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THE COMMUNITY NEWS OF ASSOCIATIONS, CVBs and HOTELS

U.S. Travel Association’s Destination Capitol Hill was held on April 14–15 in Washington, D.C. Approximately 400 industry advocates participated in the annual event.

On April 16, Apiary Hotel & Residences in Denver, CO celebrated the grand opening of the hotel and the residences.

USAE writer Jordan Bradley took a riding lesson on April 2 from trainer Scott Scheyli with Arabian horse ShI’mVaguelySurprised (also known as JT) in Tucson, Arizona.

Don Welsh, President & CEO of Destinations International, spoke to attendees during the association’s 2026 CEO Summit from March 30 to April 1 in Newport Beach, California.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke about her administration’s workforce development priorities and partnering with D.C.-area associations at ASAE’s inaugural Public Policy Forum on March 23 at the Mayflower Hotel. Pictured here (left to right): Jason Oxman, CAE, APR, President and CEO, Information Technology Industry Council (Moderator); Mayor Bowser; ASAE Chair Jay Karen, CAE, CEO, National Golf Course Owners Association; and ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, AAiP.

Editor’s Pick

AAHOA Hosts Competitions and Sessions at Annual Conference

Plan Introduced for Meadowlands Convention Center in N.J.

AAHOA Hosts<br />
Competitions and Sessions<br />
at Annual Conference

Industry Movers

Natasha Casillo

Natasha Casillo is now General Manager of JW Marriott Nashville. Originally from a suburb of London, she is a graduate of Oxford Brookes University’s Hotel and Restaurant Management program and began her career at the Boston Marriott Cambridge. She advanced through leadership roles at Boston Marriott Copley Place. She later served as director of rooms at Hotel Commonwealth, where she helped oversee the property’s $55 million expansion.

Alfonso Perez-Vega

Alfonso Perez-Vega has been promoted to General Manager of The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa and Holiday Inn Express Downtown Denver. Perez-Vega will oversee operations across both properties. He has 14 years of experience. Perez-Vega joined Highgate in 2023 and was appointed as complex hotel manager to The Brown Palace and Holiday Inn Express Downtown Denver in 2025. His background includes working in Los Angeles and Austin.

Patrick Fisher

Patrick Fisher has been appointed President of Hotel ZaZa, a collection of four distinctive luxury properties across Dallas, Houston, and Austin, which was acquired by Rockbridge Holdings. Fisher will lead the full Hotel ZaZa portfolio: Hotel ZaZa Dallas Uptown, Hotel ZaZa Houston Museum District, Hotel ZaZa Houston Memorial City and Hotel ZaZa Austin Downtown.

Stan Iliev

Stan Iliev has been announced as the Dual General Manager of the Le Méridien and AC Hotel Denver Downtown. Both properties are owned and operated by White Lodging. Iliev’s tenure with White Lodging began in 2011 when he served as assistant general manager and front desk manager at the Hilton Garden Inn, Chicago Midway. He has held general manager roles at properties in Chicago, Valparaiso, Louisville and Nashville.

Daniel Weber

Daniel Weber has been appointed Executive Sous Chef of Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley, Arizona. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, his career has spanned destinations including Walt Disney World, Bay Hill Country Club – where he cooked for Arnold Palmer – and Four Seasons Resort Orlando, along with posts at The Current Hotel in Tampa and Southbound in Richmond. He worked in St. Louis.

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Leslie Johnson

Leslie Johnson has been promoted to Chief Sales Officer at Visit Milwaukee. She was Vice President of Sales. She leads a team that booked more than 328,000 room nights in 2025. Johnson will oversee sales initiatives that expand Milwaukee’s presence in key markets and fuel long-term economic impact. IAEE honored Johnson with its Outstanding Marketing & Sales Award, which recognizes exceptional achievement in marketing and sales activities.

Samuel V. Calabrese

Samuel V. Calabrese has been appointed Executive Vice President and CEO of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) effective May 1. Calabrese will become ASHP’s fifth CEO in its 84-year history, succeeding longtime CEO Paul W. Abramowitz, PharmD, who retired earlier this year. He currently serves as Vice President of the ASHP Office of Accreditation Services. Calabrese spent 25 years in the Cleveland Clinic Health System.

Dr. LeRoi Hicks

Dr. Hicks

Dr. LeRoi Hicks has been named as the American College of Physicians’ (ACP) Executive Vice President & CEO, effective July 6. He becomes the first African American physician to serve in the roles. Hicks is President of ChristianaCare’s Wilmington Campus, a health care hub in Delaware. Hicks graduated from Howard University in 1991 and earned his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine.