Board of Directors

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Board of Directors

John Russell

Chair Elect

Company/Affiliation:

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort

Phone:

850-267-8111

Fax:

850-267-5500

Address:

9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy West
Destin, FL 32550

Bio / Experience:

John Russell is the Senior Vice President Operations at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, Florida. Russell is responsible for all aspects of Sandestin's resort operations and he also serves as the Regional Vice President, Intrawest Hospitality Management for the Marriott Courtyard and Marriott Residence Inn, both located at Sandestin, as well as Cottage Rental Agency in Seaside, Florida.

Prior to joining Intrawest, Russell was a partner in The West Paces Hotel Group, which was established in 2003. During his tenure he held several executive level positions including Vice President and Managing Director at The Daufuskie Island Resort and Breathe Spa in South Carolina (March 2006 to present) and Vice President and General Manager at The Hotel at Auburn University in Alabama (February 2003 to March 2006).

Throughout his career, Russell has held General Manager positions at seven different properties across two premier international hotel brands, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, from 1994-2003, and the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, from 1979-1994. During his nine year tenure with the Ritz-Carlton, he managed several luxury hotels including properties in Virginia and the largest Ritz-Carlton hotel operation in the U.S., located in New Orleans. Russell also served as opening General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton in San Juan (Puerto Rico), which was recognized as the "Best hotel in the Caribbean" by Travel and Leisure magazine during its first year of operation.



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