Kinseth Annual Leadership Conference Takes Place

 

Annual Leadership Conference Takes Place

Kinseth's Annual Leadership Conference took place February 27 - March 1, 2022, at the West Des Moines Marriott hotel. Hotel General Managers, Directors of Sales, and corporate management came back together in person and participated in Kinseth training sessions, motivational speakers, team building activities, and most notably, the Annual Awards Ceremony. New this year included a Master Chef competition between three Kinseth property Executive Chefs (Chad Tomlinson from West Des Moines Marriott, Brian Friedman from Homewood Suites and Vue Rooftop Dillon, and Cameron Jones from Hilton Garden Inn and Vue Rooftop Iowa City) and our new Traveling F&B Manager Jason Jackson.  Bringing home the coveted Master Chef Belt was Jackson with his Mini Peach Pound Cakes with a Whiskey Peach Jam. Jackson is pictured with event judges Ben Kinseth, Linda Skinner, Bruce Kinseth, and Les Kinseth. Jackson shared his plans to bring the belt on a 'World Tour'. Browse our gallery of photos below for the Annual Leadership Awards, fun team building activities, and our motivational speaker Holly Hoffman.

Kinseth Service Awards

30 Years of Service Lori Faught GM Best Western Clear Lake 25 Years of Service Connie Schlichting Director of Operations Michelle Schultz Corporate Accounting Manager

20 Years of Service David Brown Director of Operations Chad Goldsmith Corporate Accounting Manager Ben Kinseth Corporate Director of Operations & Asset Management Salvador Martinez F&B Director Radisson, Hampton Inn, and Twelve01 Kitchen and Tap Coralville 15 Years of Service Brandy Smith Branstad GM Hampton Inn & Suites Mason City Rob Wartella Director of Operations Not Pictured:  Amanda Turner Corporate Revenue Manager

10 Years of Service James Evans Director of Operations Melanie Garrison DOS Holiday Inn Wichita DJ Miller GM Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites Omaha Amy Perkins GM Quality Inn Creston Elizabeth Woyt GM Holiday Inn Express & Suites Beaver Dam 5 Years of Service Raelea Bentley Corporate Procurement & Design Coordinator Chris Gurrie GM Hilton Garden Inn and Vue Rooftop Iowa City Harleigh McKee Candlewood Suites LaCrosse April Oehrle Corporate Regional DOS Deb Pittman GM Hampton Inn Hudson Alyssa (Arnold) Schaumann GM Home2 Suites Brookfield Suzy Ridder GM Residence Inn Ankeny and SpringHill Suites Ames Norma Weathermon Corporate Traveling Executive Housekeeper Not Pictured:  Aimee Bacon Corporate Construction Office Bookkeeper Andrea Reinhardt Corporate Human Resources Assistant

Best of 2021 Award Winners

2021 Full Service General Manager of the Year Elliott Rhoad, Holiday Inn Dubuque, IA Full Service General Manager Leadership Award Steve Peters, Marriott West Des Moines, IA Bill Vanderpool, Holiday Inn Council Bluffs, IA Melissa Carr, Hilton Garden Inn Bettendorf, IA Newton Kam, Courtyard Sioux City, IA Lori Faught, Best Western Clear Lake, IA

2021 Extended Stay General Manager of the Year Suzy Ridder, Residence Inn Ankeny, IA Extended Stay General Manager Leadership Award Julia Joiner, TownePlace Suites Minooka, IL Missy (Jackson) Toomer, TownePlace Suites Marion, IA Ben Brantmeier, TownePlace Suites Janesville, WI Theresa Rodgers, TownePlace Suites Dubuque, IA Mollie Bryan, Element Bozeman, MT

2021 Select Stay General Manager of the Year Elizabeth Woyt, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Beaver Dam, WI Select Stay General Manager Leadership Award Amanda Hansen, Hampton Inn & Suites Grafton, WI Lisa Sainburg, Super 8 Menomonie, WI Amy Perkins, Quality Inn Creston, IA Maribel Perez, Tru by Hilton Cheyenne, WY Brandy Smith Branstad, Hampton Inn & Suites Mason City, IA Tammy Fraley, Hampton Inn and Candlewood Suites Kenosha, WI Sidy Diallo, Comfort Inn Davenport, IA Laura Mayer, Hampton Inn Council Bluffs, IA

2021 Food & Beverage Director of the Year Kristina Patton, Hilton Garden Inn and Vue Rooftop Iowa City, IA Food & Beverage Director Leadership Award Brad Faith, Courtyard Columbia, MO Chad Tomlinson, Marriott West Des Moines, IA

2021 Full Service Director of Sales of the Year Miriam Lemke, Hilton Garden Inn Bettendorf, IA Full Service Director of Sales Leadership Award Tasha Tatara, Hilton Garden Inn and Vue Rooftop Iowa City, IA Mandy VanVoorhis, Best Western Clear Lake, IA Tracey Bussan, Holiday Inn Dubuque, IA Valerie Siggers, Hilton Garden Inn Omaha West, NE Dwayne Renfroe, DoubleTree by Hilton Dallas, TX

2021 Extended Stay/Select Stay Director of Sales of the Year Cammie Brandl, Home2 Suites Menomonee Falls, WI Extended Stay/Select Stay Director of Sales Leadership Award Stacy Munk, Element Omaha, NE Amanda Barfknecht, TownePlace Suites Janesville, WI Julia Borchardt, Hampton Inn & Suites & Homewood Suites West Des Moines, IA Roseanna Eubanks, TownePlace Suites Minooka, IL Ty Wright, Residence Inn Lincoln, NE (not pictured) Majlis Seisay, Candlewood Suites Kenosha, WI (not pictured)

Top photo: Les and Bruce Kinseth take reign of Survivor Nicaragua's Holly Hoffman's torch after her motivational presentation (photo credit: Holly Hoffman).  Bottom photos: Teams race to get the fastest times in the Tribal Challenges (Egg & Spoon Race, Quick Cups Stacking, Puzzle, and Cup Stacking Challenges. Once points were awarded, top two teams moved on to the Fire Making Challenge. Team Mogo Mogo (consisting of Karyn Brouilette, Fred Midge, Lindsey Ash, and Charleen Scace) came out on top, building a fire that burned through the twine over a foot above the ground. Annual Leadership Awards Ken & Cyrena Aspire Award Jessica Vanderpool DOS Holiday Inn & Suites, Hampton Inn, and Main Event Catering Council Bluffs, IA Hilton Garden Inn and Vue Rooftop Iowa City    Teamwork Award Elliott Rhoad GM Holiday Inn Dubuque, IA Melissa Carr  GM Hilton Garden Inn Bettendorf, IA Tracey Bussan  DOS Holiday Inn Dubuque, IA Tammy Fraley  GM Hampton Inn & Suites and Candlewood Suites Kenosha, WI June Boyce GM Homewood Suites Milwaukee, WI Elizabeth Woyt  GM Holiday Inn Express & Suites Beaver Dam, WI Ben Brantmeier  GM TownePlace Suites Janesville, WI Carolyne Rogers DOS Tru & SpringHill Suites Cheyenne, WY Kim Merriman GM Fairfield Inn Manhattan, KS Julia Borchardt DOS Hampton Inn & Suites and Homewood Suites West Des Moines, IA Ty Wright  DOS Residence Inn Lincoln, NE Jenny Estell  GM Courtyard Bellevue, NE Laura Mayer  GM Hampton Inn Council Bluffs, IA Megan Maturano  GM Element Omaha, NE Suzy Ridder  GM Residence Inn Ankeny, IA Brandy Smith Branstad  GM Hampton Inn & Suites Mason City, IA Peggy Dominique  GM Courtyard Lafayette, LA Matthew Robinson  Corporate Travel Team Doug Sinclair  Corporate Travel Team Heather Shull  GM Holiday Inn & Suites Overland Park, KS Julie McDonald  Corporate Travel Team Nicholas Torcivia  DOS Hampton Inn & Suites Kenosha Emily Hafermann Wasshausen DOS Hampton Inn & Suites Hudson, WI    F&B Director Financial Management Award Annual Profit From Operations > 105% of Budgeted NOI Kristina Patton  Vue Rooftop Iowa City, IA Chad Tomlinson  Marriott West Des Moines, IA Brad Faith Courtyard Columbia, MO Melissa Carr  Hilton Garden Inn Bettendorf, IA    F&B Director Financial Management Award Annual Profit From Operations > 105% of Budgeted NOI Rob Rausa  Tru Brookfield, WI Fred Midge  Tru Duluth, MN Ben Brantmeier TownePlace Suites Janesville, WI Missy (Jackson) Toomer TownePlace Suites Marion, IA Lisa Sainburg  Super 8 Menomonie, WI Valerie Isbell  Candlewood Suites LaCrosse, WI Julia Joiner  TownePlace Suites Minooka, IL Mia Berman  TownePlace Suites Grafton, WI Amy Perkins  Quality Inn Creston, IA Elliott Rhoad  Holiday Inn Dubuque, IA Ealana Roling  Hampton Inn Dubuque, IA Theresa Rodgers  TownePlace Suites Dubuque, IA Sidy Diallo  Comfort Inn Davenport, IA Karyn Brouilette  Holiday Inn Express & Suites Clinton, IA Maribel Perez  Tru Cheyenne, WY Amanda Hansen  Hampton Inn & Suites Grafton, WI Bill Vanderpool  Holiday Inn & Suites Council Bluffs, IA Kim Merriman  Fairfield Inn Manhattan, KS Debra Kendall  Country Inn & Suites Cedar Rapids, IA Bethany Metke  Hampton Inn & Suites Minooka, IL Laura Mayer  Hampton Inn Council Bluffs, IA Mollie Bryan  Element Bozeman, MT Elizabeth Woyt  Holiday Inn Express & Suites Beaver Dam, WI Newton Kam  Courtyard Sioux City, IA Michael Wilson  Element Iowa City, IA Nick Goettl  SpringHill Suites Cheyenne, WY Melissa Carr  Hilton Garden Inn Bettendorf, IA Brandon Andersen  Holiday Inn Rock Island, IL  Quality Excellence Hilton Garden Inn Iowa City, IA (Top 7%) Hampton Inn & Suites Hudson, WI (Top 9%) Homewood Suites Milwaukee, WI (Top 16%) Hilton Garden Inn Bettendorf, IA (Top 21%) Marriott West Des Moines, IA (Top 4%) TownePlace Suites Minooka, IL (Top 4%) Residence Inn Lincoln, NE (Top 4%) TownePlace Suites Middleton, WI (Top 4%) TownePlace Suites Janesville, WI (Top 5%) Residence Inn Ankeny, IA (Top 6%) TownePlace Suites West Bend, WI (Top 7%) Element Bozeman, MT (Top 7%) Courtyard Sioux City, IA (Top 8%) Element  Iowa City, IA (Top 16%) Courtyard  Houma, LA (Top 17%) TownePlace Suites  Dubuque, IA (Top 18%) Staybridge Suites  Coralville, IA (Top 5%) avid by IHG  Monona, WI (Top 6%) Holiday Inn Express  Beaver Dam, WI (Top 8%) Holiday Inn Express  West Des Moines, IA (Top 9%) Holiday Inn  Wichita, KS (Top 20%) Quality Inn  Creston, IA (Top 19%) Country Inn & Suites  St. Charles, MO (Top 2%)    Excellence in Sales/Marketing Full Service DOS - 105% over Budgeted Revenue for Catering Sales & LNR & Group Rooms Miriam Lemke Hilton Garden Inn Bettendorf, IA Tasha Tatara Hilton Garden Inn Iowa City, IA Mandy VanVoorhis Best Western Clear Lake, IA    Extended Stay DOS/GM - Total Revenue at 105% over 2021 Budget and 105% over 2019 Actuals Roseanna Eubanks TownePlace Suites Minooka, IL Mollie Bryan Element Bozeman, MT Amanda Barfknecht TownePlace Suites Janesville, WI Missy (Jackson) Toomer TownePlace Suites Marion, IA Theresa Rodgers TownePlace Suites Dubuque, IA Harleigh McKee Candlewood Suites LaCrosse, WI Majlis Seisay Candlewood Suites Kenosha, WI Carolyne Rogers Tru & SpringHill Suites Cheyenne, WY    Select Stay DOS/GM - LNR & Group Rooms at 105% over Budget and 105% over 2019 Actuals Debra Kendall Country Inn & Suites Cedar Rapids, IA Elizabeth Woyt Holiday Inn Express & Suites Beaver Dam, WI Brandy Smith Branstad Hampton Inn & Suites Mason City, IA      F&B Sales and Marketing Award Kristina Patton Vue Rooftop Iowa City, IA Lonnie Payne Bennigan's Urbandale, IA Charleen Scace River Rock/Bennigan's on the Fly Dubuque, IA    GM Sales and Marketing Award Greg Fontanini  Holiday Inn & Suites Urbandale, IA Chris Gurrie  Hilton Garden Inn & Vue Rooftop Iowa City, IA Elliott Rhoad  Holiday Inn Dubuque, IA Melissa Carr  Hilton Garden Inn Bettendorf, IA Renato Cojanu  DoubleTree Dallas, TX Heather Shull  Holiday Inn & Suites Overland Park, KS Karyn Brouilette  Holiday Inn Express & Suites Clinton, IA Missy (Jackson) Toomer TownePlace Suites Marion, IA Amy Perkins  Quality Inn Creston, IA Lori Faught  Best Western Clear Lake, IA Brandy Smith Branstad  Hampton Inn & Suites Mason City, IA Elizabeth Woyt  Holiday Inn Express & Suites Beaver Dam, WI Ben Brantmeier  TownePlace Suites Janesville, WI