ACCOMMODATIONS

Robert Gleason
President & Chief Executive Officer, Evans Hotels

Robert Gleason was appointed president and CEO of Evans Hotels in 2014, becoming the first executive outside of the Evans family to run the company's day-to-day operations in its nearly 70-year history. He oversees and directs all aspects of business strategy and performance growth for Evans Hotels’ three iconic properties: The Lodge at Torrey Pines on the Torrey Pines Golf Courses in La Jolla, as well as the Bahia Resort Hotel and Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa on Mission Bay.

Before his appointment, Gleason spent 15 years as the chief financial officer and General Counsel of Evans Hotels. Having dedicated more than half of his life to the company, he joined Evans Hotels as a reservationist agent at 17 and gradually worked his way up to CFO before earning his law degree.

Gleason has held numerous leadership roles outside of work with organizations in the arts, education, inclusive economic development, international trade, electoral politics, and civil rights. He serves on the California Travel and Tourism Commission, doing business as Visit California, initially appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, and subsequently elected as an industry representative. In addition, he holds an appointment with the Senate Rules Committee of the California Film Commission. He serves as chair of the World Trade Center San Diego, Chair of the San Diego County Lodging Association, chair of the Arts Advisory Committee for San Diego International Airport, and a member of the Committee to Nominate Alumni Trustees at Princeton University. He also sits on the Board of Visitors for the University of San Diego School of Law, the California State University Hospitality & Tourism Alliance Council, and the Advisory Board for the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at San Diego State University, where he previously taught a course in Hospitality Law and Policy. He is the founding supervising attorney for USD School of Law’s transgender and nonbinary name and gender-marker change legal clinic, co-chair of Rady Children’s Hospital Center for Gender-Affirming Care Patient and Family Advisory Council and founding co-chair of San Diego’s Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast.

He graduated from The Bishop’s School in La Jolla and holds an economics degree from Princeton University and a juris doctor (summa cum laude) from the University of San Diego School of Law. He is a licensed California attorney, real estate broker and certified Hospitality Accountant Executive.

He is married to Marc Matys, and they have two teenage sons.

 

Sima Patel
Chief Executive Officer, Ridgemont Hospitality

Sima Patel is co-founder and CEO of Ridgemont Hospitality, a family-owned and operated company in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ridgemont Hospitality’s portfolio consists of both branded and independent boutique hotels. She is a passionate leader, visionary, and lifelong entrepreneur with extensive experience in hospitality operations and hotel development.

Patel is currently serving as a commissioner and a past chair of Visit California. She serves as a board member for California Chamber of Commerce and a member of the California State University Hospitality and Tourism alliance advisory board. Patel serves her community by serving as a treasurer on the Historical Paramount Theatre board and is a member of the Oakland Rotary Club.

She is the founder of a nonprofit organization named Renaissance Foundation and the project Saaheli, which has a mission to empower women to break social and cultural barriers so they can reach their true potential. Saaheli provides self-defense training to at-risk girls, including those who are homeless and works to educate human trafficking survivors.

Patel is the recipient of many awards including the 2006 Richard L. Spees Destination Oakland Award, presented by the Oakland Convention and Visitor’s Bureau; Woman Hotelier of the Year 2001 from AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association); 100 Most Influential Women in Business by SF Business Times; and the Executive Leadership award by Ascend, a Pan-Asian Business Professional association.

 

Ted Selogie
Regional Vice President & General Manager, AccorHotels

Ted Selogie is an innovative leader and accomplished management professional, offering over 30 years of progressive leadership experience with a combined general management, operations and sales background. He possesses thorough knowledge of restaurant and hotel practices and procedures and policies and procedures. Selogie is able to determine the course of action based on guidelines, with expertise in identifying and capitalizing on market opportunities to build revenue, capture key accounts and outperform the competition.

He has grown RevPAR in every related position over the past 10 years. He demonstrates a broad understanding of current procedures and business practices to ensure continuous improvement in customer and associate satisfaction. He always provides the highest level of customer service quality and derives genuine pleasure from transforming high-potential staff into outstanding leaders demonstrating the creativity critical to operations success. Selogie is a two-time award winner for sales leadership and received The Leadership Excellence Award for the Central Region.

 

Ken Potrock
President, Disneyland Resorts

As president of Disneyland Resort, Ken Potrock leads a workforce of 32,000 Cast Members and is responsible for all facets of the business, including oversight of two theme parks – Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, three resort hotels, and Downtown Disney.

Potrock is a 25-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company and its Parks, Experiences and Products segment, most recently serving as present of Consumer Products Commercialization, the company’s global effort to bring beloved characters, brands and stories to market through the Disney store, shopDisney, and across licensing and retail partners.

Throughout his career, he has consistently focused on meeting and exceeding the needs of fans, guests, consumers, and stakeholders – enabling a holistic, consumer-driven, and entrepreneurial culture. Potrock is also well-known for delivering dynamic growth across a variety of businesses, including Disney Vacation Club and Adventures by Disney, the Company's award-winning guided group travel business.

In 2015, he led the dramatic expansion and reimagining of Disney Springs, Walt Disney World's iconic retail, dining, and entertainment district. Previously, he was senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises, where he led the rebranding of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida. He began his Disney career in 1996 as vice president, marketing for Disney Cruise Line, where he helped define and launch the company’s bold entry into the cruise industry.

Before relocating to California with his wife and two sons, Potrock served as Chairman of the Orlando Economic Partnership and Florida Citrus Sports. He has also served on the boards of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, the Heart of Florida United Way, and the American Heart Association. The American Diabetes Association recently honored him as a 2018 “Father of the Year.”

He earned his undergraduate degree in marketing from Washington University in St. Louis and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

 

Kurt Stocks
President/General Manager, LEGOLAND California Resort

Kurt Stocks joined LEGOLAND® California as the park's general manager from LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort, where he served in the same position. Stocks succeeds Peter Ronchetti, who recently retired after serving 11 successful years at LEGOLAND California Resort, where he led the openings of many exciting attractions, including the LEGO® Chima™ Water Park, LEGOLAND® Hotel and LEGOLAND® Castle Hotel.

Taking the reins, with more than 15 years of experience in sales, operations, and general management, Stocks brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the team at LEGOLAND California Resort. Under his leadership at LEGOLAND Malaysia, Stocks led strategic development efforts for the resort, which included the opening of SEA LIFE Malaysia in April 2019, one of the biggest milestones for the resort to date.

A native of Australia, Stocks began his career as a professional rugby player before transitioning into a career in the health and fitness industry, where he rose to the role of managing director at Fitness First Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.

He relocated to the San Diego area with his wife, Melissa, and their three children, Archie, Ayda and Spencer. The family is excited for their new adventures in the U.S. and looks forward to taking advantage of all the wonderful outdoor activities their new home has to offer.

 

Carla Murray
President, U.S. Western Region Full Service MxM, Marriott International

Carla J. Murray is the president of Marriott International’s U.S. Western Region, MxM Full-Service Hotels. As president, she leads the teams responsible for 170 properties in the Western United States across the merged Starwood and Marriott brands. She was promoted to the position of president following her roles as chief operations officer, senior vice president operations, Western Region for both Marriott and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. These positions were preceded by a series of regional positions between 2002 and 2016 as well as General Manager positions from 1998 to 2002 at the Sheraton Boston, St. Regis Aspen, the Westin Seattle and the Sheraton Grand Seattle.

Her responsibilities include delivering full P&L accountability for $9.6 billion in sales. The geography spans from the American Midwest to French Polynesia. Murray supports customer efforts by delivering a superior customer experience enabled by technology and enhanced by loyalty. Sourcing, developing, and leading 41,000 world-class associates in the dynamic world of hospitality is a key focus for her as she leads the enterprise.

Murray sits on the Inclusion and Social Impact Committee of Marriott International. In addition to her hospitality responsibilities, Murray has been deeply involved in positions in each of the communities where she has lived. In Seattle, she is the former chair of the Downtown Seattle Association and past committee member of the Governance Committee; past chair of the Visit Seattle board of directors and served on the executive board of directors as well as the Compensation Committee. She is a member of the Community Development Roundtable, a commissioner and an Executive Committee member on the Visit California board of directors. She served on Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s President’s Affiliate Council and Gala Board of Trustees. Most recently, she has lead the MILUX Board for Marriott. Murray is a graduate of OnboardingWomen.

Murray was awarded the Washington Hospitality Association’s 2017 “Paving the Way” award, which recognizes the great strides made by women in the hospitality industry. She has also been honored as one of Puget Sound Business Journal’s 2007 “Women of Influence” and the Washington State Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2001 General Manager of the Year.

 

Peter Clarke
Vice President — CMH Operations West, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)

Peter Clarke is vice president of operations West Coast for Company Managed Hotels at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

He joined InterContinental Hotels in Cleveland as regional director of operations of Midwest and Canada in Aug. 2016 with more than 20 years of experience in lifestyle, luxury and resort hotels.

Clarke’s international career began with the InterContinental Hotels Group after serving at the San Francisco Mark Hopkins Hotel from 1995 to 1998. This experience led him to the Four Seasons Hotels in Washington D.C., Bali, Bangkok, Shanghai and Budapest.

In Sept. 2009, Peter returned to Shanghai and joined Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts to manage the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel during an exciting World Expo in 2010. In early 2012, he joined Kerry Hotel as general manager of Shangri-La Hotels' first 5-star lifestyle hotel, a 577-room property that includes 182 serviced apartments and the extensive Kerry Sports Club.

In late 2013, after a successful ramp-up of Kerry Hotel, Clarke returned to the flagship Pudong Shangri-La Hotel as Area General Manager with regional responsibilities for Shangri-La Hotels in Wuhan and Nanchang.

Raised in Ireland, Clarke first arrived in the U.S. more than 20 years ago, after graduating from the Dublin Institute of Technology School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology.

 

ATTRACTIONS

Ron Cohen
President & Chief Operating Officer, Mammoth & June Mountain Ski Areas

Ron Cohen is the president and chief operating officer of Mammoth and June Mountain ski areas, California’s most visited ski resort. Prior to this role with Mammoth, he was President and COO of Palisades Tahoe from 2018-2021. Before leading Palisades Tahoe, Cohen held several positions during an earlier eight-year tenure at Mammoth Mountain, where he served as chief administrative officer and general counsel and as a member of the company’s executive team.

Cohen currently serves on the board of directors of the National Ski Areas Association and is chair of the Public Lands Committee. He is a graduate of University of California Santa Barbara and of Northwestern University School of Law. He started his career practicing law in Los Angeles and then Mammoth Lakes before purchasing Tioga Pass Resort, a backcountry ski and summer resort, with a group of other investors and running it from 2002-2010. Cohen and his wife Stacy Corless, a Mono County Board of Supervisors member and current chair of the Rural County Representatives of California, round out their family with their one-of-a-kind adopted Eastern Sierra dog, Lottie.

 

Scott Strobl
Executive Vice President & General Manager, Universal Studios Hollywood

Scott Strobl is executive vice president and general manager, Universal Studios Hollywood. He is responsible for all facets of operations of the iconic Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and adjacent Universal CityWalk.

A veteran of the entertainment and hospitality industry, Strobl began his career with the theme park in 1982, rising through ranks and holding numerous executive leadership positions, including his most recent role as Senior Vice President of Operations for Universal Studios Hollywood. He was previously part of the opening team, responsible for the successful development and launch of Universal Studios Japan, Universal Parks & Resort’s first international theme park.

His strategic oversight also included the sweeping transformation of Universal Studios Hollywood over the last decade in which nearly 75 of the iconic destination’s footprint was completely reimagined. This unprecedented makeover and dramatic new infrastructure represented the single largest investment ever made in the theme park and paved the way for the arrival of such highly successful attractions as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Jurassic World–The Ride, Springfield U.S.A., Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and the award-winning The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash. He continues to shepherd the theme park’s signature behind-the-scenes Studio Tour, including the debut of the Tour’s Fast & Furious Supercharged and King Kong 360-3D attractions. Over the years, Strobl has launched a significant number of rides and attractions, including Transformers the Ride: 3D. He is responsible for the theme park’s tremendously successful annual Halloween Horror Nights and Grinchmas events.

Strobl serves as an executive board member to the California Attractions and Parks Association He studied Business Administration at Cal State Northridge.

He lives in Burbank with his wife Krysti. He has three children, two stepchildren and seven grandchildren.

 

RESTAURANTS/RETAIL

Sandra Fletcher
President, Simco Restaurants Group

Sandra Fletcher is the president of Simco Restaurants Group, where she has worked since 1990. She grew up in Sacramento and came to the Bay Area in 1981 to attend college at Saint Mary’s in Moraga. She graduated in 1985 with a bachelor of arts in business administration and worked as the financial controller for Margaritaville Restaurant & Bar until 1990.

Fletcher loves working in the restaurant industry and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a successful restaurant company. Simco owns Fog Harbor Fish House, Pier Market Seafood, Crab House, Wipeout Bar & Grill, Eagle Café and Biscoff Coffee Corner, all located on Pier 39 in San Francisco.

She serves on the San Francisco Travel Association board and the San Francisco Police Activities Board. She is the president of the Fisherman’s Wharf Merchant Association.

When she’s not working on Pier 39, she spends her time off with her husband, John, and their dog, Elvis, at their home in Napa.

 

PASSENGER CAR RENTAL

Kevin Bass
General Manager/Vice President, Enterprise Holdings

Kevin Bass is a general manager and vice president at Enterprise Holdings. He is responsible for overseeing more than 100 locations operating as Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent-A-Car, with more than 1,600 employees in Northern California.

In addition, Bass is responsible for 14 Enterprise Truck Rental locations, four Enterprise Car Sales locations, Commute by Enterprise and Enterprise Fleet Management.

Before joining Enterprise Holdings, Bass received a bachelor of arts degree in communications from The University of Nevada Las Vegas. Bass has held the position of management trainee, branch manager, area manager, regional rental manager, assistant vice president of South-Central Operations, regional vice president, vice president of daily rental and general manager and vice president during his 25 years with the company.

He is married to Kelley Bass, and they have two children, Hayley and Brady.