Front Desk Manager, Buena Vista Suitesq: What do you do?
a: On average, I work about 50 hours a week running the front desk and bellstand for a 279-suite hotel. Under the same ownership as Caribe Royale, Buena Vista Suites is about 50/50 corporate and leisure guests.
q: What's your favorite part of the job?
q: What's the greatest challenge?a: Interacting with the guests. It's rewarding to have the power to do someone a small favor, and then have it completely turn their stay around.
a: Since I'm new, learning to manage my team. I'm lucky to have six great employees who have welcomed me with respect since I came from the Peabody. Everyone's personality is different though, so I'm figuring out how to motivate each individual and meet expectations.
q: Do you stay in touch with any other UCF hospitality alums?
a: Previously at Peabody Catering I worked with Megan Oxman '06 and Beth Hardy '04 (who moved to Ft. Lauderdale). I also stay in touch with Megan Bandor Vandeer Morris '03 and Chris Fletcher '97.
q: Outside work...you're most likely to be seen?
a: Running. I run half marathons and marathons, and am looking forward to completing the New York Marathon this fall with my sister and cousin, since it's through my hometown.
q: Your biggest accomplishment since graduating, outside your career?
a: Definitely running my first marathon.
q: How did UCF prepare you for what you do?
a: So much! I kept my Convention Services textbook on my desk and referenced it often in my first job. Dr. Kwane (Quane) from Guest Services made a huge impact on how I did. Still today the most helpful is all the hospitality accounting, since I'm responsible for budgets, payroll and revenue forecasting.
q: How could the hospitality program have been better?
a: Back in '97, it was a small department and we weren't taken seriously. It was the stepchild of the College of Business.
q: A UCF memory?
a: Tailgating and sitting in the student section of football games. Daunte Culpepper was the quarterback my junior and senior years. It just isn't the same the way they have it now, tailgating right outside the classroom buildings.
q: Favorite meal in Orlando?
a: The Bubba Roll at Amura Downtown.
q: On your iPod?
q: Little known fact about you?a: Everything but country. Lots of rock, and pop for running.
a: I was on the UCF crew team for three months during my freshman year. We had to be at Lake Pickett in Chuluota to practice at 5 a.m. I didn't last long with that.
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