Waterford Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Monica Morgan as General Manager of the Residence Inn by Marriott in Southington, CT. As General Manager, Morgan will be responsible for all phases of the hotel’s operations, sales and administration. The 94-room property is professionally managed by Waterford Hotel Group, Inc., a national hotel and convention center management firm.
He most recently served as Guest Services Manager for the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Groton, where his responsibilities included financial review, guest service training and managerial duties. Miller joined Waterford Hotel Group in 2005 as the Assistant Front Office Manager at the Marriott Hartford Downtown. Miller has an Associate’s Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Briarwood College in Southington, CT. He currently resides in Groton, CT.
Chef Steele had previously served as a Restaurant and Banquet Chef at the Hilton Hartford from 2005 to 2007, and re-joins the hotel with more than 13 years of culinary management experience. He most recently served as Head Chef for the Prospect Café in West Hartford, and previously held chef positions at Geronimo’s Bar and Grill in New Haven, the Compass Group in Windsor, and Jordan Caterers in New Britain as Executive Chef for the Whinstone Tavern. Chef Steele began his culinary career in 1997 as Head Chef at Angelo’s on Main Rockledge in West Hartford.
Kristen Pikula has been named Director of Sales for the Courtyard by Marriott in Cromwell, CT. The 145-room Courtyard is managed by Waterford Hotel Group, a national hotel and convention center management firm. Pikula joined Waterford Hotel Group in February of 2006 as Director of Sales of the Residence Inn in Southington, CT, where she was later promoted to General Manager. During her tenure at the Residence Inn she led her team to win numerous awards from both Marriott International and Waterford Hotel Group, including Waterford’s “Team of the Year” in 2010. Prior to joining Waterford, Pikula held positions as Event Coordinator for ESPN, Director of Sales at the Centennial Inn in Farmington, CT, and Executive Meeting Manager at the Marriott in Farmington, CT. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Resort Management from the Rochester Institute in Rochester, NY.
Chef Krawic brings 30 years of professional management and food preparation experience to Octagon and the Mystic Marriott. He joins the hotel?s culinary team from his most recent role as Executive Chef at the Westin Hotel in Providence, RI, where he rebuilt and improved the entire culinary and food & beverage departments. Previously, he has held positions at numerous hotels and resorts throughout Florida and Puerto Rico, including Executive Sous Chef at the Marriott Hotel Ft. Lauderdale and the Isle of Capri Casinos in Pompano Beach, as well as Executive Chef at the Martineau Bay Resort & Spa in Vieques, PR. Krawic also served as Executive Sous Chef at the El San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde, PR and the El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, PR.
As General Manager, Covino will oversee all operational, sales and administrative aspects of the hotel. He joined Waterford in 2001 as Sales Manager for the Four Points hotel. In 2004 he moved to the sales team at the Courtyard by Marriott in Cromwell, CT and was later promoted to Front Office Manager. Covino also served as Assistant General Manager for the Residence Inn by Marriott in Mystic, CT. He rejoins the Four Points team from his most recent position as General Manager of the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Waterford, CT. Covino is a graduate of Berkeley College located in White Plains, NY. A native of Stamford, Covino currently resides in West Haven.
Schroder joins the Hilton Hartford after serving in key roles at two of Waterford Hotel Group’s AAA Four Diamond properties, namely Director of Operations at the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa and General Manager of the Radisson Hotel in Bloomfield Hills, MI. He began his career with Waterford Hotel Group in 2002 as a participant in the company’s International Associates Program, after completing his hospitality degree from Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa. Schroder then held positions in food and beverage, housekeeping, and the front office departments at numerous hotels within the Waterford portfolio, including Front Office Manager of the Hilton Hartford.
Chef Sterk, a native of Trier, Germany, was formerly with Vista International and has an impressive background that includes decades of work in Europe for Hilton International and tenure at some of the world’s finest hotels. In addition, he has trained under and was inspired by Chef Paul Prudhomme, and earned rave reviews and awards at the New York and Chicago Food Shows and prestigious Wiser Culinary Classic. “I am excited about my new position with the Hilton Stamford and the model I will create using organic and healthy foods fresh from farm to table, and the purest ingredients,” said Chef Sterk. “My team and I welcome the community to sample our creative dining options for special occasions and world-class banquets and events.”
With more than eight years of hospitality experience, Lombardi most recently served as the Global Account Manager at HelmsBriscoe, responsible for hotel site selection and contract negotiations for meetings, conferences and group events. He previously worked as Director of Sales for the Hilton Garden Inn in Shelton, and as Senior Sales Manager at the Hartford Marriott in Farmington. Lombardi is a board member for the Coastal Fairfield Convention & Visitor’s Bureau and a member of the Connecticut Production Coalition. He has a degree in Business Administration & Marketing from Eastern Connecticut State University, and currently resides in Meriden.
Milano joins the Mystic Marriott team with more than 18 years sales management experience. She most recently served as Director of Group Sales at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA, where she effectively managed a competitive group sales team and implemented successful sales strategies while developing an impressive client roster. Prior to her role as Director of Group Sales, Milano served as Assistant Director of Catering and Catering Sales Manager for the Cambridge hotel. Her additional past experience includes ten years with the Navy and Army MWR club systems in management, sales and operations. Milano acted as Club Manager for the Campbell Club in Fort Campbell, KY, and Catering Director for the Camp Zama Community Club in Camp Zama, Japan.
Herr joined Waterford Hotel Group in 2003, where she served in various sales positions including Director of Sales at the Residence Inn Downtown in Hartford, and Sales Manager at the full-service Marriott Hartford Downtown. She relocated to the metro Detroit area in 2006 and worked as Director of Sales for several Detroit hotels, including the Residence Inn by Marriott Detroit/Novi, the Marriott at Centerpoint, and the Hilton Garden Inn. Herr returned to Connecticut in 2009 and most recently served as Sales Manager for the New Haven Hotel. Herr has a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Sales & Meeting Management and an Associate’s Degree in Travel & Tourism Management from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI. She currently resides in Old Lyme.
Ms. Kozlowski brings a wealth of experience to her new position. Ginny Kozlowski was named President of the Greater New Haven Convention & Visitors Bureau in October 2007, having previously worked at the Bureau in a variety of capacities since 1993. Prior to her employment at the CVB, Kozlowski has worked in the hotel industry as a general manager and a comptroller, as well as in the food and beverage industry. In 2008, she was awarded the Rising Star award from Business New Haven. In addition, she has a degree in accounting from Central Connecticut State University and has taught at the University of New Haven as an adjunct professor in their hospitality program.
In his new role, Allen will oversee all operational aspects of the facility, manage all full-time and part-time staff, and will be responsible for revenue and profitability, as well as customer, associate and owner satisfaction. A graduate of the Sports and Hotel Management program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Allen has more than 24 years leadership experience in the hospitality industry. He comes to the Mystic Marriott from the Providence Biltmore Hotel where he served as the General Manager. His experience also includes serving as the General Manager of the InterContinental Hotel in Milwaukee; and, General Manager at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, Santa Fe, after having been promoted to that position from General Manager at the Grove Isle Hotel & Spa, Coconut Grove, Florida. Allen’s New England roots run deep as he served as General Manager of Nantucket Island Resorts, including the White Elephant, Hartford House Village, the Wharf Cottages and Harbor View Inn.