Andres Calvo '05

Special Events & Membership,

Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association

q: What do you do?

a: Among other things...keep track of registration for most events, prepare presentations shown at those events, and help respond to members' questions.

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

a: Seeing the end result of our events like Bacchus Bash and the Hospitality Tradeshow, after all the different steps we go through to make them happen. Bacchus Bash, Orlando's largest street party, attracts over 25,000 people. It annually raises over $100,000, which is later awarded to hospitality students in the form of grants and scholarships.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: Making sure every single detail is perfect and maintaining everything in sync.

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

a: Yes. Lindsey Teal '06 and Samantha Ramirez '05.

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

a: Watching a movie, at a restaurant, or hanging out with friends.

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

a: Helping with CFHLA's collection drive for items to be sent to Haiti due to the terrible earthquake. The response we received was amazing and we were able to collect medical supplies, water, food, and clothes that were then sent through Harvest Time International.

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

a: Having professors that are also current professionals in the industry provided an insight that proved to be as helpful as a book.

q: Your favorite class?

a: Lodging Operations with Peter Ricci, and all the classes I took with Duncan Dickson and Denver Severt.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: Fewer group projects. While learning how to work with others is a great tool, when you add together having a group project for every class, a job, and all the students' different schedules, it can be quite a challenge.

q: A UCF memory?

a: Walking around Disney and Universal with a video camera, preparing a project on Disney’s FastPass vs. Universal’s ExpressPass.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: So many to choose from: Beef Carpaccio at Brio, Filet Fiorentina at Carrabba's and Venezuelan food at Q'Kenan (across from the Premium Outlets).

q: On your iPod?

a: Don't have one, I use a Zune! A little bit of everything... Rock, Pop, a couple of movie and video game soundtracks, and every single Green Day album.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: When I first came to the U.S. as an international student, I didn't intend to go to college here. My original plans were to study the English language for a year and go back to Venezuela.

Gary Deel '07

Assistant Director of Security,
Rosen Shingle Creek

q: What do you do?

a: Help manage the loss prevention and emergency procedures for a 350-acre resort property with over $1 billion in assets; this includes overseeing 70 staff members, five supervisors and six managers.

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

a: Working with the people here, and making a difference in their careers whether they get promoted here or go on to another organization. I'm blessed to have a great team under me.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: My age. Some people, as human nature has it, will naturally view me as a ‘23 year-old kid’ rather than an industry professional. I'm managing people who have been leaders in this industry for 15-20 years and are two to three times my age, so the situation requires an enormous amount of tact and humility. 

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

a: Jen Sandler Rosenthal '06 who works here at Shingle Creek and my fiancé, Ilyssa Backer '04 who works at Rosen Centre.

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

a: I'm currently in law school four nights a week, plus finishing my master's degree at Rosen. I teach Introduction to Hospitality at Valencia College. Also, I'm involved in Kung Fu.

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

a: Receiving a full-ride scholarship to Florida A & M law school. It's an honor.

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

a: Learning the fundamentals of the hospitality industry. Basically, I'm running the security for a small city of 1500 people which include all kinds of positions: engineers, golf course maintenance people, waitresses, chemical specialists, chefs, finance professionals, spa technicians, etc....there are so many job categories and I understand their functions because of my degree. In a career setting, I would have to work 3-4 lifetimes in this business to know how everyone works together, but learned this overview quickly - completing my bachelor's degree in just three years total.

q:How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: I finished my course work for the master's in a year and change, but the thesis process is more complicated than was advertised, and has cost me several additional semesters of time and tuition above and beyond what was anticipated. I have enjoyed working with Dr. Denver Severt, though, who is the head of my thesis committee.

q: A UCF memory?

a: ‘The Squirrel Song’ as written, composed and performed by Dr. Denver Severt haha.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: Sushi at Oishi on the corner of I-Drive and Central Florida Pkwy. Hands down…the best!

q: On your iPod?

a: Frank Sinatra...chairman of the board!! And All Time Low when I need to stay awake or work out, etc.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: I’ll be the CEO of one of the world’s largest hotel companies within 15 years….but that’s top secret…don’t tell anyone! ;)