Choice Hotels announces three new Regional VPs

Choice Hotels International, Inc one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, has announced three new regional vice presidents to advance the company’s corporate priorities and drive growth.

These include: Odette Brown, regional vice president, franchise services, Choice Hotels; Glenn Gordon, regional vice president, franchise sales development, Ascend Hotel Collection (southeast US/Caribbean region); Gary Mills, regional vice president, franchise sales development, Cambria Hotels (Texas/mid-central region).

Odette Brown has been promoted to regional vice president (RVP) of franchise services, overseeing the mid-southern United States region. In this role, Brown will join an RVP team that spans the country, leading assigned area directors, regional area directors and area managers. Together, these teams will work to optimize hotel portfolio support strategies while helping drive hotel owner profitability, market share growth and other performance metrics. Brown will help support brand-related franchisee owner council and franchisee lifecycle support activities. She will also serve as departmental liaison, assisting with and leading internal stakeholders to support the franchise services hospitality vision and prioritize the needs of Choice owners. Brown joined the company in 2014 as an area director and was elevated to regional area director in 2018. Prior to that, she was an area general manager and general manager for several hotels for nearly 10 years.

Glenn Gordon is returning to Choice Hotels in the new role of regional vice president of franchise sales development for the Ascend Hotel Collection brand. In this new position, he will lead the growth of the brand’s footprint in the southeast US and the Caribbean, sourcing new projects and securing new franchise agreements. Gordon brings over 15 years of franchising experience to Choice, including his prior work for the company’s franchise sales development team as well as roles with Value Place, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and StayAPT Suites.

Gary Mills joins Choice Hotels as regional vice president of franchise sales development for the Cambria Hotels brand. In this role, Mills will lead the growth of the brand’s footprint in Texas and the mid-central region, sourcing new projects and securing new franchise agreements. With more than 40 years in the hotel industry, Mills joined Choice after serving as vice president of real estate at NewcrestImage, LLC, where he helped double the size of the company. Throughout his career, he also worked at Hilton Hotels Corporation, assisting with the launch of the Hilton Garden Inn brand as well as Dream Hotel Group and the Doubletree Hotels Corporation.

Choice Hotels continues to be recognized for workplace achievements. Last year, Choice was named by Forbes as a Best Employer for Diversity as well as Best Employer for Veterans; earned a top score on Disability:IN’s 2020 Disability Equality Index; and was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. Choice’s president and chief executive officer, Patrick Pacious, was selected as one of Comparably’s Best CEOs for Women, Best CEOs for large companies in North America, and Choice was also named one of the Best Companies for Diversity.

Choice Hotels International, Inc, is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 7,100 hotels, representing nearly 600,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories as of September 30, 2020, the Choice family of hotel brands provide business and leisure travellers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences.