Team

Mr. Buffam is a Partner at New Castle Hotels and is involved with all aspects of the firm’s day to day operations and strategy.  Jeremy has 30 years of construction & development experience and began his career in the environmental engineering field in New York City, working for several national consulting, construction and engineering groups.  He serves as the main liaison with development partners, oversees the firm’s construction projects including historic property conversions, and tackles challenges with great people and technology.  Leveraging skills learned during a career that has encompassed a variety of leadership roles in the construction and hospitality fields, Jeremy brings a unique insight to each New Castle project.

His experience in construction and development across a wide array of real estate classes and clients is an asset for a firm that prides itself on successfully merging construction, development and operational expertise to provide outstanding hospitality experiences for both our guests and investors.  As a member of New Castle’s Executive Committee, his ability to identify challenges and execute creative solutions is an invaluable asset.

Marian Barbieri is responsible for New Castle’s human resource policies, procedures, and practices, including the administration of all compensation, group health, and benefit programs. She oversees the recruitment and training of members of the management team, maintains the loss and accident prevention standards, and manages contracts with New Castle’s many HR vendors and providers. Marian has led New Castle’s human resources efforts for over 30 years, and has served in her current position as Vice President of Human Resources since 1997. She has played an integral role in establishing and maintaining New Castle’s culture of diversity, inclusion, and positive employee relations.

Marian has been with New Castle since its inception in 1980, and has collaborated with founder David Buffam since 1977 when she began working with him in an administrative support role. Though she initially handled insurance, labor, bookkeeping, and renovations for New Castle, she quickly discovered a passion for human resources. In order to take on a larger role in company management, she earned a certificate in Hospitality Management from NYU in 1986 and a certificate in Personnel Administration from Fairfield University in 1991. She currently sits on the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) HR committee, has served as a judge for the AH&LA Educational Foundation annual high school scholarship competition, and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.

A member of the New Castle team since 1992, Anna now serves as Senior Director of Corporate Accounting.  She oversees accounting transactions related to income and real estate taxes; property purchases, sales and financing; and general corporate accounting. Anna interfaces with outside tax and financial accountants, real estate tax advisors, and attorneys, as well as operations team members at all owned properties across the New Castle portfolio. She handles fixed asset reporting, lender covenant monitoring and compliance reporting, and New Castle’s cash flow planning and reporting, and monitors capitalization policies.

Anna joined New Castle immediately upon completion of her B.S. in accounting, and has held numerous positions at the company. After only a few months in her initial role with the operations team as Accounts Payable Clerk, Anna was promoted to Staff Accountant and eventually to Assistant Controller. She went on to hold positions for the treasury and finance team that included Corporate Accounting Analyst, and both Manager and Senior Manager, Corporate Accounting. She credits New Castle’s entrepreneurial environment with providing her with the ability to learn and grow in each role that she has held.

As Regional Vice President for Canada, Guido manages the operations and development of New Castle’s Canadian properties, which include The Nova Scotia Signature Resorts, the recently renovated Algonquin Resort, and the Westin Nova Scotian. Under Guido’s leadership, New Castle has been consistently recognized as an industry leader in Canada.

Born and raised in The Netherlands, Guido attended Hotel School in The Hague, the Netherlands’ celebrated hospitality business school. He relocated to Canada in the late 1980s to begin his career, serving in a number of key executive positions in hotel management and development across the country. In 1999, he joined New Castle to serve as General Manager of the Westin Nova Scotia, a position he held until 2006 when he was named Regional Vice President. In addition to his work at New Castle, Guido serves as the Canadian Consul for The Netherlands and is a  board member of B4 Checkin, a Canadian technology company to the hospitality industry.

Judi directs New Castle’s corporate financial strategies and manages banking relationships, including raising equity and placing debt. She oversees corporate accounting, financial reporting, tax return preparation and tax planning, and evaluates all investment opportunities. Judi is extensively involved in all aspects of hotel acquisitions and development as well as monitoring existing investments.

She joined New Castle in 1993 as Director of Financial Services, was named Vice President, Finance/Treasurer in 1997, and has served in her current position since 2011.

Before joining New Castle, she served as an Audit and Business advisory manager at Arthur Andersen & Co. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CTCPA).

As Vice President of Sales & Revenue Management, Don Urbahn is responsible for positioning all of New Castle’s properties to achieve and exceed forecasted and budgeted revenue goals. He works closely with Sales and Revenue leaders and General Managers to ensure proper revenue generation processes are in place at each hotel and consults on the strategies being used to identify the unique opportunities within each market. Don oversees training classes and workshops for each hotel, tailoring programs to take full advantage of their particular strengths – and address the specific needs – of each property.

A forward-thinking leader in the field, Don keeps his finger on the pulse of industry-wide trends, monitoring and assessing the latest strategies and tools. He works closely with property managers, translating New Castle’s company philosophies into recommendations and guiding managers in the implementation of best practices. In addition to his Sales & Revenue responsibilities, Don also serves as area manager for Virginia Beach Homewood Suites and as a former GM of the year, serves as a mentor to new General Managers in the New Castle community.

Prior to joining New Castle in 1999, Don was a General Manager with Vista Host Hotel Group. He has held his current position of Vice President of Sales & Revenue Management since 2011; prior to that, he served as Corporate Director since 2007. He holds a certificate from Cornell University in hotel real estate investments and asset management and is currently working on a certificate in advanced digital marketing.

Brian oversees the operations of individual hotels across the New Castle portfolio, in a variety of geographic locations throughout the Midwest, Southeast, Northern New York, and New England. As Regional Vice President, he leads manpower planning, oversees financial direction, and manages owner relationships at multiple properties.

Before joining New Castle in 1989, Brian served as the Director of Operations at the Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club in Madison, Wisconsin, and held multiple positions for Interstate Hotels, including Controller for the Charlotte Marriott and Cincinnati Marriott. He has served in a variety of roles at New Castle, including Controller and Corporate Accounting Manager, and was named Regional Vice President in 1997. He credits New Castle’s entrepreneurial environment with positioning him to be involved in numerous exciting ground-up initiatives at various properties, including spas, retail, and operational initiatives to drive revenues, profit, and guest satisfaction.

Bryan Woodhouse manages the financial operations of all New Castle properties, which includes financial planning and reporting, cash management, budgeting, and capital planning. He is also involved in owner communications and handles New Castle’s risk management activities. In addition to these responsibilities, Bryan participates in acquisitions, development, design, and renovations across the New Castle portfolio. His expertise and experience, as well as his engagement with all facets of the business, make him an invaluable member of the New Castle team.

Bryan has served in his current position since 1997. Prior to this, Bryan was New Castle’s Corporate Controller.

Before joining New Castle, Bryan was a regional controller with The Flatley Company Hotel Group and Interstate Hotels & Resorts. He serves on the ProfitSage Advisory Board.

An industry-recognized expert in hospitality PCI-DSS security, Al is responsible for the design, implementation, and operation of all information technology systems at New Castle’s corporate headquarters and at all properties across the portfolio, both pre- and post-opening. An engaged and invested team member who appreciates working with a group that supports forward-thinking IT practices, Alan is tasked with aligning New Castle’s technology vision with business strategy and company values. He delivers support that includes infrastructure design, network security, project budgeting, and data center management. An expert on brand standards, he also provides consulting, interpretation, and implementation of these complex and ever-changing technical standards, ensuring that each property meets or exceeds all requirements.

Alan joined New Castle in 1997, following a stint as Director of Technology at Audio Visual Associates. At New Castle, he served first as Information Technology Manager at the Hilton Woodcliff Lake in New Jersey, and as Director of Hotel Technology from 1999 to 2007, when he was named Vice President of Information Technology.

Brian has more than 20 years experience in finance and operations for the hospitality industry. He has served as Regional Controller at New Castle since 2006, working closely with more than a dozen properties. He is responsible for upholding proper policies and procedures to protect the financial interests of investors, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting, and maximizing value at some of New Castle’s largest full-service locations.

Brian also works closely with the development team to evaluate potential acquisitions and participates in reviewing due diligence during major purchases and sales. Prior to joining New Castle, he held both General Manager and Controller positions with Tecton Hospitality and Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

Nina has been part of the New Castle team since 1990, when the company acquired the Racine Marriott, and she was hired to serve as Controller at the property. After two years, Nina was promoted to Corporate Accounting Manager, and eventually to Regional Controller. In this position, she oversaw as many as ten owned and managed properties at a time, directing forecasting and budgeting, and assisting with the accounting procedures associated with the acquisition of new properties.

Nina has served in her current position as Director of Hotel Accounting since 2006. Since assuming this role, she has successfully converted all New Castle properties to a standard chart of accounts, and overseen the implementation of a universal payroll system for all U.S. properties. Her everyday responsibilities also include managing centralized financial operations, working with state sales tax auditors, and handling month-end closing and reporting.

Over the course of her 25-year tenure at New Castle, Lisa has seen the company grow from a five-person office to its current stature. Her responsibilities span two distinct roles at New Castle ­– as corporate secretary, she is responsible for forming New Castle’s individual ownership and management entities and serving as corporate secretary for each of the company’s subsidiaries; her position as administrative manager entails office manager and administrative duties for the overall company in addition to serving as a dedicated administrative assistant to the company’s CEO, David Buffam.

Lisa joined New Castle in 1989 as Executive Secretary, and was subsequently named Administrative Assistant in 1993. In 1997, she was promoted to her current position, which also entails collection, organization, and maintenance of all corporate documentation; distribution of financial packages to individual property owners, bankers, and lenders; and detailed administrative support for deal transactions and RFP responses.