The pioneering spirit of Destination Hotels & Resorts is embodied by its leader, President and Chief Operating Officer Charles Peck, who knows what it is like to be at the top of the world and strives to take his company to similar heights.

Peck knows what it is like to define a goal and set out to achieve it - whether doubling his company's size or climbing the world's tallest mountains. An avid mountaineer, Peck participated in two expeditions on Mount Everest and takes on daily challenges with the focus and vigor needed to reach the highest of goals.

On a daily basis, Peck oversees the company's portfolio of more than 8,000 guest rooms, 15 golf courses and 17 full-service spas in more than 35 locations. For Peck, the people who make up Destination are the company's most important resource. And, from the top down, more than 9,000 associates are helping realize the company's vision of developing distinctive, upscale properties with exceptional services. Peck realizes that it takes teamwork to achieve important milestones and attributes much of the company's success to its associates nationwide.

Growing the company is another key focus for Peck. In 2008, the company opened the 139-room Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont. Destination also opened the Lodge at Suncadia located in Cle Elum, Wash. in the spring of 2008 and then in June 2009 the company's most ambitious resort development, Terranea, opened. Terranea is a 582-room resort situated on 102 acres along the California coastline just south of Los Angeles in Palos Verdes.

Peck's years of experience have prepared him for taking the helm at Destination Hotels & Resorts. Prior to moving to Denver to oversee the company, Peck was managing director of Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore., one of the company's flagship resorts. Under his leadership, Sunriver completed the development of the highly acclaimed Crosswater Golf Community, as well as a complete renovation and market repositioning of the resort.

Previously, during his term at Cushman Realty Corporation, Peck was a founding Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for this diversified national real estate company.

Prior to joining Cushman, Peck was Chief Financial Officer of WED Enterprises, the planning and development subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. He was involved in the planning and development of large-scale projects including Epcot Center and the Lake Buena Vista Community at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland as well as various ski resort projects.

Just as Destination Hotels & Resorts is a company pioneering new territory in independent hospitality management, Peck explores remote parts of the world seeking to meet new challenges and goals. A passionate mountaineer, he co-founded and serves on the board of the American Foundation for International Mountaineering Exploration and Research. The Foundation sponsored a successful Everest expedition via the North Face in 1991 in which Peck was a climbing member.

Peck's professional and personal philosophy dovetail with the Destination Hotels & Resorts guiding principles of nurturing positive relationships and consistently working to balance lives. He has worked vigorously on behalf of the Boy Scouts, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Sunriver Music Festival. He currently sits on the board of directors for the National Parks Foundation and is active with the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum, in Golden CO, which is an affiliate of the American Alpine Club.

Peck holds a Bachelor of arts degree from Yale University and a master of business administration degree in finance from the Harvard Graduate School of Business. Between college and business school, he served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy for three years. He lives in Denver with his wife and two children. His three older sons are pursuing careers in Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Auckland, New Zealand.

Mike Everett is responsible for organizing, managing and implementing all business development efforts for Lowe Hospitality Group (LHG) and its affiliates.  Everett's focus includes sourcing and closing hotel, resort, or land acquisitions, procuring third party management contracts, and securing workout assignments through lenders or special servicers.  Everett also holds a seat on the Destination Executive Committee.  Prior to joining LHG and Destination in 2003, Everett served as Project Manager for Sage Hospitality with responsibilities including sourcing, underwriting, financing and construction and development oversight of ground-up hotel development projects and the rehabilitation of historic buildings into hotels.  He is a member of the Cornell Society of Hotelmen, and is a regular panelist at both the NYU Hospitality Industry Investment Conference and ALIS Hotel Investment Conference.  Everett is a graduate of the Cornell University, School of Hotel Administration., B.S. with a concentration in Real Estate Finance.

Rick Rush plays a vital role in business development for Lowe Hospitality Group and its affiliates. In addition to sourcing and closing acquisitions, he is focused on securing third party management contracts for the company. Prior to joining the company, Rush was senior vice president in charge of hotel and management contract acquisitions for Sage Hospitality Resources. He also was a regional vice president for Sage for nearly a decade overseeing hotel operations. Rush also has held a number of executive positions with Marriott International in Scottsdale and Austin.

John Rosen is responsible for the oversight of Lowe Enterprise's full-service hotel real estate investments and Destination Hotels & Resorts' portfolio reporting.  His responsibilities are focused on asset-level value enhancement, including strategic planning, capital projects, operational analysis and assistance in development of company-wide best practices. Rosen holds a seat on the Destination Executive Committee.  Prior to leading asset management, Rosen was vice president of hospitality investments for Lowe Hospitality Group. Rosen also has held positions in acquisitions & development with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Omni Hotels, and was vice president of finance and administration for the development of Calistoga Ranch. Rosen began his post-collegiate hospitality career as a consultant at PKF Consulting in Houston. He is a graduate of the University of Houston - Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management, B.S. Hotel and Restaurant Management, Magna Cum Laude.

Mark Hickey is responsible for the overall operating performance of Destination's portfolio. He also provides oversight and coordinates portfolio-wide initiatives in the areas of organizational development and training, customer service, risk management and human resources. In addition, Hickey also oversees the development of Destination's growing conference center portfolio and the Destination Earth sustainability program.

He joined the company in 1995, as general manager of Destination's Inverness Hotel and Conference Center, prior to assuming the position of senior vice president of operations for the western United States in 1997. His role was extended in 2002 to oversee all North American operations of the company.

Prior to joining Destination, Hickey held various positions in the hospitality industry, including property positions of general manager, regional manager of management services for AIRCOA (now Richfield) and vice president of operations for Metro Hotels in Dallas, TX.

As vice president and managing director for Destination Hotels & Resorts, Jim Horsman recently opened the company's Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont. The new 139-room luxury lodge located at the center of the $400 million Spruce Peak at Stowe alpine neighborhood opened in summer 2008.   

Previously, Horsman was the general manager at the award-winning NINE ZERO hotel in Boston, and prior to that he spent 12 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, opening and operating a number of properties in such diverse locations as Mexico, Hawaii, Dubai, Philadelphia and Marina del Rey.

Destination Hotels & Resorts recruited Horsman three years prior to Stowe Mountain Lodge's opening so that he could create the vision for the lodge and manage its development from the ground up, ensuring the Lodge would fulfill its promise of becoming the first five-star property in the area.  Horsman has built a management team of the industry's best talents from Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and other high-end properties around the world, and has used his trademark passion for service excellence to launch one of the most successful openings in Destination's history. 

As Area Vice President and Managing Director for Destination Hotels & Resorts, Greg Miller brings a wealth of knowledge and 28 years of hospitality expertise to some of the Southwest's most unique and historically significant properties.  Miller has oversight of Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix Ariz., Tempe Mission Palms Hotel & Conference Center in Tempe, Ariz., Miramonte Resort & Spa, Indian Wells, Calif. and the Inn & Spa at Loretto, Santa Fe, N.M.

Currently, Miller sits on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association, Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau, Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau and is Past Chairman of the Valley Hotel & Resort Association.  In 2002 he was named Hotelier of the Year by the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association and General Manager of the Year by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

Jim Pavisha is responsible for all major capital projects, due diligence, renovations and development of long-term capital plans and strategies for Destination properties, as well as providing support to the ongoing replacement reserve and facilities management programs for each location.

Pavisha joined the company in 1994 at its Sunriver Resort project, overseeing an ambitious and highly successful development program that included a resort, airport, real estate, utility companies and residential development. He then moved to the corporate office in 1997. Prior to joining Destination, he was a project executive with The Ritz-Carlton Hotels, overseeing development and construction of Mauna Lani, Hawaii and Kapalua, Maui. Before working in Hawaii, Pavisha worked in the mountains of Colorado as an original member of the development team and was executive vice president of Keystone Resort. He was also president of Aspen Hospitality Services and initiated the development of The Ritz Carlton, Aspen.

Shirli J. Sensenbrenner is responsible for the hotel portfolio's capital planning from budgeting through design and construction.  She also is a key player in the due diligence analysis and repositioning of both new hotel acquisitions and existing assets.  A few of her most recent projects are the $19 million transformation of the Intercontinental Tampa and a $25 million repositioning of the L'Auberge Del Mar.  Before joining Destination Hotels & Resorts, Sensenbrenner worked for various architectural and design firms as senior designer and project leader. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the  University of Cincinnati.    

Mitch Mehr was appointed to this newly-created position in order to further highlight the company's unique platform of food and beverage offerings throughout the portfolio and to capitalize on the success and customer loyalty at experiences. Mehr has more than 20 years of operational experience in the food and beverage industry and most recently served as the vice president of restaurant operations for Kimpton's West Coast Hotels and Restaurants. Mehr also was the vice president of food and beverage operations for Kor Hotel Group where he was responsible for day-to-day operations in 11 hotels, including The Tides in Miami Beach and Viceroy in Santa Monica. Prior to Kor, Mehr was the West Coast regional director of operations for China Grill Management, a leader of independent restaurants, many of which are based in prominent hotels and resorts across the country.

Kathleen McIntee is responsible for developing and implementing corporate and hotel financial strategies and initiatives, proper fiscal management, reporting systems and analysis, internal audit programs, project accounting and all information technology for Destination. More than 20 years of experience in hotel finance and operations positions has equipped McIntee with a wide range of knowledge in the operational, financial and information technology arenas.

She is responsible for several Destination technology initiatives including implementation of standard systems through the company. McIntee also oversees finance and technology continuous process improvement programs for Destination.

McIntee is a certified hotel administrator (CHA), a certified hotel accounting executive (CHAE) and a certified public accountant (CPA). Previously, she was chief financial officer for Robinson Brick Company in Denver. Prior to that, she served as vice president of corporate and hotel accounting for REGAL-AIRCOA Companies, Inc., where she managed North American financial activities for real estate, investments and hotel operations. She also was with the public accounting firm of Laventhol and Horwath where she focused on hospitality and real estate.

Stanton is responsible for the development and execution of the Destination Hotels & Resorts strategic technology plan.  Leading a team of more than 35 information technology professionals, he promotes the adoption of new technologies while working toward the firm's goals and objectives.  Martin re-joined the firm in April of 2000 to implement its centralized back office application.  Martin began his hospitality career in 1985 with Intercontinental Hotels in San Antonio, Texas.  He has held IT Director and Controller positions at multiple hotel properties. He is a graduate of Bradley University with a B.S. in Management Information Systems.

Steve Sackman oversees sales, marketing, advertising, revenue management, PR and promotional strategies for Tarrytown House Estate & Conference Center, Hamilton Park  Hotel & Conference Center, The Carolina Inn, and the Rizzo Conference Center. Sackman joined Destination in January 2006 coming from a background that includes having been Director of National Sales for Aramark Harrison Lodging, and holding a variety of sales & marketing leadership positions over 10 years with Hilton & Doubletree in the Times Square-New York Market.  In addition to his responsibilities with Destination Hotels & Resorts, Sackman currently serves on the board of directors for the North American chapter of the International Association of Conference Centers, and was recently elected by the board to the position of secretary on the association's executive committee.  He has served as the chairman of IACC's marketing committee, during which time he oversaw a major rebranding initiative, which included a full update of IACC Global graphic brand identity and logo, as well as a full overhaul of the IACC Global Web site.  Now he serves as the Executive Board liaison for both the Sustainability task force as well as the marketing committee.  He is a graduate of New York University with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Mark Hickey is responsible for the overall operating performance of Destination's portfolio. He also provides oversight and coordinates portfolio-wide initiatives in the areas of organizational development and training, customer service, risk management and human resources. In addition, Hickey also oversees the development of Destination's growing conference center portfolio and the Destination Earth sustainability program.

He joined the company in 1995, as general manager of Destination's Inverness Hotel and Conference Center, prior to assuming the position of senior vice president of operations for the western United States in 1997. His role was extended in 2002 to oversee all North American operations of the company.

Prior to joining Destination, Hickey held various positions in the hospitality industry, including property positions of general manager, regional manager of management services for AIRCOA (now Richfield) and vice president of operations for Metro Hotels in Dallas, TX.

Jack Schmidt oversees the strategic sales and marketing efforts for Destination's northwest properties that include the new Suncadia in Roslyn, Wash., Sunriver Resort in Oregon and Skamania Lodge near Portland, Ore. Schmidt joined Destination from Benchmark Hospitality International where he was chief marketing officer responsible for the entire company's strategic sales and marketing effort. He oversaw the company's enterprise sales and marketing system, the national database of meeting planners, all revenue management functions, global distribution, advertising and promotion, the company's national awareness campaign, interactive marketing, customer relationship management programs, as well as sales training and compensation programming.

Prior to joining Benchmark, Schmidt was a partner in a travel management and hospitality industry consulting company. He also has held a number of executive level sales and marketing positions at various hotels, resorts, conference centers and casinos including the Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, Landsdowne Resort in Virginia, the former Scanticon Hotel & Conference Center in Princeton and The El San Juan Hotel & Casino in San Juan, Puerto, Rico.

Schmidt studied hospitality management at Widener University in Delaware and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has been an adjunct professor teaching hospitality sales and marketing and co-authored the original sales training materials for the International Association of Conference Centers. He also has served on the IACC board of directors for three terms.

As senior vice president of sales and marketing for Destination, André Fournier's responsibilities include shaping the global sales and marketing vision and culture, driving annual business planning sales and marketing processes, as well as developing brand-building strategies for the Destination portfolio and individual assets. He also collaborates with the national sales team on strategic sales programs and supporting strategies for expansion. Fournier also plays a major role in working with business development to secure new management contracts and property acquisitions to grow the company.

Fournier most recently was vice president of field sales for the company where he mobilized Destination's more than 150 person, property-based sales force to create synergies amongst the collection to better sell and serve its clients. He oversaw the deployment and coordination of Destination Hotels & Resorts' property sales and marketing teams and conducted detailed departmental needs assessments. He also regularly worked with properties in transition stages to boost the success of those that were performing below their competitive set. In addition, Fournier partnered with the director of organizational development and recruiting to identify when appropriate sales or marketing talent was needed. He also put together development plans for sales and marketing associates to prepare the company for future growth.

Fournier is an over 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry and has been responsible for sales and marketing strategies at Pointe South Mountain Resort in Phoenix when Destination managed the property. Fournier held a similar position at the Vail Cascade in Colorado before moving to Phoenix in the mid-1990s. Prior to working for Destination, Fournier worked for Doubletree Hotels, Sheraton, Keystone Resort and the Scottsdale Plaza Resort.

Fournier has been recognized by numerous industry organizations for his contributions to the profession over the years including being named one of HSMAI's Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing, Spirit of Lowe and Co-Branding Award from Destination and Sales & Marketing Manager of the Year from the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association.

Maureen Callahan is vice president of marketing for DH&R and is responsible for strategic direction of the company's corporate marketing communication efforts including portfolio awareness and co-branding programs, public relations, Internet marketing and online branding, partnership marketing, and oversight of the corporate marketing strategic plan. In addition, she works closely with properties in the Destination collection to counsel and coach sales and marketing directors on market positioning and competitive analysis, electronic distribution, internet and website marketing, group sales, media, advertising and direct marketing. She continually provides in depth support and expertise to the due diligence and acquisition process for hotels, resorts and spas and supports the launch of new properties and integration into the portfolio.

A 24-year veteran with the company, Callahan has served as interim and onsite director of marketing at numerous condominium, hotel and resort properties in the Destination portfolio. She also developed Destination's initial customer and meeting planner satisfaction programs, spa marketing efforts, managed national group sales offices, and has provided regional sales and marketing support to properties in the collection.  She received the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) 2007 award as "One of the top minds in hospitality sales and marketing" and serves on the HSMAI Americas Board of Directors.  

As vice president and managing director for Destination Hotels & Resorts, Jim Horsman recently opened the company's Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont. The new 139-room luxury lodge located at the center of the $400 million Spruce Peak at Stowe alpine neighborhood opened in summer 2008.   

Previously, Horsman was the general manager at the award-winning NINE ZERO hotel in Boston, and prior to that he spent 12 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, opening and operating a number of properties in such diverse locations as Mexico, Hawaii, Dubai, Philadelphia and Marina del Rey.

Destination Hotels & Resorts recruited Horsman three years prior to Stowe Mountain Lodge's opening so that he could create the vision for the lodge and manage its development from the ground up, ensuring the Lodge would fulfill its promise of becoming the first five-star property in the area.  Horsman has built a management team of the industry's best talents from Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and other high-end properties around the world, and has used his trademark passion for service excellence to launch one of the most successful openings in Destination's history. 

Industry veteran Curtis Bova is vice president of national sales where he  oversees the company's six national sales offices in New York, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Southern California. Bova has been with Destination for more than eight years in a variety of sales and marketing and operations positions. He most recently was assistant general manager of the company's Inverness Hotel & Conference Center in Denver. Prior to his tenure in operations, Bova was a regional director of sales and marketing for Destination where he oversaw the sales and marketing for The Inverness, as well has held regional responsibilities for the company's Mountain Collection of properties in Aspen, Vail, Telluride and Snowmass. Before joining the company, Bova had a successful career with Marriott Hotels in key sales and marketing positions.

Jim Pavisha is responsible for all major capital projects, due diligence, renovations and development of long-term capital plans and strategies for Destination properties, as well as providing support to the ongoing replacement reserve and facilities management programs for each location.

Pavisha joined the company in 1994 at its Sunriver Resort project, overseeing an ambitious and highly successful development program that included a resort, airport, real estate, utility companies and residential development. He then moved to the corporate office in 1997. Prior to joining Destination, he was a project executive with The Ritz-Carlton Hotels, overseeing development and construction of Mauna Lani, Hawaii and Kapalua, Maui. Before working in Hawaii, Pavisha worked in the mountains of Colorado as an original member of the development team and was executive vice president of Keystone Resort. He was also president of Aspen Hospitality Services and initiated the development of The Ritz Carlton, Aspen.