Lansdowne Resort, a provider of a resort and golf club experience in Northern Virginia, added several hospitality industry veterans to key leadership roles.
Krista Reiss has been named the area director of human resources. Sherry Abedi is the director of operations, and Beth Brainard is the rooms’ manager. All three leaders previously served at The Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C. when it was managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, the same Colorado-based company that manages Lansdowne Resort.
“We are extremely excited about the experience level and leadership qualities each one of these hospitality professionals will add to our team, and we welcome them back to the Destination Hotels and Resorts family,” said James Horsman, managing director, Lansdowne Resort. “These are all key additions to our staff, and each person will play a major role in the standards and guest experiences we expect to deliver to our leisure and group guests.”
Reiss possesses an extensive background as a human resources professional, exclusively in the hospitality industry representing major hotel brands. She is known as an industry leader in her discipline and has played an integral role implementing improvements in training, recruitment and labor relations. Her innovative employee initiatives have been recognized with industry awards, including honors for diversity training and education. Reiss is a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park.
Abedi has nearly two decades of experience in operations, general management, and food and beverage, with brands such as Kor Hotel Group and China Grill. Her business acumen and experience have produced results relating to increased revenue, employee performance, cost containment and event management. Abedi will manage the daily operations at the resort, including the rooms division, four dining outlets, conference center, spa and other areas.
Brainard is an experienced hotel industry professional with focus on rooms and front office management for luxury and upscale properties. Her astute knowledge of hotel daily operations and multiple department coordination has led to enhanced productivity among staff. She played a pivotal role in improving the Tripadvisor Washington, D.C. ranking for The Madison Hotel from 124th place to a top 10 ranking. She was then recognized as manager of the year in 2012. Brainard previously worked for other Destination Hotels & Resorts, including Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix. While there, she served many roles, such as front office director.
