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KNOEBEL

NEWS

FALL 2017 Fall 2017 | Knoebel News

TABLE OF

FROM THE DIRECTOR

CONTENTS From the Director

In Memoriam

Knoebel Awards

Welcome to the team

New Curriculum

Rebranding the School

Tour del Piemonte

Featured Alumni

Alumni Updates

As I write, I reflect on my 10 years as the director of the Fritz Knoebel School and our most recent set of 2017 graduates, who will be missed greatly. They’ve performed at a very high level, with a pair taking first place at the Hotel Asset Managers’ Association student competition and another winning the best undergraduate paper award at the 3rd Annual International Tourism and Hospitality Conference in Hong Kong. These awards are testimony to the quality of the talent that arrives on campus each fall. At least equally, they are testimony to Fritz Knoebel’s academic rigor, the quality of our faculty, and the preparation our curriculum provides. It is no wonder that our school is the most internationally awarded hospitality program in the world over the last five years. I hope that you as alumni and friends of the school take as much pride in these accomplishments as our faculty and staff team takes. I must thank all those in the Fritz Knoebel community who provided financial support to the school over the last academic year. Your generous gifts enable us to create extraordinary, even life changing learning opportunities for our students, some of which you will learn about in this issue. I realize it has been a bit longer than usual between issues of Knoebel News. I hope as you read through this issue you will see why our team is so proud to share it with you. It is a bit longer than usual and includes several features, including the public unveiling of the new curriculum we rolled out last fall for all our students, and our new branding. You’ll also learn about our new educational tour of Piedmont, Italy, and about some of our alumni. I would be remiss if I did not mention that we lost two distinguished alumni since 2017 began. Both of these men will be missed by those who knew them. John Farquharson (BSBA 1960) died on January 13, and will be remembered as an industry icon. John spent 40 years with Aramark, moving through the ranks to eventually spend 15 years as president of the company’s education division. John was honored with DU’s Distinguished Service to the University award in 1989, served as president of the National Restaurant Association and was chair and a trustee of the association’s Education Foundation. Jimmy Philopoulos (BSBA 1974), who simply bled crimson and gold, died on March 17. He was a great fan and benefactor of DU Athletics and Fritz Knoebel. Jimmy ran several family restaurants and was involved in the Radisson Boston (now The Revere), which his family operated, for many years until its sale in 2012. He was an unbelievable lover of life and one of the most generous people I knew. He was a great friend and supporter of mine and cared deeply about the Fritz Knoebel School and DU. It is still hard for me to believe Jimmy is gone. I wish you all good health and the enjoyment of your friends and families. In the spirit of hospitality,

Knoebel News | Fall 2017

IN MEMORIAM Our café concept, Beans, which although student-managed reported up through Eric, didn’t exist 10 years ago, grew to two units this past spring and we will add a third unit this fall. Eric led his team with the philosophy that Fritz Knoebel Events should not be a reflection of how industry operates. Rather, it should teach students what is possible. The students who had the good fortune to work closely with Eric in our operations learned so much from him. The students in Eric’s food and beverage (F&B) classes were equally fortunate. They had the opportunity to learn from someone who was terrifically passionate about education, teaching and learning. Eric taught a variety of F&B courses and was always working to improve them. He never relied only on his past experience to do so—Eric was constantly learning himself. In addition to the PhD he earned in the Morgridge College of Education in 2016, Eric earned several wine/beverage certifications over the last several years. As we were about to go to press on this issue of Knoebel News, the school suffered a huge, unbelievably surprising loss. Eric Lane, who was the Senior Director of Operations for Fritz Knoebel Events—our meeting and event business, died suddenly on August 13. Eric oversaw operations beginning with the opening of our fabulous building, the Joy Burns Center, back in 2006. In addition to his management role, Eric taught part-time in the program. As a result, he touched the lives of nearly all of our students over the last decade. Eric is survived by his wife Holly and son Gavin. Eric’s contributions to the school were many. His leadership made it possible for Fritz Knoebel Events to grow from an operation that did a little over $500K in top line revenue its first year to having exceeded $1.1M each of the last four years. Over the last decade Eric’s team grew the quality of our product and service and provided great learning experiences for the students working in the operation.

All of us who worked or studied with Eric will remember him fondly. We will keep his memory alive by sharing the Eric stories that made us laugh when they occurred and when we retold them while he was alive. Eric appreciated the humor we saw in the things he did and said and would want us to preserve his memory by retelling them now and in the future. For those who wish to help us remember and memorialize Eric, we ask that you direct donations in his memory to our Fund for Beverage Education. For those who were students of Eric’s, Nick Phelps has agreed to extend his pledge to match gifts made by young alumni to gifts made to this fund in Eric’s memory. I hope you will join my colleagues and me by giving generously and extending Eric’s legacy. For more information on how to give, contact Carole Bellfi at carole.bellfi@du.edu.

Fall 2017 | Knoebel News

THE MOST AWARDED FACULTY

IN HOSPITALITY EDUCATION 2017 W. Bradford Wiley Memorial Research Award International Council on Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Education (ICHRIE) Awarded to Karen Xie, PhD

Best Paper Award International Hospitality Information and Technology Association (IHITA) Awarded to Karen Xie, PhD

Best Undergraduate Research Paper HONG KONG 2017: Global Tourism and Hospitality Conference Malia Bacig Thesis Advisor: Cheri Young, PhD

Best Paper Award HONG KONG 2017: Global Hospitality and Tourism Conference Awarded to Karen Xie, PhD

Winners â€“ Student Competition Hotel Asset Managers Association (HAMA) Danielle Pastier and Sierra Teply

2016 The McCool Breakthrough Award International Council on Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Education (ICHRIE) Awarded for the schoolâ€™s challenge-driven learning curriculum that includes cross-course collaborations and meaningful service learning.

C. Thomas Howard Award for Innovative Teaching Daniels College of Business Awarded to Cheri Young, PhD for her work incorporating refugee mentorship into her course and encouraging colleagues to partner through their courses.

Best Paper Award West Federation CHRIE Regional Conference Awarded to Karen Xie, PhD

2015 John Wiley & Sons Award for Best Presentation Award Innovative Teaching International Hospitality Information ICHRIE Technology Association (iHITA) Awarded to Cheri Young, PhD for Annual Research Conference the refugee mentorship program Awarded to Karen Xie, PhD embedded in her course, Managing Human Capital in Hospitality

Keynote Speaker International Revenue Management and Pricing Conference H.G. Parsa, PhD

Emerald Literati Network Award for Excellence Awarded to Karen Xie, PhD

2014 Best Educational Innovation Worldwide Hospitality Awards Awarded for the school's work with the refugee community and for modeling corporate social responsibility for students

Best Case Research Awards International CHRIE Awarded to H.G. Parsa, PhD

Best Paper Award International CHRIE Awarded to Amrik Singh, PhD

2013

2012

Michael D. Olsen Research Excellence Award 18th Graduate Conference on Hospitality and Tourism Awarded to H.G. Parsa, PhD

John Wiley & Sons Award for Lifetime Achievement in Research ICHRIE Awarded H.G. Parsa, PhD for the body of scholarship he has produced throughout his career

Knoebel News | Fall 2017

WELCOME

TO THE TEAM Anthony Cherwinsky brings years of experience working in refugee resettlement. Originally from Michigan, he moved to Denver in 2009 after graduating with a political science degree from the University of Michigan. Shortly thereafter, Cherwinsky and his wife relocated to Mongolia to serve in the Peace Corps. There, he first became exposed to working with an international population on various social issues. As a community youth developer, his biggest initiative was starting an NGO with the local government to help youth with disabilities. After coming back to Denver, Cherwinsky secured a position with the Ethiopian Community Development Council’s African Community Center (ACC). The ACC is the refugee resettlement agency with which Fritz Knoebel has partnered for six years on a food service-focused refugee training program that has received national and international recognition. The program is now called Ready for American Hospitality (RAH). Cherwinsky recalls his time at the ACC as being truly amazing and describes refugees as very special people who have gone through trials and difficulties few can imagine or relate to.

Anthony Cherwinsky Program Director, Ready for American Hospitality

As a result of a highly successful fundraising effort to support RAH, Fritz Knoebel was able to bring Cherwinsky on to its team in fall 2016; since that time he has managed RAH under DU’s umbrella, but still in partnership with the ACC. He admits that working as a DU team member has helped grow the program tremendously. Whereas before, the focus was on figuring out ways to keep the program in existence, now the main goal is its development.

In the RAH class, refugees learn about food safety, acculturation, integration and job readiness for the U.S. job market. One of the biggest challenges Cherwinsky has encountered while running the program is bridging the gap between refugees and the U.S. workforce. RAH is meant to address this gap while also teaching Fritz Knoebel students about working with a diverse workforce. As a result, both refugees and hospitality students feel empowered and more prepared to enter the workforce. This collaboration has been highly successful, with an 86 percent employment rate for refugees over its six years. For Fritz Knoebel students, it is unparalleled preparation for managing the workforce they will encounter in the hospitality industry. During his time at Fritz Knoebel, Cherwinsky hopes to conduct studies that record and measure refugees’ empowerment as a result of being in the program; he wants to harness refugees’ experiences in a quantifiable way. In addition, he looks forward to enhancing the collaboration between DU and the ACC and setting it as an example for other potential partnerships in the industry.

Fall 2017 | Knoebel News

FRITZ KNOEBEL'S NEW CURRICULUM

In the fall of 2007 the Fritz Knoebel faculty undertook the task of a major curriculum overhaul. The curriculum taught through spring of 2016 was the result of that process and several minor adjustments to the curriculum that emerged and was approved in the spring of 2008. This curriculum represented significant improvement over the past and provided some competitive advantage for the school among its peers. One of the key elements of the revision was the creation of informal areas of focus for students to pursue. The hospitality industry really needed, and still needs, specialists graduating from four year degree programs, people who can add value from day one on the job—even in a management development program. The three focus areas, Lodging/Resorts, Restaurants/Food & Beverage, and Hospitality Sales & Marketing, addressed this end-user need and provided students with a significantly improved education. They also drew on the then current faculty expertise. The intervening years have seen turnover in faculty—only two members of current full-time, tenure track faculty participated in the curriculum revision 10 years ago. Our new team is forward thinking and recognized the opportunity to once again revamp the curriculum, drawing on what we already do well but seeking to meet industry needs in areas that present the greatest opportunities for the career success of our future alumni. A year of discussion internally, including our industry faculty, and with external stakeholders, led to a new curriculum in which students choose from among four formal concentrations. Students declare a concentration by winter of junior year, and the concentration appears on students’ transcripts. The four concentrations are presented below in tabular form, preceded by the core curriculum in the major. The rationale underlying the changes to the core and the concentrations follows and describes these changes. The prefix for all course numbers, unless otherwise specified is now HOSP. HRTM has been officially retired.

HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT CORE CURRICULUM Core Course

Course

Credits

Core Course

Course

Exploring Hospitality

1100

Management Internship

2202

Hospitality Work Experience

1200

Managing Human Capital in Hospitality

2501

Managing a Restaurant Business

2360

Hospitality Cost Management

2502

Hotel & Resort Management

2401

Hospitality Technology & Analytics

2504

Revenue Management

2402

Distinguished Lecture Series

3120

International Experience

2201

Business of the Built Environment

REAL 1700

Total core credits

Credits

HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATIONS Lodging Real Estate

Course

Credits

Hotel Valuation

3601

Advanced Revenue Mgmt.

3402

Hotel Development & Feasibility

3600

Hotel Asset Management

3402

Real Estate Finance

REAL 3307

Business forecasting & visualization

INFO 3200

Hotel Asset Management

3402

HOSP electives

Total concentration credits

HOSP electives

Total concentration credits

Restaurants/Food & Beverage

Revenue Mgmt & Analytics

Course

Credits

Course

Credits

Contemporary Cuisine

2361

Beverage Management or 3300 or 4

Beverage Management

3300

Contemporary Cuisine

2361

Restaurant Concept Development

3360

Hospitality Sales & Marketing

3402

Special Event Management

3506

HOSP electives

Conference Services

Course

Credits

HOSP electives

Total concentration credits

Total credit hours in the major 49

Knoebel News | Fall 2017

CONCENTRATIONS Lodging Real Estate replaced the lodging/resort management focus for a couple of reasons. First, there is a gap in the marketplace for recent grads with this background. The industry has become one in which there are increasing opportunities for lodging real estate analysts. The concentration also leverages Fritz Knoebel’s position in Daniels quite effectively. Second, industry does not want or need for us to teach operations beyond the introductory/core level. Our students acquire the operations knowledge they need most effectively through the work experience and management internship requirements already in our curriculum. Those interested in careers in lodging/resort operations are now best served by a depth of understanding around the management of the hotel as a real estate asset. This skill set is critical for those who aspire to become general managers or move into corporate positions. Thus, this concentration will serve two audiences, those seeking careers on the real estate side of the business and those pursuing lodging/resort operations. The Restaurant/Food & Beverage (F&B) concentration is unchanged from the area of focus in terms of required coursework. The classes already in place were appropriate in concept, though we retooled them, elevating what we deliver in the classroom and how we deliver it. These courses do a terrific job of preparing students for F&B careers. Revenue Management & Analytics is an area we have been discussing for several years and felt ready to launch. We have the faculty expertise among the full-time faculty to effectively deliver on this concentration, drawing one course from the Department of Business Information & Analytics in Daniels. As with the Lodging Real Estate concentration, we want to leverage other units in Daniels rather than duplicate efforts. Students who complete this concentration are among the best-prepared recent graduates in the country for careers that begin in revenue management training positions or with firms like Expedia. Conference Services enables us to prepare students for entry into one of several sub-fields in hospitality: Lodging sales, catering sales, banquets, and conference services. This concentration is already in high demand—we responded to the student demand in the market without risking their employability. This package of concentrations and courses positions Knoebel to take the next step in elevating its quality and reputation. Senior leaders in industry, including but not limited to Fritz Knoebel’s Executive Advisory Board, have all spoken with enthusiasm about this strategic direction and excitement about hiring graduates who come through this new curriculum. Our team has spent significant time and energy developing this iteration in our programmatic development.

COMMENTS ON THE

NEW CURRICULUM "The new curriculum better positions our students to compete in the changing hospitality landscape. Hospitality as a profession is becoming more sophisticated and demanding as it moves beyond the 'elegant general manager of a hotel having cocktails in the afternoon with the guests.' Spending class time to focus exclusively on operations management is yesterday. Today it is about strategy, maximizing profits, and competing in a changing landscape characterized by the sharing economy, mobile technologies, innovative distribution channels, and the pressure of quarterly earnings reports. Our students will now be prepared to reach top level positions at the corporate level, particularly in the field of hotel development." –Cheri A. Young, PhD | Associate Professor

"HOSP 2504 Hospitality Technology and Analytics provides much needed training in hospitality technologies and technology-enabled data analytics to the next generation of hospitality managers. This course surveys diverse aspects of technologies that are making the hospitality industry thrive, including consumer-facing hospitality technologies and in-house systems in support of hospitality operation. In addition, this course introduces sought-after skills of data analytics and visualization for business intelligence, which has been defined as the extensive use of data and statistical analysis to drive decisions and actions in the hospitality industry." –Karen Xie, PhD | Assistant Professor

"With the updated curriculum the students of the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management will continue to be at the forefront of our industry. Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts has had great success with the students of University of Denver and we value that relationship with both them and the University." –Bill Thomas, SPHR, SHRM-SCP | Senior Director of Human Resources, Four Season Hotel Denver

"The curriculum looks great. It is balanced to give students practical and real experience, while being rooted in basic business fundamentals." –Walter Isenberg | President and CEO, Sage Hospitality

Fall 2017 | Knoebel News

THE

REBRANDING SCHOOL 8

Knoebel News | Fall 2017

bout two years ago, the Fritz Knoebel team began the process of examining the brand of our hospitality school. After careful observation and analysis, the team realized that there were many things that needed to change. First, similar to other units at the University of Denver, Fritz Knoebel has been branded in a way that draws more attention to the history of the University rather than emphasizing its future potential. At a time when the most compelling brands are lifestyle brands created for millennials, it was no longer strategic to focus on the past; instead, Fritz Knoebel needed to look for ways to align with the modern hospitality industry. In addition, what distinguished Fritz Knoebel from other hospitality institutions (i.e. its “rubber-to-the-road experience” or the ability to turn students into “pioneering powerhouses who can adapt to any situation in life”) was not strongly conveyed in the existing brand. As a result of these discoveries, the Fritz Knoebel team realized that it needed to create a more coherent, contemporary, and competitive brand presence. Although rebranding any institution’s message, appearance and culture is challenging, that did not stop the Fritz Knoebel team. Together with Peter Yesawich, Jr. (see the feature on page 17), a branding and marketing consultant and alum of the school, they had a vision—to make everyone see Fritz Knoebel in a new light. The new brand was supposed to feel iconoclastic and function to tell a rich story about an elite group of graduates who will leave DU and make a fundamental impact on the hospitality business. They worked on gradually transforming the school to an institution that can demonstrate how it aligns with the same values it presents to its students and faculty every day. Furthermore, with this new strategic and creative leap, the hope was that Fritz Knoebel will be better equipped to steal marketshare from other top programs across the country. The rebranding was inclusive of all stakeholders, including the advisory board, faculty, alumni, current students, industry, and the Fritz Knoebel team. The process resulted in creative work that had

to be shared and approved by the College’s communications and marketing team, the Dean and others at the University level. Throughout this process it became clear that Daniels was heading in a similar rebranding direction. From that point forward, in order to create a branded house and not a house of brands, the Fritz Knoebel team was in close contact with the Daniels consultants. This was necessary to link the rebranding work that was being done at Daniels to the one being done at Fritz Knoebel to show that both brands were cohesive, consistent and accretive to the larger University brand. We are proud to share the new Fritz Knoebel brand platform, designed to appeal to prospective students and their parents, and additional information about what makes Fritz Knoebel special on the pages that follow. The following paragraphs are how Fritz is positioning itself in the marketplace to perspective students.

UNLOCKING EXTRAORDINARY The Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management is the place where you can unlock your potential. How do you do it? In extraordinary ways. From the time you contact Fritz you’ll experience a 70-plus year tradition of exceptional devotion to education, service and detail. It’s here, at one of the top hospitality programs in the world, where you’ll obtain the skills, knowledge and power to excel in hospitality. We’re not just producing alumni—we’re pioneering powerhouses who can adapt to any situation in life. At Fritz, learning and growing is embedded in an unrivaled, high-touch environment in which you’ll thrive. Fritz is about accomplishments and experiences you never thought possible. It’s about becoming. We invest in our students, faculty, staff, and community to help you unlock the extraordinary.

WE DON’T COMPETE. WE PIONEER. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE... Fall 2017 | Knoebel News

INDUSTRY Hospitality industry professionals hire Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management graduates for entry-level management positions because our students are experienced, reliable and trusted—they’ve learned from the industry’s best. A team of seasoned and tenured professionals.

Bilbao, food and culture in Paris, complete a Spanish minor in Santiago or Mandarin in Shanghai. Outside the classroom, your immersive international experience will teach you a lot about yourself and the world. Students also have the opportunity to receive travel grants to attend industry trade shows and conferences. Each fall, students travel to New York City for HX: The Hotel Experience, the annual meeting and trade show of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. In winter we head to Los Angeles for Americas Lodging Investment Summit, where many hotel deals are done and the networking opportunities are amazing. Spring quarter a group travels to Chicago for the National Restaurant Show. Finally, students in our Advanced Beverage Management course travel to either Napa or Sonoma Valley for hands-on learning. Trips are chaperoned by faculty and staff and include networking with industry professionals, an itinerary packed with property tours and great meals. Now that’s…Unlocking the Extraordinary.

Now that's... Unlocking the Extraordinary

Our graduates have extensive work experience and have lived abroad so they can begin their careers in full stride to seize new opportunities or act on existing ones.

EDUCATED BY POWERHOUSE INDUSTRY EXPERTS Full-time professors, industry experts and celebrity chefs teach, guide and coach you through memorable learning experiences. You’ll pioneer your way by making real-time decisions when you open a pop-up restaurant, determine the value of a hotel, analyze online review data, or mentor refugees preparing to enter the industry.

STUDENT TRAVEL Learn about yourself in different contexts and cultures when studying abroad. Not only is it fun and a highlight of your education, but it’s also required. Fritz Knoebel students choose from study abroad opportunities around the world. Study art history in

Knoebel News | Fall 2017

STUDENT EXPERIENCE Fritz Knoebel is committed to providing students with unparalleled experiences and providing the resources to help make a DU education possible. Each year the school awards over $300,000 in scholarships above and beyond those awarded by the University and the Daniels College of Business. Students graduate equipped with the

skills and knowledge needed to start their careers in the fast-paced hospitality industry. The rigorous business curriculum provides the foundation, while the ample opportunities for hands-on, industry-focused learning help solidify knowledge. All Fritz Knoebel students are required to complete 1,000 hours of work experience and have an immersive international experience, allowing them to develop as professionals, begin to build a global network, and interact with and learn from others to fully embrace other cultures. Many practice opportunities are offered in the Joy Burns Center, a world-class, 46,000-square-foot living laboratory that is home to Fritz Knoebel. The Joy Burns Center houses classrooms, a commercial production kitchen, a 170-person ballroom built in the style of a Tuscan wine cellar, a student-run coffee shop, and much more. It is a distinctive setting that offers students hands-on experience planning and managing events. Students produce the school’s wine festival, DU Vin, and our annual Public Good Gala; manage two school-owned, Beans coffee shops; and open several pop-up restaurants each year. Fritz students have many extra- and co-curricular opportunities as well, through student memberships

in professional organizations like the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association or HSMAI; by participating in the school’s chapter of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality; or the Ann & David Hoffman LEAD Mentorship Program. Fritz Knoebel students graduate with several industry certifications that affirm their readiness to enter the management ranks. This dedication to developing students equipped to succeed in the global, ever-changing hospitality industry has resulted in exceptional career placement with companies like Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, E&J Gallo, Hillstone Restaurants, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Aramark and many others. Fritz is the only undergraduate unit at DU with its own career fair and the school’s career development activities ensure students are ready to succeed in securing work experience, internships and permanent placements prior to graduation. Beginning in the fall you will be able to purchase Fritz Knoebel swag to proudly display your personal affiliation with the school. Watch for a live link on the school website to order: daniels.du.edu/hospitality-management/

Fall 2017 | Knoebel News

TOUR DEL PIEMONTE “

As many of you know, the school regularly participates in the Banfi Scholastic Tour of Italy. This incredible experience was, at one time, an annual one, in which two students and a faculty member participated. The learning about Italian wine, food and culture it produces is phenomenal. Unfortunately, the trip now occurs on a less regular basis and its absence in the off years left a huge gap in our portfolio of learning opportunities. Thanks to the generosity of Jon (BSBA 1997) and Megan Schlegel, who have a wine importing business and a property in Piemonte, we now fill those gap years in with a trip that is exclusively our own, Fritz Knoebel’s Tour del Piemonte. The inaugural, week-long trip began in late November, 2016. Two seniors, Malia Bacig and Sonya Raab, traveled with Jon and me on an educational journey of a lifetime. Please read on for reflections each of my fellow travelers wrote about the experience.

”

- David Corsun

Malia Bacig Italy is a striking country. I had the opportunity to travel to Piedmont, a region in Northern Italy, for a week with Sonya Raab, David Corsutn, and Jon Schlegel. We spent the majority of our time in a small town called Monforte d’Alba. Monforte d’Alba is located in the Barolo region of Piedmont. Barolo wines were the focus of the trip. I have always been interested in wine and wine making, but this trip helped me to infinitely expand my wine knowledge and grow my passion for wine. Wine is a beautifully complicated product that is often made by incredibly impassioned people. The people I met during our week in Italy made a lasting impression on me.

Jon about the town and the latest news. Sonya and I did not speak much Italian and she did not speak any English, but she treated us with such kindness and generosity. When we left, she gave us both a hug and a kiss on the cheek. It was apparent that she truly loved sharing the moment with us and genuinely wanted us to enjoy our experience at their home. It was a very special few hours filled with great wine and cheese. Wine, the focus of this trip, is very complicated, yet strikingly simple. I learned so much throughout the trip. We toured many different wineries and had the opportunity to see the various steps involved in making wine. Touring wineries was a very valuable experience. I am a visual learner and being able to see the different steps required to make wine was very helpful. It was also incredible to see the different scales of production at the various wineries we toured. Learning how to taste wine was also a huge part of the trip. I did not have a comprehensive understanding of how to taste wine before our week in Italy. Many different aspects of a wine can be identified through a tasting. It takes an incredible amount of practice to learn how to identify the various characteristics of a wine through blind tasting; it will take many years to learn how to master wine tasting. One of my favorite moments of the trip was when Jon was able to guess the vintage of a wine without knowing anything other than the wine producer. That was the same day we tasted 40 different wines!

"People who are excited about life and love their work fuel me."

People who are excited about life and love their work fuel me. Every single person we met was passionate about his or her work. Countless individuals opened up their homes and shared their love for life, food, wine, and Italy. It is apparent that Jon has spent a significant amount of time fostering meaningful and deep relationships. I feel extremely lucky to have been exposed to and experienced some of those relationships. We toured Renzo Seghesio’s winery in Monforte d’Alba and had the opportunity to meet him and his wife. His wife made a huge impression on me. We sat down for our tasting and she brought us two different kinds of cheese and fresh breadsticks. She sat with us the entire tasting while commenting on the wines in Italian and speaking with

Knoebel News | Fall 2017

It is important to note, however, that this trip was so much more than learning about wine. I think this trip helped me to realize the kind of life I want to achieve. I want a life with rich relationships, unbelievable food, flavorful wine, and passion. A perfect example of this is Elisa. We met Elisa at Conterno Fantino. She helps her family with the production of wine at the winery and welcomes visitors and tours. However, she also lives in the Alps for part of

the year and makes cheese and runs a bed and breakfast. We went to dinner with Elisa and were served ravioli made with her cheese! It was an incredible moment. She had no idea her cheese was being used or served, but was so incredibly humble about the moment. Elisa is passionate about her work and focuses her life on making high quality products that she is humbly proud of. This trip taught me a lot about my life, my future goals, and myself. David, Jon, and Sonya were amazing travel companions and our conversations were valuable and thought provoking. Barolo will always hold a special place in my heart and I cannot wait to return.

Sonya Raab Over winter break, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Piedmont, Italy with David Corsun, Jon Schlegel, and Malia Bacig. We spent a week studying and tasting the amazing wines of northern Italy, trying Barolos, Barbarescos, Nebbiolos, Barberas, and Dolcettos. Each day, we visited 2-4 wineries and tried 30-40 wines. At each tasting we were given a full tour of the winemaking facilities and often times we were able to meet the winemakers themselves. We learned about the winemaking process from the pruning, to the picking, fermentation, barreling and bottle aging. I learned so much about what it takes to grow and produce wine, and the incredible amount of patience that goes into it. Everyone we met displayed such passion and devotion to their winemaking; it was contagious. Thanks to Jon’s many connections, we were able to try wines of all vintages, including one from 1984. Throughout the week we ate incredible Italian food, and even had the chance to eat at a Michelin restaurant

in a castle. The pounds of pasta consumed were well worth every bite. We happened to be in Piedmont during white truffle season. This was very lucky as we were able to try white truffles on pasta, eggs, and meats. My favorite part of the trip was going white truffle hunting, as this had been a lifelong dream of mine. Although we were skeptical of finding any truffles, with the help of a dog we were able to find three. Aside from the amazing wine and food, I fell in love with the charming town of Monforte D’Alba for many reasons. On clear days we had a panoramic view for miles of the towering Alps and hilly vineyards. The quaint town, which had a population of less than 2,000, had a few fabulous restaurants and stores, and was populated with avid wine producers. A huge thank you to David and Jon for bringing me on this journey and for all the unforgettable memories and lessons.

Jon Schlegel, BSBA in Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management, 1997 I find this area of Italy more and more special each time I go. The food is simple, fresh and delicious…every time. Each year continues to challenge the generations of farmers/families that work every corner of their hectares and continue to make honest, world-renowned, spectacular wine. But it’s the people….the hospitality of each individual…that runs through the blood of Piedmont. It’s just how they’re born and it’s all so inspiring!

SALUTI! Fall 2017 | Knoebel News

FEATURED

ALUMNI

Claudia Alvarado’s career has taken several interesting and unexpected turns. She went from being a premed student during her freshman year in college, to working in human resources and education roles before falling in love with the hospitality field and data analytics. There were many things that CLAUDIA ALVARADO drew her to hospitality. BSBA in Hospitality, 2012 | One of her favorite MS in Business Analytics, 2015 aspects was the surprise factor. Whether operation focused work or research, each day brought new challenges and accomplishments. In addition, there was always something to learn from guests and coworkers. Alvarado gives a lot of credit to the school for preparing her to be successful. The hands-on approach she received via her classes and internship requirements were crucial in helping her get a better understanding of the industry. While at Fritz Knoebel, she discovered her strengths and weaknesses and was able to explore areas within the field she had never considered before, like housekeeping and human resources. After graduation, Alvarado worked as Housekeeping Supervisor at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. Her time at Sheraton contributed to her development as a professional, she learned to appreciate the complexity of running a hotel and what value each associate brought to the company. She was particularly blown away by the passion with which the team in the housekeeping department accomplished daily tasks. After several years in the workforce, Alvarado decided to go back to school and supplement her hospitality experience with an MS in Business Analytics from the Daniels College of Business. Since completing her MS in 2015, Alvarado has worked as a manager in the consulting and analytics department at STR Analytics. In her current role, she engages in research and looks at emerging market trends, oil markets, special events, Airbnb, the Marriott-Starwood merger, OTAs and work conditions in hotels. Her published articles can be found at HotelNewsNow.com. 14

Knoebel News | Fall 2017

While still a student in Fritz Knoebel, Brianna Borin interned and worked for Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, created by alum Jon Schlegel (HRTM 1997). After graduation, Borin began her career with Snooze as an assistant manager. She has worked through a variety of roles over the last nine years as the group has grown within Colorado and expanded BRIANNA BORIN to Texas, Arizona, and BSBA in Hotel, Restaurant & California. Borin is currently the company’s VP of Teaching, Tourism Management, 2009 Leadership and Coaching. Her professional role is well aligned with her support for local businesses and the growth of downtown Denver. Borin was recently recognized for her advocacy work with the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Peter Bowes Award, which recognizes outstanding dedication to public service and leadership. Her initial engagement with the Partnership was through its Downtown Denver Leadership Program back in 2012. Borin was awarded the John Parr Leadership Award and was elected Class Trustee. Her experience in the program drove her deeper involvement through which she sought to have a greater impact on Denver and become more involved in her adopted home (Borin is originally from Cheyenne, WY). This desire to become more involved was realized through the Partnership’s CityBuild program. “CityBuild has a huge impact on young civic leaders and their ability to find a home in civic engagement,” says Borin. “It’s the reason I am as committed to the Partnership as I am because I recognize the tremendous impact the program is making.” In addition to leading the CityBuild initiative, Borin serves on the Partnership’s Denver Civic Ventures Board of Directors and Downtown Denver Leadership Program Alumni Association. Lest you think these activities have prevented Borin from being involved in Fritz Knoebel, they have not. Since graduating, she has served as a panelist on a variety of career development panels for Fritz Knoebel students, participates annually as a mentor in the Ann & David Hoffman LEAD Mentorship Program, and regularly attends other Fritz Knoebel events.

While at DU, Stephen Hennis’ goal was to own and operate his own restaurant. He was focused on a management training position with a growing restaurant chain like Rock Bottom, Beau Jo’s or Boston Market. However, one day in the career center he saw a notice for a company called HVS that was recruiting hospitality majors with an analytical and/or real estate focus for their office in Boulder. Hennis enjoyed data analysis and had also taken electives in the real estate school, so he signed up to interview. He was hired a week later, and his career trajectory from that point on has been in the hotel real estate sector.

STEPHEN HENNIS BSBA in Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management, 1994

When Hennis started at HVS, the company was still in a start-up environment with a highly incentivized compensation program, which provided an opportunity to grow very quickly. The timing was also unique in that Microsoft Windows was just starting to enter the corporate world, and suddenly recent graduates had a large advantage over many senior executives on the computer learning curve. Analyzing hotel real estate became a critical part of Hennis’ career growth as he developed ways to streamline large projects and eventually re-created all of HVS’ analytical models, the core of which are still being used today.

After six years Hennis left HVS to join the acquisitions and development team at Destination Hotels & Resorts. The timing of his move was unfortunate as the hotel industry entered a downturn in early 2001 and the investment environment was fairly dry for the next three years. However, by 2004 he acquired a $400 million fund earmarked for hotel acquisitions. In the subsequent 3 years, he helped finish the fund and additionally acquired several solid assets for Destination like Miramonte Resort and the Driskill Hotel. In 2006, Hennis decided to open his own hotel consulting shop named Hospitium—Latin for hospitality. After a few years on his own, his former boss at HVS proposed starting a consulting arm for STR. Stephen has been leading STR’s consulting and analytics division for over six years. A large part of what he did in this role was research within the hotel and travel industry. Hennis prefers to have fun with research and looks into topics that not many have investigated. Some of his recent work includes the NFL’s impact on hotels, analyzing the impact of Hurricane Matthew, compiling information on haunted hotels and devising quizzes on hotel trivia. His work can be found on HotelNewsNow.com. As we went to press, Hennis announced his departure from HVS Analytics. He is heading back into the consulting world, starting his own firm, Hotelogy.

Fall 2017 | Knoebel News

FEATURED ALUMNI

CONTINUED...

Leigh Hitz enjoyed a 28-year hospitality career prior to her recent retirement. She spent a significant part of her career with Stout Street Hospitality (formerly Magnolia Hotels); Stout Street is a privately held hotel management and development company, creating boutique hotels in beautiful, historic buildings. For the last 27 years Hitz served as the company’s CEO and President. She thoroughly enjoyed designing the physical assets, but, more important, establishing a company culture of passion, loyalty and "fun" for everyone. Hitz led the company through its corporate identity change from Magnolia Hotels to Stout Street Hospitality, and grew it from a single property to its current portfolio of seven hotels under management.

LEIGH HITZ BSBA in Hotel & Restaurant Management, 1984

A native of Aspen, Colo., Hitz grew up in tourism and hospitality. She always knew she would end up in the hotel industry. While at an Outward Bound camp in high school she wrote a single goal in her daily journal: "I plan on being a president of a hotel company." She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver, and also completed the General Managers Program at Cornell University’s Hotel School.

Hitz has been actively engaged in the school for the last 10 years during which she served on the Fritz Knoebel Executive Advisory Board; since winter of 2017 she has also served as the school’s first ever Executive-inResidence (EIR). In 2008, Hitz and her husband Jim established a scholarship fund for female students pursuing a hospitality degree at Fritz Knoebel. Hitz has received recognition in the Denver community as well, having been named a finalist for the Denver Business Journal’s “Business Woman of the Year” award. As the school’s EIR, Hitz mentors students, providing them with guidance as they enter the workforce. She also works with faculty to bring more real world learning opportunities into the classroom in order to make students more prepared for both challenges and opportunities in the industry. This past spring quarter Hitz team-taught a senior level elective, Hospitality Services Management.

PETER YESAWICH, JR. BBSBA in Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management, 2005

Peter Yesawich Jr.’s life after DU has been a wild rollercoaster, taking him on a ride in all sorts of directions. After leaving DU in 2005, he headed to Washington D.C. and joined the hospitality tech startup TIG Global, that was soon after purchased by MICROS. At his first job, he was leading marketing strategy and digital media for hotels like The Venetian in Las Vegas, LXR / Blackstone Hotels & Resorts, The Four Seasons and Marriott International. Throughout his career, Yesawich's knowledge base and affinity towards creativity allowed him to work with some of the largest agencies in the world as a creative director, filmmaker and strategist. The agencies he worked for included Venables, Bell & Partners, TBWA Worldwide, Razorfish, Evolution Bureau, Vitro and Modus Operandi. He was also a consultant for BBH, Arnold Worldwide, KBS and more. Being a creative director, filmmaker and consultant has allowed Yesawich to impact the hospitality world in many different ways while solving serious brand and product problems through creativity. Most recently, Yesawich worked on launching a Colorado-based venture capital incubator and accelerator, which will have hospitality brands connected to it. On April 1, 2017 the doors of Emergent opened with the goal of launching 100 companies within the next 10 years and taking an especially focused view on strategic startups in Colorado.

Yesawich comes from a family that has long played in travel, tourism and hospitality. He is on the road all the time for business and with his clients—many of whom are high-end luxury hospitality clients. Although he understands and appreciates the business, he also realizes that the face of the business is changing rapidly. Yesawich believes that hospitality is ripe for fearless, disruptive leaders with a new vision for innovation and that younger audiences are becoming the most important to hospitality brands. He encourages students who are leaving school to really question conventional thinking, specifically as it refers to real innovation that scares larger and even boutique brands. 16

Knoebel News | Fall 2017

Fall 2017 | Knoebel News

ALUMNI UPDATES 1981

ANGELO STAMBULES joined Davis Hotel Capital as Principal. Prior to joining Davis Hotel Capital, Stambules was VP of Hotel Investments & Capital Markets at Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

1982

GEOFF DAVIS a Fritz Knoebel Executive Advisory Board member, founded Davis Hotel Capital with offices in New York and Denver.

1984

MARK CONDON joined The Ranch Country Club in Westminster, CO as GM.

1987

MARNA KILLIAN joined Checkers & Rally’s in October as the Chief Human Resources Officer.

1992

LAUREN RICCI MIGUEZ joined Hyatt Regency Cincinnati as the Director of Sales and Marketing.

2004

SALLY BRIN was promoted to Area Hotel Manager for Noble House Hotels & Resorts.

2005

JASON DORFMAN was named opening general manager of The Jacquard, Stonebridge Companies’ new Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel in Cherry Creek.

Knoebel News | Fall 2017

2007

ALEX LOMAS joined Marriott as the Director of Marketing and Business Travel. Lomas will be working to launch both the Le Meridien and AC Hotels in downtown Denver this summer.

2008

MEG HELLMUTH left the Park Hyatt Chicago to help open the Park Hyatt St. Kitts as a Sales Manager. Hellmuth continues to be based in Chicago.

2011

CARSON MUIR joined Park Hyatt Chicago as the Event Sales Manager.

2013

STEFANIE WEINER promoted to Social Events Manager at the Four Seasons Miami.

2014 ERIN CADIGAN promoted to Restaurant and Bar Manager at the W Hotel in Boston. MARC RIOS promoted to Bar & Beverage Manager at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, AZ. KYLEE SWIGGART promoted to Field Sales Manager at Breakthru Beverage Group in Denver. TRACEY WILLIAMS recently became a Sales Manager with Marriott International in Bethesda, MD.

2015 SAM BLINDERMAN recently left the Four Seasons Santa Barbara for a promotion to Assistant Restaurant Manager at Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons Washington, DC. MIRANDA GROH was the opening manager of Giordano's Famous Stuffed Pizzaâ€™s first location in Las Vegas, NV.

Please share your news with us by emailing it to carole.bellfi@du.edu.

Fall 2017 | Knoebel News

Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management 2044 E. Evans Ave. Denver, CO 80208-8921