Ronald M. Gebhardt, ’80 BS Hotel Administration, was named publisher of Resorts & Great Hotels, which is now in its 20th year. With a distribution of 400,000, it is Borders’ top-selling travel guide. It features 270 of the world’s finest hotels and resorts. He has more than 20 years of experience in luxury hotel and resort sales and marketing. A certified hospitality sales professional, he served as an associate professor in hotel/resort management at Collin County Community College in Texas. He lives in Winter Park, Fla.
Lois Skripnik Grosser, ’80 Bachelor of Fine Arts, owns her own fine arts and graphic design group, the Blue Diamond Design Group, in Rochester, N.Y. She has a son, two daughters, and five granddaughters. Her hobbies include ceramic jewelry design, golf, and photography. She says she is enjoying single life.
David Patterson, ’81 BS Hotel Administration, is director of sales at Palm Mountain Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, Calif. He received the award for outstanding sales person for 2005 from the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority. In Palm Springs he has worked for the Spa Hotel, Palm Springs Hilton, and Gene Autry Hotel. Previously, he worked at the Westin Edmonton, the Sheraton Landmark Vancouver, and the Empress Hotel. His hobbies include detailing his car, antiquing, maintaining an English garden, and playing with his Shih Tzus. He and his wife, Madelene, have been married 14 years.
Don Ehehalt, ’83 BS Hotel Administration, is a casino host at the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino. He previously spent 16 years working for Four Seasons Hotels.
John A. Gravina, ’83 Hotel Management, is a lawyer in Tucson. He is married with three children. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, gambling, reading, and participating in family events. He attended UNLV for a year as part of a national student-exchange program.
Vida Chow, ’86 BS Hotel Administration, is director of human resources for the Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong. Her hobbies include yoga.
Michael Hazard, ’86 BS Hotel Administration, is a chef in an 1800s artist colony. He lives in Malta, N.Y.
Gary Rehaut, ’86 BS Hotel Administration, is the director of food and beverage at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. Previously, he was the director of food and beverage at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. He was executive chef when that property opened. He lives in Ellicott City.
Ed Conway, ’88 MS Hotel Administration, is general manager of Sedona Rouge Hotel and Casino. He and his wife, Julia, also own a boutique hotel and spa. In 2000, he opened Greenhorn Creek Resort in Angels Camp, Calif. The couple has two boys: Steven, 11, and Alex, 5. They live in Sedona, Ariz.
Sandy Esterbrooks Hanshaw, ’88 BS Hotel Administration, is a national sales manager at the Omni San Diego Hotel. She received the group sales executive of the year award for Omni Hotels based on her overall sales achievement and community involvement.
Paula Eylar, ’89 BS Hotel Administration, ’97 MBA, is vice president of internal audit for Boyd Gaming Corp., which owns and manages 19 gaming entertainment properties in six states. She has two boys: Ryan, 12, and Aaron, 11.
Janet Foley, ’89 BS Hotel Administration, is a furniture, fixture, and equipment purchasing manager for the Procaccianti Group based in Cranston, R.I. She coordinates purchases for renovation projects for existing hotels and new acquisitions for the company’s major hotels. She previously spent three months volunteering in Nepal. She and fellow alumna Sheema Kalianpur Vohra, ’87 BS Hotel Administration, hope to open a café in the Himalayan foothills. They also hope to bring more American tourists to India through a tour operation called Connexions. She lives in Quincy, Mass.
