San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Local hospitality pros honored with Gold Key awards
Nine hospitality professionals and allies and one nonprofit organization received Gold Key Awards during the San Diego County Lodging Association’s 43rd annual awards ceremony on Feb. 23. The recipients represent the best of San Diego County’s hotel community, according to an association news release.
“The stories of these dedicated individuals are heart-warming as they exemplify the ‘hospitality
DNA’ so many in our San Diego hotel community bring to their careers every day,” said Fred Tayco, SDCLA’S executive director. “As San Diego’s hotels continue to recover from the global pandemic, it’s important to honor those who lead by example, doing what is good for guests, colleagues and the community.”
About 400 of San Diego hospitality, political and business leaders, including Mayor Todd Gloria, joined families of Gold Key nominees for the awards celebration at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina’s ballroom where the winners were announced. The 2023 recipients are:
Christina Jeffries, San Diego State University – Pattie Roscoe Allied Person of the Year
Francisco “Chico” Montanez, Bahia Resort Hotel – Food and Beverage Associate of the Year
Kimberly Hawes, Loews Coronado Bay Resort – Guest Service Associate of the Year
Raquel Reyes, The Lodge at Torrey Pines – Heart of the House Associate of the Year
Charles Mccay, Omni San Diego Hotel – Hotel Manager of the Year
Logan Webster, Manchester
Grand Hyatt San Diego – Sales Associate of the Year
Diane Koczur, Evans Hotels – Hotel Executive of the Year
Giselle Guzman, Flagship Cruises & Events – James V. Cunningham Personalized Service Award
Charles Rullan, Hotel del Coronado – Revenue Management Professional of the Year
In addition, Sports San Diego, a nonprofit that markets the region as a sport destination for events like the SDCCU Holiday Bowl, received the Gold Key. The Gold Key goes to an organization that doesn’t work directly in hospitality or tourism, but embodies the spirit of the industry and finds innovative ways to contribute to the betterment of the industry.
Visit lodgingsd.com.
More career news
Julie Garcia is starting a new position as director of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) at San Diego Unified School District.
Alexia Lopez is the new director of public health at the UC San Diego Student Sustainability Collective.
Jennifer Romano is the new area director of sales at Island Hospitality Management.
thehub@sduniontribune.com