BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, has named Eric Bates general manager for Eaglewood Resort & Spa, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located in Itasca (Chicago), Illinois. Greg Champion, Benchmark's president & COO, made the announcement.
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, June 2016 … Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Chris Steffich director of operations for Eaglewood Resort & Spa, a Benchmark Resort located in Itasca, Illinois, 30 minutes from the Chicago Loop. Tom Garcia, vice president and general manager for the resort, made the announcement. Chris Steffich was most recently the director of food & beverage for Lockheed Martin Center for Leadership Excellence. He held the same position for Stonewall Resort, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property located in Roanoke, West Virginia. Earlier in his career he served as a team service leader for Walt Disney, Inc. Mr. Steffich attended West Virginia University at Morgantown and Fairmont State University of Fairmont, West Virginia.
Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Jennifer Shunick director of human resources for Eaglewood Resort & Spa, a Benchmark Resort located in Itasca, Illinois, within Chicago’s northwest suburbs. Tom Garcia, vice president and general manager, made the announcement. Jennifer Shunick was previously director of human resources for the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile. Previous to this appointment she served as director of human resources for Wyndham Lisle-Chicago Hotel and Executive Meeting Center, located in Lisle, Illinois. Ms. Shunick is a graduate of Elmhurst College. She resides in Naperville, Illinois.
Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Michael D. Welly general manager for Eaglewood Resort & Spa, a Benchmark Resort® located in Northwest Chicago. Greg Champion, executive vice president and COO, make the announcement. Michael Welly was previously general manager of Longboat Key Club and Resort in Sarasota, Florida. While there, Mr. Welly led the property to become a highly successful and award-winning resort, garnering the prestigious Pinnacle award, the Four Diamond award, and Golf Digest's Best Places to Play award. Prior to this assignment, Mr. Welly served in leadership positions for a number of major-brand hotels and resorts in markets throughout the nation. Along the way, he twice won the ITT Sheraton Hotel of the Year award.
John Santangelo comes to his new role at Eaglewood Resort & Spa with three decades of industry experience. He was most recently director of food and beverage for Pheasant Run Resort, located in St. Charles, Illinois. He has served in the same position for a leading casino brand.
Rhonda Lasee was most recently senior catering manager for Chicago Restaurant Partners, the exclusive catering and food service provider for McCormick Place, the nation’s largest convention center. She has previously held the positions of director of convention services and / or director of catering at hotels and resorts for major brands in St. Charles and Oak Brook, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri.
Sherri Budz most recently served as senior sales manager for Eaglewood Resort & Spa, a position she assumed upon joining the property in 2008 and in which she experienced significant success.
Robb Rybicki was previously director of catering and sales for Illinois Beach Resort and Conference Center, located in Zion, Illinois. He has also served as director of catering for Radisson Hotel Northbrook of Northbrook, Illinois, and in the same role for The Talbott Hotel in Chicago. Mr. Rybicki has held the title of event services manager for the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. For two years, he served as general manager at the Chateau del Mar of Hickory Hills, Illinois. Earlier in his career, he held the title of assistant banquet manager for Hickory Hills Country Club, located in Hickory Hills, Illinois. Robb Rybicki is a graduate of Western Illinois University. He resides in Libertyville, Illinois, with his family. Eaglewood Resort & Spa is located at 1401 Nordic Rd., in Itasca, Ill. A Four-Diamond resort, the property features 295 spacious guestrooms and suites, a selection of fine and casual dining options; first-class recreation including an 18-hole championship golf course; as well as 38,000 square feet of IACC-certified meeting space and a complete health spa. Eaglewood is strategically located on 106 acres in northwest Chicago, just 35 miles from downtown Chicago, and 12 miles west of O'Hare International Airport.