The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s Washington, D.C., chapter today announced the appointments of hospitality industry veterans Linda Caruso and Suzanne Shogren to its advisory board.
Caruso, who joined the chapter with 28 years of sales and marketing experience, is director of sales and marketing at the 318-room Hyatt Centric Arlington in Arlington, Va., managed by Highgate, a N.Y.-based management company.
Shogren, who brings 24 years of experience in hotel sales, training and development of sales teams, is regional director of ownership group services for Cvent, a global provider of online software for the events industry based in McLean, Va.
“We warmly welcome Linda and Suzanne to our chapter,” said Ellen Wilson, managing director of the HSMAI Washington D.C., chapter. “Their decades of sales and marketing expertise will be instrumental in promoting our mission, to fuel sales, inspire marketing and optimize revenue.”
Prior to joining Highgate in 2014, Caruso spent five and a half years serving Davidson Hotels & Resorts, an Atlanta-based management company, as director of sales and marketing for the former DoubleTree by Hilton Washington, D.C. From 2005-09 she worked for the former Lodgian Inc., Atlanta, as director of sales for the former Crowne Plaza Hotel in Silver Spring, Md. From 1996-2005 she was director of sales and marketing for Hilton, Radisson and Holiday Inn hotels in New Jersey managed by Prime Hospitality, Fairfield, N.J. Caruso began her hospitality career in New York as a cocktail server. She studied hospitality management at Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake, N.Y., while working at Browns Hotels and Resort in Loch Sheldrake.
Shogren previously was regional director of sales and training for B.F. Saul Company Hospitality Group, Bethesda, Md., serving in a dual role as a trainer and director of sales and marketing the Crowne Plaza Washington National Airport and Holiday Inn National Airport/Crystal City, both in Arlington, Va. Prior to that she was area director of sales and marketing for Willard Associates in Washington, supporting The Willard InterContinental Washington Hotel in Washington, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and EVEN hotels. She was director of sales and marketing at the Hilton Springfield in Va. from 2011-13 and regional director of sales and marketing for Baywood Hotels Inc., Greenbelt, Md., from 2009-10, responsible for sales and marketing at 12 hotels in northern Virginia franchised by Marriott, Hilton, InterContinental Hotels Group, Choice, Carlson and Best Western. Earlier in her career she was director of sales and marketing at RB Properties Inc, Washington; director of sales and marketing at the Embassy Suites Dulles Airport, Herndon, Va., managed by Remington Hotels; director of catering sales at the Sheraton Reston Hotel in Va., managed by Interstate Hotels & Resorts; catering manager and wedding specialist for several hotels franchised by Wyndham Worldwide in the Washington area; and senior sales manager at The Concourse Hotel & Conference Center, Columbus, Ohio. Shogren began her hospitality career by establishing a catering business to serve the television industry. She earned a bachelor of science degree in organizational communication at Ohio University, Athens, and a master of science degree in organization development and knowledge management at George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
Other HSMAI Washington D.C., chapter board members include Jennifer Hill, chapter chairwoman and regional director of revenue & distribution for Highgate; Cathy Bokman, chief operating officer for Madison Hospitality; Handan Duvall, vice president of sales & marketing, revenue management and interactive marketing for B.F. Saul Company Hospitality Group; Tomiko Burroughs, area director of sales and marketing for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Washington; Iman Butler, director of sales & marketing for The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, Va.; Noreen Collins, corporate director, revenue management, for Club Quarters Hotels, Stamford, Ct.; Jennifer Phillips, area director of revenue management for Marriott International, Bethesda; Sheila Hession, executive director of sales at the MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Md.; and Rich Roberts, president of RDR PR LLC, Annville, Pa.
HSMAI Washington D.C., chapter is an affiliate of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, an individual membership organization based in McLean, Va., composed of more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. HSMAI is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners and is the industry’s leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing and optimize revenue through programs including the Adrian Awards and Revenue Optimization Conference. For more info, visit www.hsmaidc.org.
