Darline Dondl '04

Regional Revenue Manager,
Starwood Vacation Ownership

q: What do you do?

a: I'm responsible for the rental revenue for six resorts in South Florida, Myrtle Beach, SC, and Beaver Creek, CO. I have to stay competitive with pricing in each of the markets, and ensure that the consumer is aware of the value of a villa vacation.

q: What's your favorite part of the job?

a: I enjoy that no two days are the same. The decisions that I make influence consumers' buying decisions, producing nearly instant results.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: With vacation ownership down in this economy, I have even more of an opportunity to be creative in renting the unoccupied villas, bringing income to the resorts. The daily challenge of revenue management at timeshare resorts is that the number of rooms available to rent is constantly changing, sometimes in your favor, and sometimes creating a risk.

q: Do you stay in touch with any other UCF hospitality alums?

a: I see Jordana Stengel '05 at the Starwood Vacation Ownership offices and I work with Taryn Dorsey '07 and Ashley Mulvey '07 as a hotel partner with Expedia.

q: Outside work...you're most likely to be seen?

a: At the dog park with Winston, my dachshund, or out shopping or having coffee with friends.

q: Your biggest accomplishment since graduating, outside your career?

a: I bought a house just a few months before I graduated and it has definitely been a learning curve to balance time and finances for work, home, and enjoyment. I also completed my certification for a Certified Revenue Management Executive (CRME).

q: How did UCF prepare you for what you do?

a: The professors' real life stories from their professional past was truly what you could not learn in textbooks. The diversity of the courses provided an overview of how all segments of hospitality tie into each other. I didn’t enjoy the group projects at the time, but they gave me the opportunity to work with different venues and gain experience I wouldn't have received otherwise. I was in the inaugural HSMAI Central Florida Student Chapter and learned the importance of networking which lead me to my two jobs after graduation.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: Although I took a special one-time “Reservation Sales” class offered my last semester, there were no courses offered that touched the topic of Revenue Management. When I was a guest speaker in Professor Jung’s Class this past month, he said Rosen College is in the planning stages now for such a course, which will likely be added to the curriculum.

q: A UCF memory?

a: Working in the UCF Bookstore Café at Main Campus. I got to meet so many students and professors as they got their caffeine fix.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: At Brio: the Artichoke-Crusted Beef Medallions.

q: On your iPod?

a: Madonna, Eminem, Dave Matthews Band, something for every mood.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: I enjoy Broadway shows. I've been a volunteer at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center for the past two seasons.

Taryn Schademan '07

Strategic Account Coordinator,
Expedia
Maiden Name: Taryn Dorsey 

q: What do you do?

a: I work with Global Strategic Accounts at Expedia, Inc, specifically assisting with and maintaining the corporate relationship with the IHG and Best Western brands.

q: What's your favorite part of the job?

a: At Expedia, the sky's the limit. Our business is always evolving and on the edge of technological advances.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: I am always learning something new about the company, more efficient ways of doing my job even better, and the hospitality industry in general.

q: Do you stay in touch with any other UCF hospitality alums?

a: Yes! I work with Ashley Mulvey '07 and Shannon McLeod '05, and I have kept in contact with Kacie Shuba '06. I see Rosen alumni all over the place!

q: Outside work...you're most likely to be seen?

a: Spending time with my husband, enjoying great food and wine, and spending time with friends.

q: Your biggest accomplishment since graduating, outside your career?

a: Remodeling our house and marrying the man of my dreams.

q: How did UCF prepare you for what you do?

a: Learning about and discussing current events, learning and using the terminology crucial to this industry, and working on real-world events/projects.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: I wish there had been more opportunities to research, write, and develop projects in our classes. Also, as the Rosen College developed, there were many interesting courses listed in the course catalog that weren’t available for credit during my undergradate career that I would have loved to take and explore.

q: A UCF memory?

a: Spirit Splash at the Reflection Pond during Homecoming week.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: At Hue: the tuna tartare appetizer, filet mignon and mashed potatoes.

q: On your iPod?

a: A mix of country, rock, pop and my favorites from the 80's & 90s like Paula Abdul.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: I'm a bed hog.

Ashley Mulvey '07

Market Coordinator,Expedia

q: What do you do?

a: Right now I'm filling up rooms for the Superbowl! Tampa/St. Pete is one of the three markets I cover for Expedia.com and Hotels.com. I've worked here for about a year (ever since graduation), and primarily make phone calls and send e-mail solicitations to hotels, helping them to promote their properties on our web sites, and then coordinate all the details to make it happen. It's a full 40-hour work week.

q: What's your favorite part of the job?

a: Seeing that what I do makes such a difference for my partners. When a promotion goes live on the web site, it makes a huge influence in their booking numbers. I can see the increase in bookings within minutes after the promotion is on the site.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: Time Management,as every week is shorter with the same "to do" list. The hotels are working with a shortened booking window, so everything moves very fast and is very last minute.

q: Do you stay in touch with any other UCF hospitality alums?

a: Taryn Dorsey '07 and I work together at Expedia so I see her every day! And Phil Miles '09 -- we became good friends in our many classes together.

q: Outside work...you're most likely to be seen?

a: Painting; I recently bought a home. But when I have time, I also like going to see movies, so you're likely to find me at the Waterford Town Center theater.

q: Your biggest accomplishment since graduating, outside your career?

a: Consistency. I feel like I've become a responsible adult, balancing my finances, the house and work.

q: How did UCF prepare you for what you do?

a: The professors taught me a lot about networking. I learned how to shake people's hands, give out business cards and not burn bridges - that everybody knows everybody. They were right; by attending my first HSMAI luncheon, I got my job. Dr. Jung made a huge impact on me, helping me to get a grasp on accounting. Every day at work I open my spreadsheets 30-40 times.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: Smaller classes, and more access to professors. Also I would have loved to have taken a business writing class, teaching how to write effective proposals and emails in real world settings.

q: A UCF memory?

a: The beer and wine class. It was my way of being in a fun environment -- learning and making some good friends. Since I worked full-time at Disney, I didn't attend many campus or social events until after graduation.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: At Ruth Chris: the filet with crab, garlic mashed potatoes, and chocolate lava cake.

q: On your iPod?

a: I have three iPods. The mini has country music on it, the shuffle has high-energy pop and rock, and the bigger "movie" iPod has a mix of everything, including Christian music, R & B and rap.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: I once found a stolen car. My Dad, a now retired FBI agent, described a missing car and by total coincidence I happened to see it while driving around.