Kenneth Kochenour, Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Kochenour is Founder and CEO of GF Management and brings to the company more than twenty-five years of experience in owning and operating hotel/resort facilities, turnaround deals, property evaluations, market analyses and cost controls. Mr. Kochenour holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from York College, Pennsylvania.
Ira Lubert, Chairman
Mr. Lubert oversees the acquisitions strategies for GF Management. In 1997, Mr. Lubert joined Dean Adler to create the Lubert-Adler Real Estate Opportunity Fund. Mr. Lubert holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management from Pennsylvania State University.
Robert E. Keith, Jr., Vice Chairman
Mr. Keith provides GF Management with in-depth knowledge of real estate finance and an understanding of financial institutions, management and strategic planning. Mr. Keith is a graduate of Amherst College and Temple University School of Law and is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.
Barbara Evans, CPA, Executive Vice President Of Finance
Ms. Evans brings many years of diverse business experience to GF Management, including accounting, budgeting and treasury functions. Ms. Evans is a Certified Public Accountant. Additionally, Ms. Evans holds an Undergraduate Degree in Business Administration from Drexel University and a Masters Degree in Finance & Economics.
Andrew S. Tod, Executive Vice President
Mr. Tod is a twenty-eight year veteran of the hospitality industry, specializing in sales and marketing efforts, and new business development projects. Mr. Tod joined GF Management in 1994 and plays a crucial role in the development of new business strategies, property evaluations and hotel operations.
Matthew S. Pica, Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Pica has in excess of twenty-five years of hospitality industry experience and joined GF Management in 1993. Mr. Pica has an extensive, strong background in hotel/resort operations and is familiar with all major hotel franchises. Mr. Pica sits on the Board of Directors for the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association and is also a member of several National Hotel Franchise Boards. Mr. Pica holds a B.S. in Business from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Stan Glander, Executive Vice President Of North American Operations
Mr. Glander joined GF Management in 2007. Mr. Glander’s background includes various hotel franchises and free standing restaurant ownership and operations. Mr. Glander has served as President for the International Food Service Executives Association in Ohio, as well as Advisor to the Cypress College Hospitality and Culinary Program in California. Mr. Glander brings over twenty years of industry leadership experience to the GF Team.
Joseph A. “Jay” Wellenbusher, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Wellenbusher came to GF Management in 1994, and possesses over twenty-five years of experience in hospitality accounting and finance, specializing in acquisitions, renovations and finance repositioning. Mr. Wellenbusher has held various positions in the accounting field with many hotel franchises. Mr. Wellenbusher holds a B.S. in Accounting from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY.
M. Daniel Hatch, CHA, Senior Vice President
Mr. Hatch has over thirty years of experience in the hospitality industry. Mr. Hatch joined GF Management sixteen years ago and has held positions ranging from General Manager to Senior Vice President of Operations. Mr. Hatch has experience with all the major hotel brands to include Starwood, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Wyndham Worldwide, Radisson and Choice Hotels. This experience includes eighteen years managing resort properties and golf courses, multi-use real estate and four years during which Mr. Hatch owned and operated a management company. He is versed in receivership takeovers, bank workouts and repositioning and rebranding properties. Mr. Hatch is a graduate of Plymouth State College and holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Administration.
Jeffrey Kolessar, Senior Vice President Of Development
Mr. Kolessar is responsible for hotel acquisitions, receiverships and third party management contracts for hotel properties throughout the country. Mr. Kolessar joined GF Management in 1990. Since then, he has acted as a receiver for hotel properties and has executed hotel management deals, receiverships and workouts, and evaluated over 200 hotel properties for financial institutions. Additionally, Mr. Kolessar negotiates franchise agreements, assists lenders in the sale of hotels and oversees third party management contracts with the company.
Mr. Kolessar’s experience in the transitional and distressed hospitality field has warranted regular invitations to participate as an expert speaker or panelist for industry events. Recent speaking engagements have included the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, regarding Hotel Workouts, Challenges and Solutions, Hotel Business Magazine Roundtable, regarding Making the Right Moves [in Franchising] and at several HREC seminars and webinars covering the topic of the role of a Hotel Management Company in Hotel Loan Resolutions.
Candice Ellesin, Vice President Of Sales & Marketing
Ms. Ellesin has been in the hospitality industry for over twenty years. Ms. Ellesin joined GF Management in 1999 and has held various positions in the Sales & Marketing arena during her tenure. Offering the experience of managing multiple sales teams and driving incremental revenues, Ms. Ellesin offers strong support and expert knowledge in the day to day operation of a hotel sales department. Her expertise ranges from turn-around situations to established properties that need to redefine their edge in the market. Ms. Ellesin has served as Chair of the Valley Forge Bureau Marketing Committee and Director of Business Development & Finance for the Philadelphia Chapter of Meeting Professionals International.
James R. “Jay” Burnett, Vice President Of Corporate Strategies
Mr. Burnett has over 15 years of hospitality industry experience. Prior to joining GF, Mr. Burnett was asset manager for a private equity real estate investment company with responsibility for hospitality and senior living assets. Previously, he spent six years with Marriott International in a number of corporate positions with responsibility for information technology, revenue management, competitive analysis and sales and marketing analysis. Having begun his hotel career in 1992 with the Hampton Inn in Charlottesville, VA, Mr. Burnett possesses a B.S. in Commerce degree from the University of Virginia and a Master of Management in Hospitality from Cornell University. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the Cornell Hotel Society.
Richard C. Henrikson, CHA, Senior Vice President Operations
Mr. Henrikson joined GF Management in early 2009. Prior to his current position, Mr. Henrikson was Executive VP of Operations for another major hotel management company. Having experience with major hotel brands including Marriott, Hilton and InterContinental Hotels Group, he is a strong asset to the overall operations effort. Mr. Henrikson brings over 30 years of experience in the hotel industry and has served on IHG's Crowne Plaza and IAHI committees. Mr. Henrikson attended Fergus Falls Community College and is a graduate of Loyola University's Management Certification program.
David Brewer, Vice President Asset Management
Mr. Brewer brings over nineteen years of hospitality experience to GF Management. Prior to joining GF, Mr. Brewer was Vice President Asset Management for another Philadelphia-based hospitality company. Previously, he operated his own successful consulting practice for seven years, assisting owners, franchisors and lenders with items such as feasibility studies, investment analysis, impact issues and franchise negotiations. It was during this period that Mr. Brewer was also responsible for the Asset Management functions for a 22-property, $1.4B portfolio of hotels held by a private equity firm. Prior to forming his own business, Mr. Brewer served as Director of Franchise Development for an upscale extended-stay hotel franchisor, where he was responsible for the brand's growth in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. His broad understanding and experience in a variety of operational, developmental and investment-related concerns make him an ideal asset to the GF Management team. Mr. Brewer graduated from Kutztown University in 1989, where he received his BA/BS in Marketing and Management.
