ABOUT
LEADERSHIP
Duane Gauthier
Managing Director
As Managing Director, Duane Gauthier oversees all aspects of the company’s hospitality investment activities, development services as well as providing the leadership to the hospitality management teams for the company’s managed assets to include P&L accountability, excellence in guest service, brand relations, revenue generation, strategic direction and overall property performance.
Mr. Gauthier has extensive hospitality experience in a career spanning over 19 years, operating and providing property leadership for full-service and select service hotels for Marriott, Starwood, Hilton and Choice. His experience includes new hotel openings and renovations while working for both regional and national hotel management companies. He has been able to consistently improve financial results while building strong operation teams, leading to a number of honors and awards for the hotels under his leadership.
Mr. Gauthier holds an Associate degree in Business Administration. He serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for the Virginia Beach Hotel Association. Additionally, he sits on the Hospitality Advisory Board for Tidewater Community College and Bryant and Stratton College.
Kenneth S. Strickler
Principal
Kenneth S. Strickler is the President of Commonwealth Commercial Partners, which is the sole owner of Commonwealth Lodging. Ken maintains strategic relationships with our institutional investor partners and manages a team responsible for sourcing, underwriting, and closing new acquisitions and development projects.
He sits on the Investment Committee and heads up acquisitions and asset management for Lingerfelt Commonwealth Partners, our affiliate real estate investment firm which has executed over $1 billion in transactions.
Ken holds a Virginia real estate license, the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Economics/Economics Commerce from Hampden-Sydney College.
Aleksandra Harcum
Chief Financial Officer
Aleksandra is responsible for the financial reports produced for our asset management clients on a monthly and quarterly basis, as well as the year-end financial packages for tax purposes. She is also responsible for property reserve and escrow analysis, budgeting, as well as short- and long-term analysis of the property cash flows. Aleksandra is the point of contact in entity management and lender compliance. She is also responsible for managing closings for all new acquisitions and dispositions.
Prior to joining CCP’s asset management team in 2008, Aleksandra was a financial analyst for a tenant in common sponsor where she was responsible for performance analysis and pro-forma forecasting. Prior to that, she worked in the hospitality sector for a hotel developer transitioning a Holiday Inn into Crowne Plaza.
Aleksandra graduated from the University of Economics in Wroclaw, Poland with a Masters Degree in Economics and a minor in Econometrics. Since joining CCP, she has successfully completed the ARGUS Software Certification (ASC) requirements.
Brett Darlington
Director of Hotel Operations
Brett Darlington is the Director of Hotel Operations and his key responsibilities include operational support to the management teams and each property along with financial reporting to our ownership and investors, monitoring company and brand compliance programs, assisting in revenue management strategies and driving exceptional customer service throughout all of our brands.
Mr. Darlington has 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry including 15 years with Marriott Hotels. He has experience in new hotel openings and renovations and has earned awards and honors for leading hotels to meet their service and revenue potentials. In addition to a strong focus on revenue management and sales and marketing strategies Mr. Darlington has spent much time ensuring hotel operations have the training and tools to meet and exceed guest expectations.
Mr. Darlington has participated in many local organizations throughout his career and has sat on numerous boards and committees. This includes Rotary Clubs, Chairman of the Carolina Beach Marketing Advisory Committee, Board member for the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce, New Hanover Tourism Development Authority and various Hotel and Motel Associations.
Jacki Himmel
Director of Human Resources
Ms. Himmel oversees human resource management for the company. She has 18 years of experience in general human resource administration including compensation, benefit administration, recruiting and employee relations.
Ms. Himmel oversees hotel employee benefit administration and with the hotel operations management team, ensures compliance regulation and insurance administration.
Brooke Bicksler
Corporate Director of Revenue Management
Brooke Bicksler joins the company as the Corporate Director of Revenue Management, providing purposeful direction to future growth opportunities. She is focused on creating profitability throughout the portfolio by collaborating top line sales, marketing and revenue strategies to create bottom line growth.
Since stepping into the revenue management field in 2007, Ms. Bicksler has lead strategy at the hotel level, and also within both regional and corporate director capacities in primary, secondary and tertiary markets across multiple brands for both limited and full service properties. Prior to pursuing a career in revenue management, she served on the operations and sales team within the hotel industry. Ms. Bicksler holds a BS in Hospitality & Tourism Management from Virginia Tech.
Commonwealth Lodging Management
Pavilion Center 1
2101 Parks Ave, Suite 402
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
(757) 333-7174
(757) 299-2976
E-mail Us
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