White Lodging today announced a more than $350 million plan to transform the site of its hospitality origins in Merrillville, Indiana, into a long-standing economic anchor for Northwest Indiana.
Lynnette Tjaarda has been promoted to general manager of the Residence Inn Merrillville. Previously, Tjaarda was the assistant general manager at the Residence Inn Oak Brook since 2010. Tjaarda joined White Lodging in 2007 as a guest service representative. From there, she gained experience as a front desk manager, housekeeping manager and assistant general manager in Warrenville before becoming the AGM in Oak Brook.
White Lodging Services is pleased to announce Shelli Walczak has been promoted to the general manager of the Holiday Inn Express in Merrillville, Ind. Walczak joined White Lodging in 2002 as a front desk supervisor for the Fairfield Inn & Suites Hammond before transferring to the Courtyard Valparaiso, where she held numerous positions including cafe supervisor, housekeeping supervisor and front office supervisor.
"Deann previously was the Senior Sales Manager at the hotel between 1999 and 2008, and she brings a wealth of sales experience with her as well as an established history and relationships with a myriad of key clients and organizations," said Joe Frasca Vice President and General Manager at the Radisson.
Nichole Flatt previously the Operations Manager at the Courtyard by Marriott in Merrillville, Indiana was promoted to the position of General Manager at the Hampton Inn in Merrillville. Holding a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Purdue North Central, Flatt has been at the Courtyard in Merrillville since her graduation. She started as a Guest Service Representative, moved to the position of Housekeeping Manager and was most recently the Operations Manager. In this position, she managed a staff of 25, was responsible for payroll, staffing and scheduling and ensured proper invoicing and payment for top accounts.