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Photos of the Week

On September 2, President Donald Trump met with a collection of travel industry CEOs at the White House. The group set a goal of attracting 100 million international visitors by 2030. Credit: The White House

Eric Vaughn, Executive Director of Culinary Operations Banquets Las Vegas for Caesars Entertainment, with the more than 2,800 cakes which were prepared for Caesars Palace 60th Anniversary Gala Dinner at the property’s Octavius Ballroom. Buddy Valastro created the recipe with Vaughn’s team preparing the deserts. Credit: Caesars Entertainment.

Caesars Palace 60th Anniversary Gala Dinner was celebrated within the property’s Octavius Ballroom on August 29. Shown here, in a photo from the late 1960s, is Founder Jay Sarno (center) at Bacchanal Room at Caesars Palace. Today, that name lives on through the modern Bacchanal Buffet, which stands as the largest buffet in Las Vegas. Credit: LVCVA Archive

Attendees of the ASAE Research Foundation’s The Classic were able to take a Hot Lap around Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 17 in a Toyota Camry. The ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition was in Indy from August 15—18.

Editor’s Pick

Choice Appoints Dominic Dragisich as President & CEO

ASAE Applauds Introduction of the
Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act

Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel to Open in
Nashville Next Month

Jon Gersonde

Jon Gersonde is now Managing Director at Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort. He enjoys more than 28 years of experience and most recently served as General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua. Prior to that, he held the role of vice president & managing director of Turtle Bay Resort on Oʻahu. He worked at The Royal Hawaiian, Kapalua Bay Hotel, and The Westin Maui.

Russell Davis

Russell Davis has been named as the American Bankers Association’s Chief Member Engagement Officer. He’ll lead ABA’s Office of Member Engagement, ABA said Davis joined the association in 2022 and served as the EVP of Member Experience. Prior to joining ABA, Davis held senior leadership positions at Optum (formerly Advisory Board Company) for 12 years. Davis earned an MBA from Loyola College of Maryland.

Heather Lisagor

Heather Lisagor has been hired as Aven Hospitality’s Vice President, Innovation and Product Excellence. Lisagor joins Aven with more than 20 years of experience leading product and innovation at companies including American Express Global Business Travel, Egencia and Expedia. In her position, she’ll help accelerate Aven’s vision of empowering modern hoteliers to harness AI and deliver more personalized guest experiences that drive conversion and increase revenue.

Jamie Murdock

Jamie Murdock has been named President of Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP). Murdock will begin his new role on September 22. He brings more than 25 years of experience and comes to FICP from Maritz, where he most recently served as managing vice president of sales and industry presence, a role he held since 2016. He’s also occupied senior sales and leadership positions across meetings.

Dr. Vishakha K. Kumar

Dr. Kumar

Dr. Vishakha K. Kumar is the new Executive Director/CEO of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH). Kumar brings more than 15 years of leadership experience spanning the nonprofit medical associations, healthcare, corporate and philanthropic sectors. Kumar was vice president of the department of research and quality at the Society of Critical Care Medicine. She earned her medical degree from Ryazan State Medical University in Russia.

Lisa Ares

Lisa Ares has been named General Manager of InterContinental San Diego. Ares was recently appointed a board member for the San Diego County Lodging Association. Ares joins the property following a tenure as general manager of the Kimpton Gray Hotel in Chicago. Previous experience at InterContinental properties include InterContinental Boston and InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile.

Marie Browne

Marie Browne has joined ReedPop as Sr. Vice President, Head of ReedPop. Since joining RX nearly 25 years ago, Browne has held a number of senior leadership roles spanning strategy, portfolio growth and business development. As the senior vice president, she helped shape RX US’s growth strategy by expanding the Functional Fabric Fair portfolio, supporting the evolution of PGA into a global brand and leading other development.

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Kurt Schwan

Kurt Schwan is now The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta’s Director of Sales & Marketing. Schwan rejoins The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta after serving as the director of sales & marketing for InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, where he led sales, catering and conference services as a member of the Executive Committee. From 2017–2024, he served as the director of sales at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta. He oversaw the group, catering and transient markets.