Class of 2007

Priscilla is the Director of Business Development for PRA Business Events. Priscilla found her passion for corporate events while attending Niagara University earning a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel/ Restaurant Management. Priscilla has a demonstrated history of working in the hospitality industry skilled in catering, the hospitality industry, event management and property management systems.

Class of 2019

Sarah is currently coming up on her 2 year mark with American Niagara Hospitality. She first started as a Sales Coordinator and quickly rose up the ranks to Sales Manager. Niagara University graduate with a dual degree in Tourism-Destination Management and Event & Meeting Management. She is an experienced hospitality professional with an extensive background in all aspects of the industry including food and beverage, restaurant and sports management, tourism, event planning and sales.

Class of 1986

Maureen is the Executive Director of the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA). She previously worked as an Administrative Assistant for the Conference & Visitors Bureau of Montgomery County, Maryland, Lead Barista for Starbucks, Convention Services Manager for the Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association, and Events Director for the League of American Bicyclists.

Class of 2018

Amanda currently upholds the title as an Inside Sales Account Executive at Toast. Amanda graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Her career has taken her through many avenues within the hospitality industry both within the United States and abroad gaining experience in hotels, restaurants, country clubs, resorts, spa, and family entertainment. Amanda has 10+ years experience in food and beverage, event management, operations, and she is currently pursuing her passion for sales.

Class of 1986

Tracey is currently the Director of Destination Development at the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection. With over 30 + years of experience in the hospitality and tourism industry, Tracey has expertise in meeting and group sales for destinations. Tracey is skilled at networking and building relations and hospitality is a passion of hers. Tracey graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences and a minor in Tourism.

Class of 2021

Emma joined Visit Buffalo Niagara post-graduation in 2021, following her post-graduate internship as an Events Services Intern with Ingram Micro. She is inspired by the expanding tourism industry as well as the exciting world of conventions and events. Emma graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism-Destination Management and a minor in Spanish.

Class of 1984

For almost thirty years, Dr. Deborah T. Curtis has been a highly acclaimed leader in the hospitality industry. Her hotel industry experience ranges from ownership of a 60-room property to Director of Sales and Marketing at a 500-room Hilton to National Sales Director with a Convention and Visitors Bureau. Dr. Curtis has a passion for helping individuals and organizations succeed utilizing her extensive hospitality and international experience. Dr. Curtis works with experts to deliver effective, integrative, real-world training. In her role as an Associate Professor for the College of Hospitality, Sport, and Tourism Management, she specializes in teaching students about hotel, restaurant, and club management.

Class of 1982

Theresa is a Senior Manager at Melbourne Convention Bureau, a company working with North American based associations to bring global events to Melbourne, Australia. For over 30 years, Theresa has been helping associations and nonprofits fulfill their missions globally through engaging events-both in person and virtual. She is an expert in the business of associations having been actively working in this sector since the early 1980's. Theresa is very adapted to building markets from the ground up and her success has been in hotel sales, technology/learning sales, and global business development/global meeting development and virtual meetings.

Class of 2017

Rachel joined American Niagara Hospitality in February as Rooms Controller. She was previously with Hamister Group, LLC for over 5 years, serving a multitude of roles, including Director of Sales and General Manager. In April of 2022, Rachel was an Athena Young Professional Award finalist. Rachel graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Hospitality Administration/ Management.

Class of 2022

Mary currently upholds the position of Operations Coordinator at Beyond Times Square. In 2022, Mary graduated from Niagara University with a double major in Tourism Destination Management and Event Planning and earned a minor in French. Throughout her college career, Mary had experiences in student leadership, mentoring, and peer tutoring. She served as the president of the Hospitality and Tourism Association, received the Hospitality Code of Professionalism, and was a member of the President's Society where she assisted with the planning and execution of large-scale campus events and acted as a bridge between the student body and the President of the University. In her spare time, Mary has a personal blog called "Travel Tour and Taste", where she writes about her experiences with traveling and learning new skills.

Class of 1976

Mark is currently retired, much less stressed, and happy to be here! His most recent position was Regional General Manager of the SMG/Greater Fort Lauderdale/ Broward County Convention Center. His past positions include Director of Facilities at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and President/General Manager at the Niagara Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau. He enjoys daily collaboration with professional co-workers and clientele in pursuit of the perfect event in their venues. Since graduating, he has learned that nothing comes easy in this life.

Class of 2014

Ashley currently works as a Sustainability Program Manager for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority specializing in Hospitality Event Management and Project Management. Ashley obtained a Bachelor’s degree from Niagara University in Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism. Her specialties consist of communication, customer service, organization, event planning and sustainability focused in sports.

Class of 1994

Wendy is a Marketing Manager specifically for Business Dining at Aramark residing in San Antonio, TX. She is a driven leader with a history of delighting clients by exceeding expectations while maintaining the stewardship of the business. Her areas of expertise include marketing, brand management, catering, sales, social media, restaurant management, and logistics management. She executes on high brand standards and consistently exceeds client satisfaction and financial results. Wendy graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Class of 2013

Stephanie is currently a Sales Account Manager for Topgolf in Nashville, Tennessee. She was previously a Senior Sales Manager at the newly opened Margaritaville Hotel Nashville where she was promoted from catering Sales Manager to Director of Catering. Stephanie graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management: Luxury Hotel Operations in 2013. Stephanie is skilled in many facets such as hospitality, food & beverage, customer service, banquet service and organizational effectiveness.

Class of 2022

Satchel completed his undergraduate degree at Alfred State College obtaining his Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management in 2018. After completing his undergraduate degree, Satchel obtained his master’s degree in Sports Management at Niagara University in 2022. Satchel has experiential opportunities in the sports industry including completing an internship with the Long Island Rough Riders, working as an Operations Assistant for the Long Island Ducks Baseball organization, and completing an internship with Alfred State Intercollegiate Athletics.

Class of 2013

For almost a year, Kourtney has upheld her new position as the Director of the new Visitor Economy Management office for the Seneca Nation. Kortney has been chosen to manage this new office working out of the Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center at the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum. Kourtney is an enthusiastic and dedicated hospitality professional with a strong demonstrated background in restaurant management. She has developed skills in organization, planning and development, training, communications and leadership. Kourtney is currently specializing in Visitor Economy and Tourism. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree from Niagara University focused in Restaurant Management and a minor in Sociology.

Class of 2015

Brandon O’Connor currently serves as Managing Partnerships for ATPCO. Throughout his career, he has gained experience working within the airline and technology industries. During his time at Niagara, Brandon received a dual degree in Tourism Management and International Tourism Management. He then went on to earn his MBA from Niagara University, while working for Delta Air Lines. Brandon has highly accredited skills such as hospitality, customer service, tourism, problem solving, and social networking.

Class of 1975

John has 40+ years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. Prior to becoming President/CEO of Visit Erie, John was Vice President of Tourism Development for the Buffalo Convention and Visitors Bureau then became Director of Marketing and Sales for the Niagara Falls Convention and Civic Center. John graduated Niagara University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Travel and Tourism.

Class of 2003

Louis currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia where he is the Vice President of Food & Beverage for Herschend Family Entertainment. Louis has experience in several facets of the industry including theme parks, arenas, hotels, and specialty retail. Louis is a motivational leader with a hands-on style. He is highly analytical, strategic and detail-oriented. Louis is consistently leading high-volume, complex and high quality operations from quick serve facilities and concessions to white tablecloth environments and specialty grocery retail.

Class of 2014

Jordan is the Assistant Director of Sales at American Niagara Hospitality overseeing multiple properties with a demonstrated history of working in the hospitality industry. Jordan is skilled in convention and meeting sales & catering, customer service, marketing, ecommerce, social media, reputation management, event planning, website management, copyright and Microsoft Excel. She is a strong sales and marketing professional with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) focused in Business, Management and Marketing, and Accounting Experience from Niagara University.

Class of 2017

Heather is the Manager of Donor and Scholarship Engagement at Niagara University. She specializes in development, events, fundraising, and community relations. Heather graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. Heather has a variety of experience in community relations, donor relations, and strives in giving back to the communities that we call home.

Class of 2015

Kaitlin is the Assistant General Manager at The DoubleTree by Hilton Niagara Falls where she oversees and leads a team of 150+ employees. Kaitlin graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and Tourism Marketing. She is a hospitality professional currently pursuing her career within hotel/resort operations. Kaitlin has a passion for what she does, and her work experiences range all over and in many different parts of the United States! Kaitlin loves new adventures and is always up for a new challenge.

Class of 2006

After Daniel graduated Niagara University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Planning and Control, Daniel went on to gain a variety of experience in the hospitality industry in many parts of the United States. Daniel’s current position is General Manager of the Sheraton at the Falls. He has gained multitudes of specialties including recruiting, billing, coaching and training, Union knowledge general management, microcomputers, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office XP, payroll processing, PBX, presentation skills and scheduling.

Class of 2007

Ryan joined PCA-Cleveland as Partnership Manager in 2018. As Partnership Manager, Ryan was responsible for prospecting, qualifying, developing and closing partnership opportunities in the Cleveland area. In 2018, Ryan performed the dual role of Partnership Manager while also maintaining a strong board presence. He has also managed multiple events for the Chapter. In 2019, Ryan was promoted to Partnership and Development Manager. Ryan graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. Ryan is a servant leader through sports, a life-long learner, people connector and a positivity spreader.

Class of 2018

Jennifer is currently the Catering Sales Manager at Buffalo Marriott Harborcenter. She graduated from Niagara University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. During her time at Niagara, Jennifer was a part of the Student Chapter for Niagara University’s Club Managers Association of America (CMAA). Jennifer has a credited list of former employment and enhanced skills in the hospitality industry such as catering, sales and event management.

Class of 2013

Deanna is the Sales Manager at Buffalo Marriott Harborcenter. Deanna obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Niagara University in Tourism and Recreation Management. Deanna has skills in event management, leadership, event planning, customer service and hotels based on an extensive background of work experience.

Class 2015

Adam is a senior associate at a national hospitality consulting firm called Hotel & Leisure Advisors where he specializes as a Hospitality/Leisure Consultant and Appraiser. Adam has a demonstrated history of working in the hospitality and leisure industries. He enhanced his skills in real estate due diligence, feasibility studies, commercial appraisals, financial analysis, hotel management, and client interaction. Adam is a graduate of Niagara University obtaining a Bachelor’s degree focused in Hotel Planning, Development and Operations.

Kevin Kreczko brings over 20 years of expertise in sales, marketing, event production, product development, and business operations in the entertainment, hospitality and leisure industries. Prior to joining RWS, he was Vice President, Creative for Lionstone Development where he oversaw the development of innovative hotel brands and activations.