TAMPA | The Plasencia Group, Inc. (TPG), the leading national hospitality transaction and consulting services firm representing owners of hotels, resorts, and golf courses, has appointed Russ C. Valentine as Senior Vice President of the firm’s Mid-Atlantic Region. Mr. Valentine is based in Bethesda, MD and will be responsible for transactions in the Virginias, North Carolina, Maryland, lower Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia, according to TPG President Richard Conti.

“Russ brings his years of lodging experience to The Plasencia Group at a time when we are experiencing incredible growth,” Conti said. “As a former colleague, I couldn’t be happier that he is now part of our team and I know he will be extremely active and successful in this region.”

Mr. Valentine, who has more than 25 years of experience, joined The Plasencia Group from Boykin Lodging, a publicly-traded Real Estate Investment Trust based in Cleveland where he oversaw real estate acquisition and disposition activities. He was a senior vice president with Boykin.

Before joining Boykin Lodging, Mr. Valentine held a similar position with American General Hospitality, Inc. Prior to American General's merger with CapStar Hotels to become MeriStar Hospitality, Mr. Valentine was instrumental in acquiring over $1 billion of assets as a part of the company's hotel acquisition activities.

Mr. Valentine was a principal in Laventhol & Horwath's real estate and hospitality industry management consulting practice and also has extensive hotel operational experience, having held numerous management positions while working with DoubleTree Hotels. In 1983, he formed an independent management company which managed hotels in the Southwest for distressed lenders.

Russ Valentine received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University with a major in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Louisiana State University.