriguing, collecting bourbon. And he particularly enjoys time at the family cabin with his wife, three children and two dogs in Flemingsburg, KY (obviously a handy location for a bourbon devotee).

Any down time that’s available can often be spent watching movies, especially anything James Bond, John Wayne or Clint Eastwood related; and reading, citing as his favorite book Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides.

Perhaps even taking in a ball game, since his favorite quote is “We’re Lost, but making great time”, one of the many unforgettable musings of the inimitable Yogi Bera.

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After close to 20 years in hospitality management and operations, Josh Morey is known to be exceptionally dependable – we’d even argue that he’s one of the most accomplished and highly respected in the game.  Ask him to pick a movie however, and that dependability is thrown out the window and replaced with a proverbial cinematic rollercoaster ride that takes you from Shawshank Redemption to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation to Aliens, finally hitting the brakes and pulling up to Young Frankenstein.

It's wild. 

In other words, Josh thrives on organization and structure within the workplace while happily choosing the road less travelled in his personal time.

In both aspects of his life, he is a man of strong character, firmly believing that every day the people in your life deserve to see you give 100%.  As an avid baseball fan, he is often guided by a quote from the famous Joe DiMaggio, “There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first or last time, I owe him my best."

It’s a mantra he not only adheres to personally, but one he looks to instill in his work team as well; believing that empowerment, engagement, growth and development of the team is the true benchmark and responsibility of a hospitality leader.

That commitment to giving back may explain why one of his preferred books is Bob Berg’s The Go-Giver; and, no surprise, he believes greatly in volunteer work in his community.

A proud dad and husband Josh and his family love their two-year-old boxer/pit mix named “Blanco”, and spend a lot of time hiking and exploring state and national parks with Blanco in tow.

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Don’t count the days; make the days count. That’s both the personal and workday mantra that guides Lisa.

And over the course of her busy 30-year tenure at New Castle, that counsel has been invaluable as she has seen the company grow from a five person office to its current stature.

Her current responsibilities span two distinct roles at New Castle.  As Corporate Officer, Lisa is responsible for forming NCH’s individual ownership and management entities, maintaining corporate governance documents, structure charts and investor lists. Lisa also oversees administrative duties for the overall company in addition to providing direct support to the development, finance and operations teams.

A graduate of the Katharine Gibbs Business School, Lisa joined New Castle in 1989 as Executive Secretary.  Her current role is Director, Operational & Management Services.  

When she’s not making sure all of us are doing what we are supposed to be doing (perhaps here is a good time to mention her patience), Lisa likes to spend time with her family, work out, hike with friends or position her nose firmly in front of a book – particularly anything written by Elin Hilderbrand or Nancy Thayer; an experience made even more enjoyable if it can be done on a beach.

Regardless of what she’s doing, she’s always making every day count.

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Not all of us can say our work has been lauded in the Wall Street Journal; but Quinn Meredith can.

Quinn, New Castle’s Director of Project Management, received this recognition as well as a number of professional awards, due to his extensive work experience in design and construction – and of course a focus on project management.

While his work focus is often on the inside of standing structures, Quinn’s off the job activities can take him in a different direction.

He has a passion for the outdoors with interests such as hunting, fishing, hiking, cycling and baseball. It makes sense that he names the Rocky Mountains as his ideal travel destination.  

Quinn obtained a degree in Hospitality Management from the University of North Texas and is a former Staff Sargent with the Texas State Guard 436^th Air Wing.

With everything on his plate, he continues to be very involved with volunteer work focusing on veterans causes, such as Wounded Warriors, and community organizations including Meals on Wheels.

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"One man's 'magic' is another man's engineering.”

This quote by Robert A. Heinlein, famous science writer and aeronautical engineer, aptly describes the talent that Kenneth Smith brings each day to our organization in his role as Corporate Director of Engineering.

Ok, it may not be exactly magical, per se, but it certainly is impressive.

He has over 20 years’ experience in our industry, including being awarded the Leader of the Year for the Waynesville Golf Resort and Spa, in recognition of his team building, customer service and culture change that he brought to the engineering department.

Kenneth has been responsible for setting standard operating procedures, training programs, and inspection protocols for multiple assets and fosters a workplace focuses on proactive versus reactive maintenance.

Since his student training at Central Piedmont Community College, followed by leadership training at Appalachian State University, he has progressively established a widely respected and award-winning reputation for his knowledge and innovation.

When out of the office Kenneth enjoys building and painting 28 mm models (ok, that’s pretty magical) and playing tabletop games. He also enjoys family movie nights and cooking.

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Our Director, Regional HR Business Partner, US, is not one to sit idle. Whether fishing, camping, hiking or biking – Maria Skrobacz loves to take advantage of time outdoors. Over the years, as Maria built her impressive work experience in various global locations, the view of the outdoors has looked a bit different. 

Hailing from Olean, NY, Maria stayed in her hometown state to study Luxury Hotel Operations at Niagara University. Her work in the industry has taken her from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Bellagio Italy to Hawaii to Orlando, Florida. Throughout her career she has held a diverse range of roles in the industry starting as a front desk agent, and moving through to front desk management, event services management, executive housekeeping management and operations management. For the last number of years, she has honed her exceptional skills in human resource leadership.

In her professional career, Maria is laser focused on helping others achieve their goals. Citing legendary basketball coach, John Wooden, as a mentor, she has long been influenced by his ability to build his players’ confidence in themselves, and their teammates, guided in her own work by his quote, “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”

It's not surprising, with her love of adventure, that Maria’s favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz, however she did throw her colleagues for a loop with her rather intense love of gnomes (apparently even dressing as one for Halloween…not once, but twice).

When not outdoors or in the office, Maria is giving back to her community at the Church festival, GOACC corporate events, and as a parade stager for the Olean parade – which she describes as “not quite the Macy’s Parade, but in my eyes, ‘very close’.”

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When asked the quote that best reflects her approach to life, our Regional Director of Sales, Danielle Neuser, is quick to reference Mae West’s line, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough”.

Danielle takes great care to fill her days with the things that bring her joy – whether it’s cozying up with her two rescue dogs, Kobe and Jesse, or taking her husband Kevin, and son Jackson, to Syracuse University football and basketball games (she has season tickets, you only live once after all). Danielle and her husband are avid music fans and travel the country to see their favorite bands whenever their schedule allows. Summers are spent on Tully Lake, boating and spending time with friends. 

Graduating from Lemoyne College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Danielle has built a reputation as a dynamic leader within the tourism and hospitality field. Holding a number of different sales positions throughout her career, Danielle has also served as General Manager and Dual General Manager during her career.

When not traveling to the next Billy Strings or Willie Nelson concert, Danielle serves as the President of the Greater Syracuse Hospitality and Tourism Association and the Board Chair for the Finger Lakes Tourism Association.

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She likes comedy themes in her movies, crime stories in her podcasts, and her tastes in music range from Andrea Bocelli to Foo Fighters. You can see why it would be hard to define Denise.

Except, of course, when it comes to her approach to work. That we can define easily; a focused leader who is strategic, analytical, and competitive in the best of ways. When you add in client-centered and brand-savvy, you have the epitome of world-class hospitality professional.

Since graduating from Mount Mary College with a double major in Business Administration and Marketing, Denise has built a broad range of experience and garnered immense respect in the industry. This is amply evidenced not only by the work she has done for New Castle Hotels but also through her various Board of Director positions with Meeting Professionals International.

Off the job, she can be found in the pursuit of some of her favourite passions like cooking, hiking, and travelling. In both her professional and personal life, Denise is known to be exceptionally innovative and is always ready to step up to the plate and take charge when needed. Her approach to life is perhaps best described with a quote often used by her English father-in-law, “If it is to be – it’s up to me”. No trouble to define a positive attitude.

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“We pursue excellence and continuously look for better ways of doing all that we do”.

That’s a key part of the mission statement from Ches’ alma mater, Knoxville Tennessee's Pellissippi College, and Ches has held on to that tenet each day that she has spent throughout her career in the hospitality industry.

And that career has transcended many aspects; human resources, sales, and now revenue management.

Her approach to life is simple, really: “Be kind to one another”, a quote she borrows from the great philosopher and daytime television host, Ellen Degeneres. Ches chooses optimism, to see the world as a glass half full; and this affinity for seeking the good in everyone and everything is evidenced in her preference for congenial cinema choices ranging from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original, obviously) to The Princess Bride (we agree this is an absolute classic).

Her happy place is anywhere close to the water; where she can relax on a beach or get out for a boat ride. Ches is also a huge soccer fan, a keen player in her youth, she now stays true to her roots cheering for the Tennessee University Volunteers football team.

She also likes the Cleveland Browns but we won’t try to explain that anomaly.

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Curtis’ guiding quote is “Remember the world will judge you based on how you judge yourself’. It came from Vincent Mueller, the noted contemporary philosopher who studies ethical, legal and socioeconomic issues.  This choice of quote, and philosopher, is quite “on brand” for Curtis who is also fond of exploring serious topics – reading books related to economics and business in his “spare time”.

Even his go-to favorite film, Leaving Las Vegas, explores complex and tragic issues.  

Curtis is a proud graduate of Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in Providence, Rhode Island with an MBA in Hospitality and a concentration in marketing; also receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management, with a minor in Japanese Language and Literature from Kyonggi University in Seoul, South Korea.

A highly respected and accomplished revenue management professional with almost two decades working in the hospitality and travel industry, he also continues to serve as a senior Non-Commissioned Officer in the Army Reserve.

 Just when you think you have Curtis pegged as the consummate intellectual, he shares that he also is an avid fan of pop and R&B, which, to be fair, often feature the greatest modern-day philosophers.  

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Wilma is fond of a quote from the Dalai Lama, “Happiness is not something ready-made; it comes from your own actions”.

And that’s not surprising given the extensive experience and widely admired status she has determinedly acquired as a sales professional in the hospitality industry over a couple of decades.

She has developed a deep understanding for what clients expect in a successful organization, and shares that knowledge through her reputation as an excellent team builder.

In her personal time, she demonstrates a broad, and even eclectic range of interests that include; fly fishing, golf, travelling and, when the proper time allows, enjoying a good bourbon and glass of wine.

The Colorado State University graduate is a football fan, and follows the golf circuit when she’s not on the course herself. It shouldn’t be a surprise then when life’s contradictions can also be explored in her favorite book, Catcher in the Rye, and her ideal movie choice, Up in the Air.

And making the world a better place has led her to focus special attention to community and social needs, especially the provision of publicly needed shelter by supporting Habitat for Humanity and feeding the homeless through the work of the Good Samaritan House.

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When we learned that Matthew counts Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm as his favourite television shows, it was fairly easy to categorize him as a down-to-earth, easy-going type of guy. However, since making that assessment we have discovered that he is a man of far-reaching interests that make him a versatile team member of the organization.

Matthew graduated from Yale University where in addition to obtaining his degree in Political Science he spent time on the defensive line for the school’s football team (Go Bulldogs!). Prior to joining our team, Matthew worked with Dinan & Company in Phoenix, Arizona where he served as Senior Associate of Investment Banking, originating and closing numerous private equity transactions in the healthcare, industrial, oil & gas, technology and consumer products sectors.

These days, Matthew works alongside New Castle Partner, Julian Buffam, in analyzing and underwriting hotel acquisitions and developmental projects.

Matthew is raising two rescue dogs with his wife Tara at their home in Connecticut, and when he has time away from coordinating our acquisitions and developments, he loves to travel (especially Orange County, California for the beaches), tailgate at Yale football games, weightlift, and dive into World War II and Vietnam War history.

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Irvin keeps his focus sharply on our financial regimen during his day-to-day responsibilities with our team at New Castle; but his perspective on life is vast and diverse in matters of personal interest. 

He’s a constant learner who loves to read autobiographies, and a movie buff whose eclectic choices range from “Fried Green Tomatoes” to “Miracle on 34^th Street”.

His extensive business management studies have been gleaned through several schools and institutions, and he’s even included a political science course at Cape Breton University. That would help to explain why he allows that his ideal dinner companion would be the Prime Minister of Canada to discuss questions about human rights, climate change, and the role Canada plays on the global stage.

He enjoys travel, especially to France where he has made many trips to Paris and the northern sectors.

Fond of the expression “This Too Shall Pass”, Irvin indulges private moments in gardening and renovating old houses. And he finds personal reward in volunteer work, especially as a fundraiser supporting events for non-profit associations, serving as a committee member and treasurer for the Old Covenanter Church (a Historic Property and National Historic site); on the Vision Committee for the United Church; and facilities for young adults with special needs and seniors.

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Betsy Littau sees life through a wide lens, and her interests underline that range of perspective.

Sure, as senior staff accountant she respects the discipline and the strict protocols of her profession.  After all she has a degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting from Columbia College; has spent six years working in hotel accounting; has years of varied accounting experience in a diverse range of industries and ten years working for a health care trade association doing grants administration.

But she also has an unconfined approach to other pursuits. As Robert Frost, arguably one of America’s best loved poets once said, “A good accountant is a good poet. He appreciates the true value of things.”

Betsy can poetically explore the value of many things indeed.

She loves to travel to destinations ranging from Ireland, Germany, Hawaii, Alaska, Caribbean, Aruba, Cancun, and many of the big cities across the US, with a unique fondness for the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.

Her musical tastes are equally diverse, as she’s played the flute since elementary school, but will admit to an affection for country music and is an avid concert attendee.

Her book list favorites are titles based on true stories with experiential themes such as

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen; and says that treasured movies include Love Affair with Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Katharine Hepburn and Les Miserables with Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway.

Her enthusiasms also include sports especially Syracuse University basketball - “I bleed Orange!” she will quickly and candidly admit.

Robert Frost would be proud.

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As Corporate Staff Accountant Rachel plays a crucial role in maintaining the financial health of the organization. She’s prides herself on being detail oriented with strong analytical skills, and proficient in accounting software and database management.

A recent graduate of Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry, NY with a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree, Rachel also holds a Bloomberg Market Concepts Certification.

Born and raised in Westchester County, NY, she was an avid soccer player from an early age, eventually progressing in her skills to be part of an elite soccer team that travelled to play in Europe; she continues to indulge that passion as a devote follower of the English Premier League. And, on the opposite side of the sports spectrum, she is also a big NASCAR fan. 

Rachel’s reading choices lean towards psychological thrillers and she also particularly enjoys movie nights. While it may not quite qualify as a follow up member of her favorite literary genre, the Harry Potter series has been her “go to” preference in film entertainment.

She dearly loves her English bulldog and enjoys exploring the states by taking long road trips, especially to one of her favorite destinations, Nashville, TN.

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In-Cheol likes to move fast. Sure, that’s obviously evident when you learn that speedskating is one of his favorite pastimes, and a pursuit that has earned him many awards. This speed and razor-sharp focus are also obvious outside of the rink as well, particularly in how quickly he has progressed through the ranks in our organization.

In-Cheol gives 100 per cent every day. With speedskating, he continues to actively participate in organized national short track events and is a member of the United States Speed Skating Program, which notes as part of its mission statement the commitment to “developing character through our shared values, and achieving international competitive success”.

And that’s a commitment that In-Cheol makes abundantly clear as a member of our New Castle team as well.

After a time in the financial services industry, In-Cheol joined our engineering team in 2010. He’s also a proud veteran of the US Army who served in Desert Storm and later in the Army reserve engineering corps for six years.

Ironically when In-Cheol is not out on the speedskating oval in his private hours he pursues more contemplative hobbies and such as chess and woodworking. An avid reader, to this day he interestingly lists Pictionary among his favorite books for its role in helping him learn English.

It obviously worked well as he went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in management from Hawaii Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Regis University.

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Allyson is guided by a quote from Maya Angelou, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

And that’s not surprising because, outside of serving as New Castle’s Project Coordinator, she has been a community volunteer at Sacred Heart University serving as a tutor, and with a program called KEYS, a group dedicated to providing children the opportunity to play in a band or orchestra where they don't have those programs in schools. It’s a natural interest for someone who takes to the flute, guitar, and choral music.

A definite academic achiever she is a scholarship and academic award recipient with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree from Sacred Heart University, who can modestly recall memorizing a periodic table song in her freshman year of high school for extra credit.

Determinedly active physically as well, Allyson enjoys working out, kick boxing, keeping on the move with her two dogs Ember and Luna; and gymnastics, an area where she has also been a youth coach.

Personal interests include reading, claiming her favorite is Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie; and travel with her most memorable destination being Kauai.

It makes perfect sense that with her musical background she shares that her ideal conversational dinner companion would be Eartha Kitt, because she’s fascinated by her story and her music.

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