Greg Stafford

BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Greg Stafford general manager of Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center, currently under construction in College Station, Texas. The Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property is expected to open in the Fall of 2018. Jay Rocha, vice president of operations for Benchmark, made the announcement.

"I am thrilled to welcome Greg to this exciting new property on the campus of Texas A&M University," said Mr. Rocha. "I can"t think of anyone more qualified or prepared to lead the opening and management of this remarkable new hotel and conference center. We look forward to his strong leadership of the property"s executive team."

Greg Stafford brings three decades of exemplary hospitality experience to his new position with Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center, including serving as general manager and opening general manager for a number of properties. He was most recently general manager of the Logan Hotel and Spa in Philadelphia, where he oversaw a $60 million renovation program designed to establish the property as the premier hotel in the city. Previous to this Mr. Stafford served as general manager of the Inn at Penn, during which time the hotel earned top service delivery awards with Hilton Hotels of The Americas. Additionally, he has led several hotels to high levels of business success and service performance from Washington, DC, to Atlanta and Chicago.

Mr. Stafford graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, and holds an MBA degree in Management from Averett University and an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of Chicago. He is a Doctoral Candidate in the Executive Leadership Development Program from George Washington University.

Stafford has served as an Adjunct Professor at Drexel University and George Washington University and has previously taught at the University of Virginia. He is the past president of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, and sits on the Board of Visit Philadelphia, serving as Chair of the Hospitality Initiatives Committee; the Executive Board of PHLCVB; the Board of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association; the PCCA Hospitality and Tourism Committee; the Board of The Parkway Council; and the Hospitality and Corporate Council of Broad Street Ministries. He has served in similar roles throughout his career. Mr. Stafford has relocated to College Station, Texas.