AJ Bownas
CSI DMS promoted Bownas to general manager of CSI Washington D.C. The England native recently served as director of event management for CSI DMC headquarters. His dream to become a professional soccer coach transitioned to the events industry after he moved to the United States. When Bownas began, he planned government meetings for eight years and then spent another three producing fundraising galas and international trade missions.
Eric Manning
Manning returned to InterContinental Hotels Group as director of sales and marketing for InterContinental San Diego. Most recently, he was the director of sales and marketing for Omni Hotels & Resorts in San Diego. Manning’s career began in 2003, when he served as sales manager for Evans Hotels, and later at Kimpton Solamar in San Diego.
Steven Szenasi
Szenasi is now general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona, just north of Tucson. He began at The Ritz Dove Mountain in 2016 as director of operations. Prior to Arizona, Szenasi served as director of meetings and special events, and later, director of sales and catering, for The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel in California. Under his operational leadership, the property was named one of the eight most luxurious hotel and spa offerings in the world by Forbes Travel Guide in 2018.
Drew Squeglia
Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) named Squeglia director of global sales for the Mid-Atlantic region; he’ll be based out of Washington D.C. Before joining ALHI, he was national sales manager for Pebble Beach Company in California and account director for Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ global sales office.
Michel Gabbud
Gabbud has been promoted to general manager of Charmant Hotel in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where he served as director of food and beverage for two years. He previously worked at Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, where he worked as restaurant director for Sixteen, a two-star Michelin restaurant. Gabbud also held leadership positions at Park Hyatt Beijing, Sofitel Chicago, Four Seasons Hotel Chicago and Centerplate, a food and beverage corporation.
Jessica Tankersley
Tankersley was named event services manager for Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa & Convention Center in Branson, Missouri. Prior to this, she served as marketing and sales representative at OMG! Marketing in Branson. She’s interned at several companies, including Divine Events, LLC; Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce in Missouri; and the marketing department at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, which is also where she graduated with a degree in organizational and strategic communication.
Audrey Hardy-Lenhart, CSEP
The Elizabeth Hotel in Fort Collins, Colorado, named Lenhart director of sales and marketing. She was recently the director of sales and marketing for River Terrace Inn, A Noble House Hotel and Resort, in Napa, California. Lenhart is a member of International Special Events Society, International Live Events Association and Meeting Planner International.
