Vision, Innovation, and Best-in-Class Service

John started his career as a hotel consultant for Laventhol and Horwath, with successive stints at The Residence Inn Company and Holiday Corporation, where he was as a member of the founding concept team for Homewood Suites.

John joined Davidson Hospitality Group in 1989 and led the Business Development team during a period of unprecedented growth for the company, overseeing new management, acquisition and development opportunities for the company, as well as asset management and asset disposition responsibilities. John became President and CEO in 2006 and has helped shape Davidson into one of the strongest and most respected lodging companies in the industry. In early 2016, John helped launch Pivot, Davidson’s lifestyle and luxury operating division.

John has previously served on Marriott’s MINA Board (including as its President), the Sheraton Franchise Advisory Council, the Hilton Owner’s Advisory Council, the Doubletree Owner’s Advisory Council, the Hyatt Full-Service Hotel Franchise Advisory Board and has continued to be a strategic collaborator with Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts. John has also been a longtime Board Member of Give Kids The World. John was named Michigan State University’s Industry Leader of the Year in 2010 and was inducted into its Alumni Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2018, the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association presented John with the J. Patrick Leahy Lifetime Achievement Award. John obtained a degree from the Business College at Michigan State University with an emphasis in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management.

Thom Geshay has been in a management position with Davidson since 1988; instrumental in major milestones, a critical catalyst in championing company culture and a driver in the development of an expanding team. Most recently, Thom spent two years as President where he oversaw the company’s rebranding as Davidson Hospitality Group and the delineation of clearly defined operating verticals, including the creation of Davidson Resorts. Previously, he served as COO for three years, where he was responsible for overall company operations and an important contributor in the successful launch of Pivot and Davidson Restaurant Group. Prior to that, he was SVP of Business Development where he led all new business activity and stimulated growth of the company through management, ownership and development opportunities. His experience in the hospitality industry spans over three decades during which he held a variety of property and corporate level positions in both operations and real estate acquisitions. He began his hotel career at an early age as a bellman and quickly ascended the ranks, acquiring considerable expertise in virtually every aspect of hotel development and operations. He has completed over a billion dollars in acquisitions and recapitalizations, involving single-asset and portfolio transactions, and has structured joint venture agreements, negotiated management contracts, and negotiated franchise agreements with nearly every hotel brand. Geshay has held several other strategic corporate positions during his tenure with Davidson including Regional Vice President of Operations, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Chief Operating Officer.

He is currently an AHLA Executive Committee member, a Marriott MINA board member, a member of the Hospitality Investment Roundtable, on the Owner Advisory Councils for Hilton and Hyatt, and a frequent speaker at industry events. Geshay received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University.

With a 26-year tenure, Steve Margol oversees the growth of the company’s management portfolio, including investment, acquisition and disposition activity, and asset management. He is also responsible for creating and maintaining both equity and debt relationships with top-tier capital partners. Since he was appointed to the executive leadership role looking after acquisitions and business development in 2006, the company has added 95 hotels to the management company portfolio, in addition to acquiring 52 hotels totaling more than $3.7 billion.

Prior to Davidson, Steve served as vice president of appraisal & consulting with Grubb & Ellis Company, with national responsibility for hospitality industry assignments. Previously, Steve was a hospitality industry specialist with Merrill Lynch Capital Markets Real Estate Investment Banking Department, and Laventhol and Horwath. During the span of his prolific career, his efforts have resulted in nearly $7 billion of M&A.

Steve received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from Emory University.

Prior to joining Davidson, Lance spent nearly 25 years in the restaurant industry. Most recently, he was Chief Financial Officer at CKE Restaurants, the parent company of the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s brands, where he was responsible for all finance and accounting and helped drive the company’s full business transformation process. Prior to CKE, Lance served as the Chief Financial Officer at Jack in the Box, Inc., where he was responsible for not only finance and accounting activities, but also led the Information Technology and Development areas. Lance began his career in the restaurant industry at Papa John’s International and spent nearly 20 years with the brand, eventually becoming its Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. In this role, he was directly responsible for financing, accounting, investor relations, internal audit and risk management, while also overseeing the Information Technology, Legal and Human Resources functions. Lance began his career with EY and is a CPA. He graduated from Transylvania University with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting.

Crystal Beasley joined the company in 2007. Her primary responsibility is monitoring and overseeing the legal and contractual obligations of the company. Prior to joining Davidson, Crystal was an Associate in the Commercial Transactions and Real Estate practice group of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Marketing Management with a minor in Political Science from the University of Arkansas. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas School of Law where she also served as the Executive Editor of the Arkansas Law Review.

Jason Rabidoux serves as Senior Vice President – Acquisitions & Business Development for Davidson Hospitality Group, where he is responsible for the strategic growth of the company’s portfolio. Prior to joining Davidson, Jason served as both Asset Manager and most recently Director of Real Estate and Business Development for The Hotel Group (THG) based in in Seattle, Washington. Before THG, Jason held positions as both an Associate and Senior Associate at HREC Investment Advisors – Hospitality Real Estate Counselors. Jason is a graduate of The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University with an emphasis in Finance. He is an active member of The School’s Alumni Association Appointed Board of Directors and Real Estate Investment Management (REIM) Advisory Council.

Building his career at both global and emerging hospitality companies, Rick has extensive experience and an established reputation in the industry’s lifestyle sector. Prior to joining Davidson as Pivot’s Executive Vice President, he served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Virgin Hotels where he spearheaded the brand’s growth, opening hotels in Dallas, Nashville, Las Vegas and most recently New Orleans. His resume also includes stints at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, overseeing the brand’s lifestyle portfolio as Senior Vice President of Field Operations, and at Two Roads Hospitality where he led the evolution of the Thompson and Joie de Vivre brands as Executive Vice President. There, he played an integral role in the company’s nationwide expansion while continuing to add value to the portfolio’s existing 35 hotels and resorts. Prior to that, Colangelo held an 11-year tenure at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants during which he grew the brand’s footprint in the Northeast, South Florida and Texas markets.

Colangelo currently serves on the Hospitality and Tourism Management Advisory Board for the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Prior to joining the Davidson team, Steve Contos served as a senior vice president at Marriott International, overseeing all hotels and resorts in the Caribbean and the luxury resort portfolio in Latin America. During his tenure, he was responsible for 78 hotels and resorts across 12 brands and under his operational oversight, a number of properties earned prestigious award and accolade recognition, ranging from Forbes 5-Star designations to Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards. Previously, Steve was the area vice president of the Americas Southern and Eastern regions, focused on a premium portfolio of hotels in Florida and Louisiana, which included some of the largest and most important Marriott resorts. He has held a myriad of positions within the hospitality industry, serving as general manager at five different properties, including the famed Orlando Grande Lakes Resort complex featuring a 1,000-room JW Marriott and a 564-room Ritz Carlton. Steve rose through the ranks of food & beverage operations, banquets and catering, ultimately becoming hotel manager of the Marriott Orlando World Resort, which was the largest resort asset in the Marriott system at the time.

Prior to joining Davidson Hospitality Group, Greg served as Senior Vice President, Food & Beverage for Crescent Hotels & Resorts, Vice President of Operations/Partner at Slapfish Restaurant Group as well as Director of Global Culinary Development at Marriott International. His 20+ years of food & beverage experience includes numerous hotel and independent restaurant positions around the United States. Greg worked his way up through the kitchen brigade to Executive Chef and Director of Restaurant Operations. He has opened restaurants and hotels domestically and internationally including the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, JW Marquis Dubai and Slapfish Restaurant Dubai, UAE. In addition to his experience in culinary operations, Greg’s background includes hotel conversions, restaurant concepts, branding & strategic positioning and creation of hotel food & beverage platforms. When he isn’t in the kitchen, Greg can be found gardening, on an adventure with his two daughters, running marathons (23) and Ultra marathons, afield or volunteering at local farms.

Harry joined Davidson Hospitality Group shortly after the launch of Pivot in 2015. He assisted in repositioning Hotel Zephyr, the first property in the Pivot portfolio. As the Corporate Director of Revenue Management, Harry helped to grow Pivot from 4 hotels to over 20. In 2018, Harry moved to Atlanta and was promoted to Vice President of Revenue Management. He now oversees total property revenue management for Pivot as well as 12 KSL owned assets. In 2022, Harry was promoted to Senior Vice President of Revenue Management. With over 20 years of hospitality experience in both the independent and branded environments, he has been able to drive total revenue and gain market share for diverse properties. Before joining Pivot, Harry worked with leading lifestyle companies at SBE and Viceroy Hotel Group as well as branded hotels at Interstate Hotels and Resorts, Starwood and Hilton.

Kathy’s journey with the company began in 1987, marking over 35 years of steadfast commitment and remarkable achievements in Davidson Hospitality Group. With a relentless drive and an unquenchable passion, she has traversed a multifaceted path, becoming an undisputed master in various facets of the industry.

Her ascent within the company’s ranks has been nothing short of extraordinary. Kathy’s exceptional dedication and relentless work ethic propelled her to positions of immense responsibility, where she brought her expertise to bear as the Director of Sales and General Manager across multiple hotels within Davidson’s portfolio. Her journey wasn’t confined to the confines of a single property, as Kathy also embraced task force opportunities, lending her invaluable support to several hotels, with a keen focus on sales, revenue management, and operational excellence.

In 2000, Kathy achieved a well-deserved promotion to the role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing. In this role, she was responsible for orchestrating all facets of sales and revenue generation for the company. Kathy’s leadership style is characterized by her hands-on approach, forging a deep connection with hotel teams to foster a culture of success, motivation, and relentless dedication to excellence. Since she’s gone on to hold the position of Senior Vice President of Sales and Revenue Management and has most recently assumed the role of Senior Vice President of Operations for the Davidson Resorts operating vertical.

Beyond her role within the company, Kathy is an active participant in numerous brand advisory groups, where her insights and expertise are highly regarded. Her unrelenting commitment to strengthening relationships with brand executives has solidified her position as a respected and influential figure in the industry.

Kathy’s remarkable tenure of 35+ years with the company has afforded her the unique opportunity to engage with and manage properties across the entire spectrum of major brands, as well as several independent hotels. Her educational foundation is anchored in a Bachelor of Science degree from the prestigious University of Georgia.

Kathy Hood’s enduring legacy within the hospitality field is a testament to her boundless dedication, unshakable passion, and unparalleled expertise. Her remarkable journey continues to inspire and set the gold standard for excellence in the industry.

Kevin’s passion for the hospitality industry started with Marriott where he had held a number of design and construction roles, growing multiple brands over nine years. Following Marriott, he launched Sodexo’s design, construction and technical services department, completing over a billion dollars in construction projects. From there, Kevin joined Wyndham Worldwide where he oversaw the construction of their first mixed-use resort with the completion of the Wyndham Grand at Bonnet Creek in Orlando and also led Wyndham’s foray into Brazil with the development of prototypes and partnering with local developers to construct multiple hotels in in time for the Olympics. Kevin’s most recent role as Vice President of Design & Construction with Sage Hospitality included development of multiple independent hotels. In addition, he worked with Sage Restaurant Group to complete construction of their fourth Urban Farmer in addition to collaborating on refreshing several existing restaurants.

Kevin has served as Chair of Habitat Orlando’s acquisition and construction group where they successfully implemented the first Habitat Orlando townhouse development and tripled the number of families assisted during his tenure. He holds a degree in Architectural Engineering from Penn State University and an MBA from The University of Texas – Dallas. He is also a licensed General Contractor in the State of Florida.

Linda has more than 20 years of experience of senior human resources leadership specifically in high growth organizations with leading edge HR practices. She partners with executive leadership to define develop and lead global HR programs, processes and policies including but not limited to: talent acquisition, compensation, benefits, performance management, employee relations, labor relations, training, retention, change management and safety/risk control, while ensuring that policies are in full compliance with all applicable labor laws. Previously, she served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources at OTG Management where she drove a culture of performance, results and positive employee relations. She was the Vice President of Human Resources at Pyramid Hotel Group where she worked for 12 years, and has also worked at Pinnacle Hotels USA, Inc. and Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc.

Michele joined Davidson in 2014 and brings with her twenty-three years of veteran hospitality accounting experience. With a drive focused around efficiency and effectiveness, she has the overall responsibility for accurate and timely reporting of financial results for all hotels. She is also responsible for overseeing the accounting functions for fixed assets and capital spending, and managing the internal audit department. She most recently came from Hospitality Ventures Management Group. Prior to HVMG she worked at LXR Luxury resorts and Wyndham International in various accounting roles. Michele holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

A seasoned hospitalitarian with nearly 25 years of experience, Patricia is the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications, where she leads strategic implementation of branding, creative development, web development, public relations and social media in support of all Davidson hotels and restaurants. Since joining the company in 2015, she collaborated on the creation and launch of Pivot, Davidson’s lifestyle operating vertical, now the fastest growing lifestyle segment in the industry; has overseen the development of more than 75 independent brands and 30 custom websites; and most recently launched SocialLite, Davidson’s in-house social media agency. Previously, she was the principal of thestrategyfoundry, providing project management, short term strategic revenue management engagement and distribution services. While at the helm of thestrategyfoundry, Patricia oversaw electronic distribution for the entire SBE portfolio of hotels including properties across Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. She also served as AVP, Revenue Management & Reservations at the Viceroy Hotel Group, where she oversaw and developed an effective revenue management culture across the portfolio of hotels and resorts in cities like Abu Dhabi, Mexico, New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC.

As Senior Vice President, Operations, Paul is deployed to specifically focus on leading and optimizing performance across our growing portfolio of KSL-owned assets. Paul joined Davidson most recently from Aimbridge Hospitality (formerly Interstate Hotels & Resorts), where he served as a Vice President of Operations for three years, most recently assigned to Evolution where he carried a substantial portfolio of assets leveraging his expertise in supporting both development efforts and operational excellence in resorts, lifestyle, and independent hotels. Previous to his appointment to above property leadership at then Interstate, Paul spent nearly three years excelling with White Lodging. Amongst his assignments, he was the opening Dual General Manager for the high profile Le Meridien Denver Downtown and AC Hotel Denver, which featured Corinne Restaurant and the 54thirty Rooftop. Paul’s hospitality career was primarily forged during a highly decorated 15-year career at Omni Hotels & Resorts. His roles at Omni culminated in his appointment to Vice President, Special Projects where he oversaw brand standards, provided spa operation leadership, and was highly engaged in the development of several high-profile projects to include The Omni Frisco Hotel, The Omni Louisville Hotel, and The Omni Atlanta Braves Hotel. Paul served as General Manager of several important Omni Hotels during his tenure, to include serving as GM at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, where he oversaw the complete renovation and reinvention of this iconic and complex Resort. He is also no stranger to the KSL network as during Paul’s tenure at Omni he served as Managing Director of the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia, a property once owned by KSL. Paul elevated resort activation and programming which led to this property obtaining record level guest satisfaction scores, double digit market index gains, and ultimately exceeded performance.

Rachel currently serves as vice president, strategic operations at Davidson Hospitality Group, where she is a team leader charged with new systems deployment, corporate and hotel process improvement, hotel performance analysis / reporting, and strategic corporate initiatives. Prior to joining the organization in 2017, she served as director, continent lodging services at Marriott International, where she was responsible for integration deployment, change management & communication to 700 North America legacy Starwood portfolio hotels following the Marriott International acquisition. Previously at Starwood, she served as chief of staff to North America’s COO; strategic advisor to cross-discipline divisional senior leadership team; and liaison between hotel and corporate leaders. She spent a number of years as a strategic consultant and market researcher at firms in Boston and Rochester, such as ISOBAR, Dixon Schwabl Advertising, NIELSEN and Millward Brown Analytics. She holds an M.B.A from Yale University and B.S. in Economics from Cornell University.

Antoine has extensive experience with opening and operating premier independent and global lifestyle brands across the US and around the world. He most recently served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Graduate Hotels where he oversaw 30 US Graduate Hotels across the United States. Previously, Antoine was the Senior Vice President of Operations at Proper Hospitality. In this role, he led all operations for the company’s seven luxury properties across three brands and oversaw the opening of multiple properties in San Francisco, Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Austin.

His resume also includes a long stint with Thompson Hotels where he joined the company at the early stage of development in New York City and helped it grow throughout the US and Mexico. The company merged to become Two Roads Hospitality, where he also oversaw Chip Conley’s Joie de Vivre hotels. During those 11 years, he helped grow the Thompson and Joie de Vivre brands across the United States and Mexico.

Earlier in his career, Antoine held a variety of leadership roles with global hospitality firms, including Intercontinental, Westin, and Hilton International. These roles exposed him to every facet of hotel and food and beverage operations and took him to Washington DC, Toronto, New Orleans, Miami, Bali, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and New Jersey.

Antoine had always been passionate about promoting the importance of sustainability, a subject very dear to his heart and he intends to put it front and center in every hospitality related project that he is involved with.

Fluent in French and Arabic, Antoine holds a Master of Business Administration in International Hotel Management from a joint program between Cornell University and ESSEC Business School in France.

Carl is an accomplished Vice President of Learning & Organizational Development at Davidson Hospitality Group with a passion for talent management and organizational design. He has a proven track record of success in full-cycle talent management, performance management, learning development, and team member experience programming. Carl’s leadership has been instrumental in the success of Davidson Academy, an award-winning learning experience platform that has helped many team members achieve their career goals.

Before joining Davidson Hospitality Group in 2020, Carl served as the Director of Talent Development at White Lodging Services where he was responsible for onboarding, training, leadership development, performance management, and goal setting initiatives resulting in several Top 125 in Training awards from Training Magazine.

Carl’s expertise has been recognized by the Elliott Masie Learning Consortium when he was named a 30 Under 30 rising star in L&D in 2014. He is an active member of the Association for Talent Development both nationally and locally in Atlanta.

Carl holds a B.S. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology from Purdue University.

Carrie joined the company in September 2019 and serves as Vice President of Communications & Social Media, where she oversees public relations and social media efforts for Davidson Hospitality Group, all of its operating verticals, as well as all individual hotels, resorts and restaurants. A results-oriented thought leader with a passion for hospitality, she was previously the Director of Public Relations at Two Roads Hospitality, where she led award-winning public relations and partnership marketing efforts for the Destination Hotels collection for nearly six years until joining the Hyatt Hotels Corporation global communications team following its acquisition of Two Roads in late 2018. During her tenure, Carrie drove a steady stream of brand-building editorial coverage in target publications while also developing best practices, new ROI measurement tools and resources to inspire PR agencies and experienced in-house marketing team members toward optimal creativity and meaningful press coverage. Previously, Carrie spent several years at award-winning boutique PR agencies in Los Angeles and New York, where she managed domestic and international public relations efforts for a variety of prolific hotel, travel and tourism organizations including the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Visit Scotland, Orion Expedition Cruises (now part of Lindblad Expeditions), Virtuoso, RockResorts and Vail Resorts Hospitality, A-ROSA River Cruises, St. Regis Hotels, Eden Rock – St Barths and illy coffee. Some favorite travel moments from Carrie’s robust career include horseback riding to the Hollywood sign with NBC’s TODAY Show; supervising a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover shoot on Canouan, a remote island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and cruising through the pristine Kimberley region in Western Australia with top-tier media and travel agents.

She holds a B.S. in Communications from Boston University and currently resides in Los Angeles with her family.

Marisa Serrano joined the company in 2004 as General Manager of the Marriott Country Club Plaza, in Kansas City, Missouri. She then served as General Manager at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp in San Diego, California, before her promotion in 2013 to Regional Vice President-Operations. Prior to joining Davidson, Marisa served in general manager positions with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Quorum Hotels and Resorts and Adams Mark Hotels. And successfully lead top performing Marriott and Hilton brands. She began her career in the hospitality industry in 1988 at The Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, Colorado, where she served as reservations manager and then as front office manager. Marisa received a BS in Business Administration at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and holds certifications as an instructor in Housekeeping Management and in Front Office Operations from the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Motel Association.

Mark Wang joined Davidson in 2012 as a Financial Analyst. After one year as a Financial Analyst and another year as an Associate, Mark assumed his next position of Director of Business Development. Currently Mark is Vice President of Acquisitions & Business Development where his primary responsibility is the sourcing and execution of new business opportunities, including acquisitions, new developments, and management contracts across the United States. Prior to joining Davidson, Mark received his Bachelor of Science in Hospitality & Tourism from Johnson & Wales University, with a focus in Finance and Entrepreneurship.

Max Carr joined Davidson originally as a college intern in 2015 and then full time as a Financial Analyst following his graduation in 2017. After 18 months as a Financial Analyst, Max assumed the role of Director in 2019. In his current role as Vice President of Acquisitions & Business Development, he is responsible for the sourcing and execution of new business opportunities including acquisitions, new developments, and third-party management engagements across the United States. Max received his BBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School with concentrations in Finance and Real Estate.

As Regional Vice President of Operations, East Region for Pivot, Paul is responsible for driving operational excellence, optimizing financial performance, ensuring that hotels are delivering an exceptional guest experience that fosters a sense of place and providing support to team members in the field in a servant leadership manner.

Prior to joining Pivot, Paul served as area managing director and area general manager at Sage Hospitality, overseeing The Blackstone in Chicago, Ill., The Darcy in Washington, D.C., The Alexandrian / Morrison House in Alexandria, Va., Renaissance Hotel in Pittsburgh Penn., and the Hutton Hotel and Union Station in Nashville, Tenn. During his tenure, he built an outstanding culture of teamwork and impeccable treatment of one another, garnering him the Leader of the Year award, Eagle Award (Sage’s highest honor for excellence and cultivating the Sage culture) and Mentor of the Year. Previously, Paul was general manager at Highgate Hotels and Interstate Hotels & Resorts in Pittsburg, where he regularly received superior customer service satisfaction scores and earned a number of additional awards acknowledging strong performance on a balanced scorecard. Spending nearly two decades with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Paul held numerous leadership positions and worked his way up through all aspects of hotel operations, from front desk to catering. He possesses unique interpersonal skills that enable successful, dynamic partnerships with owners, corporate team members and field operators.

Paul is deeply committed to community service and helping others in need. It is a personal passion and belief of his that we should always give back to the communities in which we work.

Paul holds a B.S. in Accounting and Business Management from Indiana University.