Greg’s hospitality career spans 25 years, beginning at the ripe age of 17, when he accepted his first job in the hotel industry as a waiter at the Courtyard by Marriott in Brentwood, TN. Since then, Greg has held positions at five brands under the Marriott umbrella, including The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco Marriott Marquis, Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn and, most recently, the Residence Inn by Marriott in San Diego, where he served as General Manager. Greg is particularly excited to take on his role at the new waterfront AC Hotel at Oyster Point.Greg holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from San Jose State University, and is a certified life coach through Marriott.

General ManagementSan FranciscoCaliforniaUnited States

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Patrick O’Riordan.

A Boherbue man, who moved to the US back in the mid-1980s intending to stay for just a year, has been appointed to one of the key positions in San Francisco’s buildings inspectorate.

The mayor of San Francisco, London N Breed, has announced the appointment of Patrick O’Riordan as the interim director of the city’s Department of Building Inspections (DBI) with immediate effect.

The department oversees the enforcement of the city and county of San Francisco’s construction, housing, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and disability access codes across more than 200,000 buildings.

Mayor Breed said Mr O’Riordan, previously the city’s chief building inspector, will retain the position while a nationwide search is conducted to permanently fill the role.

The outgoing director, Tom Hui, resigned from the post amid an ongoing investigation into alleged fraudulent activity.

“The department is critical for the residents, businesses, and property owners who rely on their services every day, and I want to thank Patrick O’Riordan for stepping up to serve during this time of transition,” said Mayor Breed.

Born and educated in Boherbue, Mr O’Riordan joined the civil service after leaving school and took a sabbatical in the 1980s to travel to San Francisco for a year to spend time with a girl who he met at a Macra na Feirme dance in Boherbue, who is now his wife.

He started working in the construction sector in 1985, working as a carpenter and foreman, before starting his own small business as a general contractor and then joining the San Francisco planning department around a decade ago.

Mr O’Riordan said he was humbled to have been appointed to his new role.

“I accept the responsibilities the commission has given me with sincere humility and appreciation of your confidence in my building and construction experience and expertise,” said Mr O’Riordan.

“I will do everything I can to fulfil expectations and to provide the department with the leadership needed during these times of public health challenges,” he added.

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By Jack Rogers

October 30, 2023 at 04:37 AM

HotelAVE CEO has until Sept. 2024 to find buyer for San Francisco hotels.

Nearly five months after Park Hotels & Resorts announced it had stopped making payments on a $725M CMBS loan backed by two of the largest hotels in San Francisco, a receiver has been appointed to take control of the hotels pending a sale.

Michelle Russo, CEO of Providence, RI-based Hotel Asset Value Enhancement (HotelAVE) was tapped by the San Francisco Superior Court to take control of the 1,921-room Hilton San Francisco Union Square-the largest hotel in San Francisco and the largest Hilton on the West Coast-and the 1,024-room Parc 55.

The receiver was appointed after Wilmington Trust, a trustee representing the lender, filed a lawsuit. According to a report in the San Francisco Business Times, HotelAVE will have until September 1, 2024 to find an adequate buyer for the properties.

If the receiver doesn’t sell the two hotels before the deadline, the properties will go into nonjudicial foreclosure.

The San Francisco Business Times also reported this week that Blackstone is in discussions with CWCapital, a special servicer working on behalf of a CMBS trust, for a “possible deed-in-lieu” deal on the 346-room Club Quarters hotel in San Francisco.

In 2020, Blackstone defaulted on a $274M loan backed by the hotel, located on 424 Clay Street, and other Club Quarters properties in Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.

“This is a very small investment that went into special servicing in the summer of 2020 and was written off more than two years ago. We are cooperating with all parties involved to ensure a smooth transition of ownership,” Blackstone said, in a statement.

The two San Francisco hotels assigned to the HotelAVE CEO this week are adjacent to each other. The Hilton Union Square, located at 333 O’Farrell Street, closed when the pandemic began and reopened in May 2021. Parc 55, located at Cyril Magnin Street, reopened in May 2022.

The two hotels were valued at a combined $1.56B when the CMBS packaged for them was issued in 2016 by JPMorgan Chase.

In February, Park said it was “confident” it could work out a refinancing plan with JPMorgan on the $725M debt, which comes due in November. In June, the REIT’s CEO, Thomas Baltimore, said that the company had determined that the prospects for a recovery in San Francisco do not look bright, and it planned to divest the two properties.

“Now more than ever, we believe San Francisco’s path to recovery remains clouded and elongated by major challenges: record high office vacancy; concerns over street conditions; lower return to office than peer cities; and a weaker than expected citywide convention calendar through 2027,” Baltimore said, in a statement.

“Unfortunately, the continued burden on our operating results and balance sheet is too significant to warrant continuing to subsidize and own these assets,” Baltimore said. “Removing the loan and the hotels will substantially improve our operating balance sheet and operating metrics.”

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Canopy by Hilton San Francisco SoMa announces the appointment of Michelle Mathews as the hotel’s Executive Chef. In this role, Chef Mathews will oversee the culinary operations of three onsite food and beverage outlets: Shelby’s Rooftop, The Social, and Bean Bar, as well as lead the hotel’s social catering program.

Born in Okinawa, Japan, Chef Mathews spent a significant portion of her childhood traveling the world, influenced by the unique flavors of Spain, France, East Asia and Morocco. Drawing inspiration from her multicultural background, Chef Mathews aims to bring her global experiences to the forefront of the hotel’s food and beverage programs, keeping the menus elevated yet approachable.

At Shelby’s Rooftop, a sophisticated retreat that offers 270-degree views of downtown San Francisco, Mathews intends to provide an elevated dining experience that caters to a diverse range of palates. Handcrafted cocktails will pair harmoniously with elevated dishes such as a ribeye steak, local whole fish, classic Paella Valenciana or a twist on a classic burger featuring a rich wagyu interpretation.

Chef Mathews will develop tasting menus at the hotel’s lobby bar, The Social; and oversee operations of Bean Bar, the hotel’s coffee and grab-and-go concept, offering beautifully prepared salads and sandwiches, and talented baristas that each bring their own unique styles and expertise to their crafts.

For more than 12 years, Chef Mathews has delighted San Francisco with her culinary expertise, having served as executive chef at several renowned establishments. Prior to moving to California, Chef Mathews honed her craft at iconic New York City restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park.

Food & BeverageSan FranciscoCaliforniaUnited States

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The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is pleased to announce the appointment of Aimee King as Director of Sales and Marketing. King brings extensive knowledge in the San Francisco Bay Area’s hospitality sector and a proven track record of spearheading impactful marketing campaigns with her hands-on leadership, which will play a pivotal role at this landmark hotel.

As an experienced Director of Sales and Marketing, King has established an impressive background across a variety of esteemed San Francisco Bay Area hotels, including the Omni Hotel, Hotel Adagio, St. Regis and more. Most recently, she was the Director of Sales and Marketing for San Francisco’s Palace Hotel where she oversaw the revival and repositioning of the hotel post-pandemic. Her achievements extended to the creation and execution of a strategic partnership with AC Brands by Ayesha Curry, resulting in the hotel’s buzzy Afternoon Tea and Pop-Up shop programming.

Growing up in Yosemite National Park, Aimee enjoys spending her free time outdoors hiking the San Francisco Bay Area trails, and skiing Lake Tahoe with her husband and two sons.

Sales & Marketing San FranciscoCaliforniaUnited States

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LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–President and Chief Executive Officer of Cathay General Bancorp and Cathay Bank, Chang M. Liu, has been appointed by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco to serve as a member on its Los Angeles Branch Board of Directors. Moreover, Mr. Liu has been elected as a California member director by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco to serve a four-year term between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2026.

The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco represents the Twelfth District of the Federal Reserve System—the central bank of the United States. The Twelfth District comprises nine western states—Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington—plus the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a cooperatively owned wholesale bank helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunities, and improve lives.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to take on both of these new roles. I look forward to working with the San Francisco Fed and FHLBank San Francisco to help create new opportunities in the region and build strong communities,” said Mr. Liu

In addition to serving as a board member on the Board of Directors of Cathay Bank and its holding company Cathay General Bancorp, Mr. Liu’s directorship extends to serving on the board of directors of the Western Bankers Association, the Board of Advisors for the UCLA Anderson Forecast, the American Cancer Society’s CEOs Against Cancer group, and the Foothill Family Service.

About Cathay Bank

Cathay Bank, a subsidiary of Cathay General Bancorp (Nasdaq: CATY), opened its doors in 1962 in Los Angeles to serve the growing immigrant community. Today, we operate over 60 branches across the US, with a branch in Hong Kong, and representative offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Taipei. While much has changed over six decades, our pursuit and dedication has only grown stronger. Then, now, and always, we go above and beyond, so you can, too. Learn more at cathaybank.com. FDIC insurance coverage is limited to deposit accounts at Cathay Bank’s US domestic branch locations.

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ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – An Abilene businessman has been appointed to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners.

Darrin Black was one of three Texas men appointed to the board by Governor Greg Abbott with terms set to expire September 2027.

The other two appointees are Thomas “Tommy” Rice Jr., of Houston, and Milton Gutierrez, of Georgetown.

Full biographies on Black and the other appointees can be found below:

Darren Black of Abilene is the President of Black Plumbing. He is a member of the Abilene Better Business Bureau, Abilene Chamber of Commerce Business Council, Abilene Crime Stoppers, Abilene Team Workforce, Abilene Military Affairs Committee, and the American Cancer Society. Black is a licensed Journeyman Plumber and Responsible Master Plumber.

Thomas “Tommy” Rice Jr. of Houston is a plumbing contractor and serves as the Owner and President of C&B Utilities, Inc. He is a member of the Trade Professionals Network and is a certified instructor of apprenticeship programs with the National Center for Construction Education and Research. He also serves as a mentor for the Young Adult Tradesman Mentorship. Rice received a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from The University of Texas at Austin.

Milton Gutierrez of Georgetown is the Deputy Operations Chaplain for the Texas Army National Guard. He is a member of the National Guard Association of the United States, National Guard Association of Texas, the American Legion, and the Military Officers Association of America. Gutierrez received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas State University and a Master of Divinity from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

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SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CTBC Bank USA announced today that its President and CEO, Noor Menai, has been appointed as one of the new members of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council (CDIAC).

Additional CDIAC members, effective January 1, 2022, include Samuel D. Jimenez, CEO of 1st Capital Bank of Salinas, California; Patty Mongold, President and CEO of Mt. McKinley Bank in Fairbanks, Alaska; Harold Roundtree, CEO of UNCLE Credit Union in Livermore, California; and Stacy Watkins, President and CEO of Lexicon Bank of Las Vegas.

Noor Menai

Mr. Menai not only serves the Los Angeles community as President and CEO of CTBC Bank Corp. (USA), but is also Deputy Head of International Operations for CTBC’s holding company. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Charles Schwab Bank and as Managing Director at Citigroup’s Global Corporate & Investment Bank, in addition to several decades in retail banking at Citi, JP Morgan and Bank of America. Mr. Menai is a member of the Subcommittee on Modernization for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and a board member for the USC Rossier School of Education and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, computer and information systems and a master’s degree in business administration in finance, computer and information systems from the University of Rochester.

Samuel D. Jimenez

Mr. Jimenez has served as Chief Executive Officer of 1st Capital Bank since April 2020. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Bank of Commerce Holdings. Mr. Jimenez is a certified public accountant. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Finance and Economics from California State University-Chico and a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning.

Patty Mongold

Ms. Mongold, a life Alaskan, has worked at Mt. McKinley Bank since she was a teenager, having started as a teller and having worked in most areas of the bank. She was promoted to Bank President in 2014 and elected President, CEO and Chair of the Board in 2015. Ms. Mongold currently serves as Treasurer for three nonprofit organizations, Chairperson of another, and Secretary of a fourth.

Harold Rundbaum

Prior to serving as President and CEO of UNCLE Credit Union, Mr. Roundtree served as senior vice president of retail banking at Technology Credit Union in San Jose, California. Mr. Roundtree is Chairman of the Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce, a member of the California Credit Union League’s Housing Committee, and Vice President of the African American Credit Union Coalition. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University and a Masters in Business Administration in Management from Golden Gate University.

Stacy Watkins

Ms. Watkins has served as President and CEO of Lexicon Bank since 2020. She has over 27 years of banking experience, including 24 years in management and 18 years in a regional leadership position. Driven by her dedication to community service, Ms. Watkins is a former executive director of Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada and currently serves as the Capital Campaign, Family Gifts Division. In addition, Stacy leads the Lexicon Bank Community Spotlight program, a monthly initiative that highlights local nonprofits making a difference in the Southern Nevada community and connects them with banking partners and customers to support their missions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from the University of Phoenix and a Business of Banking certificate from the Pacific Coast Banking School.

Janet Silveria, President and CEO of the Community Bank of Santa Maria in Santa Maria, California, a current member of the Twelfth District CDIAC, was reappointed as Chair of the Council for 2022 and will continue to serve as the San Francisco Fed’s representative to the national CDIAC .

The bank also announced that James J. Schlotfeldt, President and CEO of First Federal Savings & Loan of McMinnville, Oregon, and Mina R. Worthington, President and CEO of Solarity Credit Union of Yakima, Washington, have been re-elected to the Council .

Remaining CDIAC members include:

Brad Baldwin, President and CEO, First Utah Bank, Salt Lake City, Utah

Tamara Gurney, President and CEO, Mission Valley Bank, Sun Valley, California

Joanne Kim, President and CEO, Commonwealth Business Bank, Los Angeles, California

Eric Renaud, President and CEO, Pima Federal Credit Union, Tucson, Arizona

Established by the Board of Governors in 2010, the Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council is a group representing banks, savings institutions and credit unions of various sizes in the Twelfth District. The Council provides input to the Bank’s management on a variety of topics, including economic and banking conditions, regulatory policies, payment issues and other topics of interest to depositories in the community. The members usually have a term of office of three years.

About CTBC Bank Corp. (USA)

CTBC Bank USA is a trusted and established financial institution for business and personal customers. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Los Angeles, CTBC Bank has offices in California, New Jersey and New York. The Bank’s operations include deposits, lending, credit cards, foreign exchange, letters of credit, wealth management, mobile and electronic banking services. Customers benefit from access to large banking resources paired with individual support and the tailor-made service of a small bank. Its parent company, CTBC Bank Co. Ltd., is backed by more than $180 billion in assets and is one of the largest banks in the world by capital. For more information about CTBC Bank, visit www.ctbcbankusa.com.

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Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants today announced the appointment of Emily Nichols as General Manager of the Kimpton Alton Hotel, the newest hotel in the San Francisco boutique hotel group. In her new role, Nichols will run the 248-room hotel in the iconic Fisherman’s Wharf, designed in collaboration with Kara Mann.

Emily Nichols joins the Kimpton Alton Hotel in Fisherman’s Wharf as General Manager after her experience in San Francisco as General Manager of the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel in Japantown. She was previously Assistant General Manager at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in Union Square. Emily brings nearly 15 years of hospitality experience from hotels across the country – her background includes numerous assignments in task forces, including in Mendocino, CA and Palm Beach, FL.

Prior to moving to the Bay Area, Emily spent some time in New York City as Director of Operations for Dream Hotel Group and Area Rooms Division Manager for Amsterdam Hospitality. Prior to that, Emily was General Manager of Kahler Hospitality Group in Rochester, Minnesota, where she oversaw day-to-day operations for the Residence Inn by Marriott.

Emily has a BS in Environmental Sciences and a BA in Metro Urban Studies with a minor in Sociology from the University of Augsburg. Emily is a coffee lover and, no surprise, loves to travel and maintain her plant collection. Her favorite places visited so far are Croatia and Barcelona.

Current dates at Kimpton

David Gross – Head Chef

August 27, 2021 – Downtown Denver’s Panzano Italian restaurant, located at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco, welcomes David Gross as its new head chef. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Chef David Gross brings over 10 years of experience to his role at Panzano.

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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) – A group of parents in the San Francisco Unified School District frustrated with schools being closed for face-to-face learning proposed on Monday that elections for the education committee officers be abolished and instead switched to a date-based system to switch.

Better San Francisco Public Schools group is campaigning for a constitutional amendment to vote in June 2022 to allow city leaders to elect school inspectors instead of voters.

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“We believe this will lead to better accountability so that the Board of Education is made up of the right people with the right priorities,” said Patrick Wolff, parent of SFUSD and chairman of Better San Francisco Public Schools. “The city only elected the majority of this board a few months ago. Obviously, there is something wrong with the selection of the people who run our public schools. “

Although district leaders have emphasized that reopening schools depends on several factors, including agreeing health and safety standards with unions and making sure schools have adequate ventilation systems, parents and city leaders remain frustrated with those a year ago closings introduced when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The board received more criticism in January when it decided to rename 44 schools by April. Mayor Breed called for more urgency to reopen schools. To complicate matters, the city filed a lawsuit last month to further compel the district and school authorities to prioritize the return of face-to-face learning.

“I am seriously concerned about the Board of Education and its focus on the wrong priorities. Failure to prioritize members on top issues has catastrophic public education for our students and families, ”said Jennifer Kuhr Butterfoss, co-chair of Better San Francisco Public Schools, an SFUSD mother and former SFUSD principal. “My children’s friends, neighbors, and classmates go out in droves. The disastrous effects of this current board will be felt by the generations to come. “

The city first switched to an election-based system for school boards in 1971, sparked by opposition to desegregation after previously using an appointment-based system for more than 70 years.

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Quoting other large U.S. cities that already have a date-based system like New York, Washington, DC and Chicago, Wolff said this makes most sense for large, diverse areas where voters are more likely to be poorly informed are in order to make a selection the most qualified candidates.

“Big cities are often really the only ones interested in this appointment-based system, and from what we’ve seen, it works well for them,” he said.

In the coming months, Better San Francisco Public Schools plan to meet with more parents and residents to grow the campaign and start a petition to put the initiative on the ballot in June 2022.

The group’s announcement comes just days after the school principals announced that some elementary school students from 66 schools will be able to return to face-to-face learning in the first phase of school opening on April 12th.

As part of the plan, more school locations would gradually reopen in the following weeks. A total of 91 school locations are to be reopened by the end of April.

During a briefing Monday, SFUSD Superintendent Vincent Matthews said, “We know this has been a difficult time for families and we are excited about the ability to move forward and we continue to do everything as a district to serve as many students as possible Bringing back personal learning as best we can, but at the same time we want you to understand the limitations that are there. “

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