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Our Leadership Team

Our Leadership


Kinseth Hospitality is led by four principals, the second generation of the Kinseth family: Linda, Leslie, Bruce, and Gary. Each brings unique skills that have contributed to the company's success. The principals each began their careers in the late '70s and '80s by managing their own full-service hotel and restaurant. As the company grew, so did their roles. In the '90s, Bruce led the expansion, overseeing centralized accounting and property management from the company's hub in Coralville, Iowa. Leslie founded Kinseth Development and Construction, while Linda focused on design, procurement, and construction. Gary spearheaded Sales and Marketing, developing revenue management strategies and driving sales growth across the company. Today, the third generation is actively involved in various roles, and Kinseth Hospitality employs over 4,000 associates, managers, accountants, and directors.

Les Kinseth

President

Bruce Kinseth

Executive Vice President

Linda Skinner

Vice President

Gary Kinseth

Vice President

Ben Kinseth

Vice President of Development/Finance

Shana Craven

Vice President of Operations

Aaron Mailey

Vice President of Construction and Development

Andrea Barth

Chief Financial Officer

Dave Craven

Director of Construction and Renovations

Jeff Schrader

Director of New Business Development

Chris Stephany

Purchasing Manager

Connie Schlichting

Regional VP of Ops & F&B

Will Harrington

Director of Operations

Rob Wartella

Director of Operations

James Evans

Director of Operations

David Brown

Director of Operations

Elliott Rhoad

Director of Operations

Tammy Fraley

Director of Operations

Suzy Ridder

Director of Operations

Dave Davis

Director of Operations

​Lori Faught

Director of Operations

DJ Miller

Regional Director of Operations

Stefanie Arnaman

Vice President of Sales, Marketing, E-Commerce, & Revenue

Janette Steffensmeier

Director of Revenue Management

Neal Roth

Revenue Specialist

Ashley Reuter

Revenue Specialist

Stephany Kruger

Revenue Specialist

Amber Olson

Revenue Specialist

Stacy Farmer

Corporate Director of Sales

April Oehrle

Regional Director of Sales

Miriam Lemke

Regional Director of Sales

Teresa Blythe

Regional Director of Sales

Gayla Failor

Regional Director of Sales

Denise Stejskal

E-Commerce Web Manager

Sarah Olberding

Marketing Manager

Michelle Peterson

Creative Marketing Specialist

Les Kinseth

President

Les Kinseth is the President of Kinseth Hospitality Companies overseeing the company’s involvement through all hospitality acquisitions, new developments, new construction, major repositioning, and renovations. In his role as president, he oversees new property development for Kinseth Hospitality and is involved in negotiation with management contract partners, franchise organizations, third-party vendors (including contract execution with architects and general contractors), and equity investors.

In addition to his duties as President, Les serves as head of Development/Construction Services and Facilities Management. His duties in this role include supervision of all capital improvement planning, asset management, and construction/renovation procurement for the company. He oversees the architect and general contractor for new construction projects and for the re-development and re-conception of existing hotels. His passion is cultivating a tremendous entrepreneurial spirit within the company through positivity, leadership, and ambition. Through his intense dedication to motivate his associates and demonstrate an uncompromising work ethic he ignites a vision for future growth.

His educational experience includes over 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry including growing up in the business, working for his father in all areas of hospitality operations. Knowledgeable in many areas Les sets the direction for the entire Kinseth Hospitality portfolio, including construction planning and renovation. Les was instrumental in moving Kinseth Hospitality into the role of General Contractor on a number of new hotel development properties and thousands of rooms.

Highly competent in all facets of the hospitality industry, he drives the company’s success by utilizing his hospitality experience for the benefit of all of our guests, owners, and employees. In addition, our ability to draw from his extensive hotel experience maximizes the performance of the entire corporate organization of each hotel.

He received a BBS from the University of Iowa in 1980 and started in the hospitality business that same year.

Bruce Kinseth

Executive Vice President

Bruce Kinseth is the Executive Vice President for Kinseth Hospitality overseeing the development of each functional department within the company. In his role, he is actively involved in all facets of operations, including finance and accounting, sales and marketing, human resources, operations, asset management, franchise communications, and relations, hotel development, construction, and renovation. Bruce is passionate about creating a strong team atmosphere while working to achieve Kinseth Hospitality Companies, investors, and managing partners goals. He pushes his team to provide data-driven results for maximum growth potential.

His educational background includes over 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry including growing up in the hospitality industry while working for his father. Bruce has experience with all brands and virtually all sizes and types of operations, from limited-service hotels to full-service hotels with banquet and convention space, as well as independent and nationally-branded restaurants. He has participated in the acquisition of all the hotels for the Kinseth portfolio, including those from direct acquisitions and third-party hotel management contracts. He has been named a Receiver by the Court for various banks and institutions and has also administered private equity investments for hotel investors.

Knowledgeable in many areas across the hotel industry, as Executive Vice President of Kinseth Hospitality, Bruce has seen the company grow from a portfolio of three hotels, with $5,000,000 in revenue and 150 employees, to that of a fully integrated hospitality company, with the operation of over 65 hotels, 6 branded restaurants under multiple franchise brands, and the employment of more than 3,000 employees. From sales and marketing to the negotiation and implementation of labor contracts with the unionized hotels, Bruce has been instrumental in maintaining strategic and operational plans for Kinseth Hospitality.

He received is BBS in Business from the University of Iowa in 1981 and started his career in the hospitality industry that same year. Bruce has been invited as a guest speaker and panelist at many hotel conferences, including conferences regarding distressed real estate assets.

Linda Skinner

Vice President

Linda Skinner is a Vice-President for Kinseth Hospitality responsible for the overall direction and management of hotels located across Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, Council Bluffs, and Des Moines, Iowa, Kansas City and Columbia, Missouri. Linda oversees hotels and restaurants with brands and franchises for Marriott, Hilton, and IHG on a daily basis. In her role, Linda also oversees interior design for new hotels and ongoing renovations for the portfolio. Linda is passionate about design and transforming any space no matter its condition with current interior design trends.

Her educational background includes over 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry. She has led the initial takeover, start-up and conversion for many hotels in the Kinseth Hospitality portfolio, ranging in size from a 78-room Holiday Inn Express to a 300-room, full-service Holiday Inn featuring 15,000 square feet of banquet space. Linda launched her career in 1981 when she became the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Best Western Crossroads in Council Bluffs. There she supervised all food and beverage aspects of the hotel. In 1985 she became General Manager of the hotel. She continued her efforts in Council Bluffs with the startup of the first Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB). She was appointed President of the CVB and eventually as Ambassador for Council Bluffs. In 1992 Linda was designated as a Certified Hotel Administrator. She then became heavily involved with the interior design of Kinseth Hospitality properties, becoming a Director of Operations in 1997.

Linda’s hotels have won many franchise awards including the Torch Bearer Award from Holiday Inn for the Council Bluffs - Holiday Inn, and from Marriott for the Columbia, Missouri-Courtyard by Marriott (Diamond Award winner for the #1 ranked Courtyard in the Central United States region for Quality and Guest Service).

Gary Kinseth

Vice President

Gary Kinseth is a Vice President for Kinseth Hospitality overseeing our corporate sales, marketing, e-commerce, revenue, and regional teams and is the Director of Operations at multiple properties and hospitality projects. Gary and his corporate team are responsible for marketing, revenue, and e-commerce strategy. His passion is continually evaluating our strategy to move Kinseth Hospitality Companies and our properties forward in our ever-changing technological marketplace.

His educational background includes over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry including vast experience with full, select and economy service hotels, sales, marketing, and revenue strategy, and catering, and restaurant operations. From his early years working in the family business to his current position as Vice President of Kinseth Hospitality Companies, Gary has served as General Manager and Director of Operations for economy to full-service hotels and restaurants and has also coordinated and opened numerous properties for Kinseth Hospitality Companies.

Knowledgeable in many areas he is experienced with multiple brands including Best Western, Carlson, Choice, IHG, Hilton, Marriott, Wyndham, as well as independent brands. Gary's continued focus on the future helps drive the success of his corporate teams and properties.

He attended Kirkwood Community College and the University of Iowa and received his BLS in Business and Communications from the University of Iowa in 1988, received his CHA certification in 1989 and has multiple brand training and certifications.

Ben Kinseth

Vice President of Development/Finance

Ben Kinseth is the Vice President of Development/Finance for Kinseth Hospitality Companies and a third generation leader at Kinseth Hospitality overseeing renovation planning and execution, hotel financing and refinancing as well as assisting in strategy for the overall direction of the Kinseth portfolio, new developments, and acquisitions. Ben works closely with a variety of ownership groups; Ben is instrumental in investor relations, communication, and asset analysis. He is also a Director of Operations for Kinseth properties where he oversees the day to day operations of on-site General Managers. His passion is working with our owners, investor groups and general managers providing an approachable style of leadership.

His educational background includes more than 30 years of experience growing up in the hotel and restaurant industry. Ben contributes a wealth of knowledge from holding multiple positions within the company at both the hotel level and corporate oversight. His previous hotel management roles include hotel General Manager, Traveling Manager, and Restaurant Manager. From a very young age, Ben has been immersed in the hotel and restaurant businesses holding positions including front desk, housekeeper, night audit, front desk agent, server, bartender, dishwasher and cook.

Knowledgeable in many areas of operations from a young age Ben has seen Kinseth Hospitality grow from a portfolio of three hotels, with $5,000,000 in revenue and 150 employees, to that of a fully integrated hospitality company, with the operation of over 70 hotels, 6 branded restaurants under multiple franchise brands and the employment of more than 3,000 employees. Ben has had significant involvement in the development and construction of over $150,000,000 in new hotels and conference centers throughout Iowa and the Midwest.

Shana Craven

Vice President of Operations

Shana Craven is the Vice President of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality. In her role, she works closely with hotel General Managers and Directors of Sales helping them achieve operational success and guest satisfaction performance. In addition, she assists the corporate Sales and Marketing department at Kinseth with strategic planning. Her passion is helping others succeed by providing support, training and on the job mentoring.

Her educational background includes over 20 years of experience managing Hilton hotels. She grew up in the heart of the hospitality industry living in a hotel until the age of 12. Beginning work at an early age, she gained extensive knowledge taking on every role in hospitality, from bus girl to night Manager on Duty. Shana moved away for a few years and worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer for the Navy but came back to the hotel industry and accepted her first professional role as a Catering Sales Manager at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Council Bluffs. From there she continued to build her career and became a General Manager for Hampton and Hilton Garden Inn properties.

Shana has extensive knowledge in opening properties including the Hilton Garden Inn Omaha. She has opened over 5 Kinseth properties, 3 of them being ones she has managed.

Shana has a degree in Hospitality Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

Aaron Mailey

Vice President of Construction and Development

Aaron Mailey is a Vice President Vice President of Construction and Development at Kinseth Hospitality Companies. 

Aaron manages the day-to-day operations and oversees the construction of new properties and renovations in the Kinseth Hospitality portfolio. He also identifies new sites for potential hotels and is heavily involved with developing pro formas, construction budgets, and creating task schedules during the construction process.

Aaron grew up in the hotel business, offering over 30 years of experience and has worked in nearly every facet of the industry. He started out in the hospitality industry bussing and washing tables and worked his way to front desk manager, overseeing the engineering department, asset management, and ultimately moving into his passion for construction and development.

Aaron has a Certificate in Building Engineering from Iowa Western and went on to the University of Nebraska Omaha, graduating with a degree in Construction Management.

Andrea Barth

Chief Financial Officer

Andrea Barth is the Chief Financial Officer for Kinseth Hospitality and is based out of our Coralville office. She works with full-service, limited service, and select service hotel properties. Internally, Andrea works closely with General Managers, Directors of Operations, and our entire corporate staff to improve efficiency, streamline processes, and implement systems that align with overall goals. In addition, Andrea also works closely with our investors, our owners, and bankers to obtain and maintain financial success. Another goal of Andrea’s is to improve communication processes between all networks. She has extensive knowledge of management company financials and accounting processes.

Her educational background consists of a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Economics from Luther College. Andrea has 22 years of previous experience working with family-owned management companies. She began her hospitality career working as a night auditor. Andrea has worked her way up and held previous titles such as Accounting Supervisor, Financial Analyst, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, and now, Chief Financial Officer. In her spare time, Andrea enjoys spending time with her family and outdoor activities, such as boating, fishing, and downhill skiing.

Dave Craven

Director of Construction and Renovations

Dave Craven is the Director of Construction and Renovations at Kinseth Hospitality Companies.
 
Dave works on all types of hotels and restaurants, managing renovations and new construction in several different states. He works closely with the operations team to coordinate renovations. In addition, he also works with owners to relay information about renovations and new construction. In his role, Dave hopes to help properties achieve successful openings and improve guest service scores by keeping buildings and facilities up to date.
 
Dave learned his construction skills from framing and building houses while he was growing up. He went on to undergrad and grad school, where he got a bachelor’s in education and a master’s in education and human performance. After college, he worked as a track coach and teacher at Iowa Western Community College for seven years and then came to Kinseth, where he now has nine years of construction and project management experience.
 
Outside of work Dave enjoys spending his time renovating his home, reading, and spending time with his kids and dogs.

Jeff Schrader

Director of New Business Development

Jeff Schrader is the Director of New Business Development for Kinseth Hospitality. In his role, he is responsible for securing third-party management contracts for hospitality properties, joint-venture contracts for the development of hotels, and the growth of company-owned and operated properties.

His educational background includes over 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry. From 1977 through 1980, Jeff held numerous hotel training positions with Westin and Aircoa hotels at locations in Chicago and Kansas City. He then pursued hospitality accounting and consulting assignments with Pannell Kerr Forester in Atlanta, completing market/feasibility studies, operational reviews, and economic evaluations for a variety of clubs, hotels, and restaurants. From 1985 through 2002, Jeff held franchise sales and development positions with Holiday Inns, Dunkin’ Donuts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Prime Hospitality Corporation.

Knowledgeable in many areas he has been responsible for the growth and development of numerous hotel brands including Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Four Points by Sheraton, Sheraton Hotels, and AmeriSuites. He joined Kinseth Hospitality in July of 2002. Jeff has participated in numerous hotel conferences, most recently acting as a panelist at the Midwest Lodging Investors Summit and has also participated as a guest lecturer at Kendall College in Chicago.

He received his BA from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1977, and his MBA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1982.

Chris Stephany

Purchasing Manager

Chris Stephany is the Purchasing Manger for Kinseth Hospitality companies, overseeing all contractual negotiations and procurement of all hotel vendors.

In his role, he works with hotel general managers and Kinseth Corporate to develop an economical approach with all vendors services and contracts. Chris enjoys working with existing vendors to get the most out of their services as well as driving down cost.

His educational background includes 20+ years of hospitality experience.  He started out working at a Kinseth property waiting tables at the Bennigan’s in Coralville, Iowa.

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, being outdoors, and fishing.

Connie Schlichting

Regional VP of Ops & F&B

Connie Schlichting is a Regional Vice President of Operations and the Corporate Food & Beverage Director for Kinseth Hospitality, overseeing a portfolio of full-service hotel properties in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. In her role, she works closely with her General Managers, Director of Sales, and Food & Beverage Managers to ensure financial success for Kinseth, Investors, and managing partners. Her passion is taking an immersive hands-on approach and teaching by example all while sharing her vast knowledge with her properties.

Her educational background includes over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry working across several brands including Hilton, Marriott, and IHG. During this time Connie has worked every aspect of the business with an especially strong skillset in operations, and food and beverage. At the start of her career with Kinseth, she was tasked with opening several Bennigan’s locations including overseeing construction and operations of each of the facilities. From there she transitioned into a Regional Food & Beverage Director overseeing 6 Bennigan’s restaurants as well as hotel banquet operations. During her tenure, she also became a General Manager of duel hotel properties. During her career, she has received many accolades including both General Manager and Food & Beverage manager of the year awards for three different hotels and brands.

Knowledgeable in many areas including but not limited to hotel demolition, renovation, and new build hotel projects, Connie’s experience ranges from hotel management and leadership to extensive food and beverage, and restaurant experience. Her attention to detail and vast knowledge of the industry sets her apart and makes her a great asset to the Kinseth team.

Connie graduated from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas with a BA in Education and minor in Psychology/ Sociology.

Will Harrington

Director of Operations

Will Harrington is a Director of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality Companies, overseeing a variety of hotel properties across multiple brands including IHG, Marriott, Wyndham, and Hilton, throughout the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Texas, Ohio, Wyoming, and Louisiana. In his role, he works closely with his hotel managers and restaurant managers to provide strong ownership returns. His passion is focusing on guest satisfaction and developing strong leaders who can effectively manage a hotel and its team in order to drive financial performance.

His background includes over 20 years of hotel management experience. Will began his career in hospitality with Bristol Hotel Corporation before joining Grand Heritage Hotels, Starwood Hotels, Hospitality Management Corporation, and Platinum Portfolio. During his career, he and his hotels have received many accolades and awards.

Knowledgeable in many areas throughout his career, he has worked in all aspects of hotel operations and provides hands-on knowledge to his hotel properties. Will has a deep understanding of food and beverage and has also managed franchised restaurants. His experience ranges from small select-service hotels to full-service hotels, conference centers, and beach resorts. In addition to franchised hotels, Will has worked with several independent hotels and restaurants in developing concepts, repositioning, and openings. His strong background in hotel operations, food, and beverage, renovations, as well as sales and marketing makes him a strong asset for Kinseth Hospitality.

Rob Wartella

Director of Operations

Rob Wartella is a Director of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality Companies, overseeing a variety of hotel properties including economy, select service, and extended stay hotels throughout Wisconsin. In his role, he works with on-site General Manager’s to help achieve success in quality, customer service, and financial performance. His passion is working with his properties to achieve a common goal.

His educational background includes over 20 years of hotel management experience. He joined Kinseth Hospitality in 2006 as General Manager for Country Inn & Suites at the Madison West (Middleton) location. Rob has been presented with many awards throughout the years including Teamwork, Quality of Excellence, Perseverance, Leadership, and Select Service General Manager of the Year all presented by Kinseth Hospitality.

Knowledgeable in many areas including the daily operations of a given hotel, sales and hotel renovations, Rob provides practical leadership for his properties. Self-motivating and dependable under all conditions Rob’s expertise is a valuable resource for Kinseth Hospitality Companies.

Rob studied at the University of Wisconsin Stout and earned a BA degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

James Evans

Director of Operations

James Evans is a Director of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality, overseeing a diverse portfolio of hotels within the organization including economy, mid-scale and extended stay hotels in Iowa and Illinois. In his role, he oversees all aspects of hospitality operations for his properties. Each interaction and property visit are committed to improving both top and bottom line revenue while maintaining a focus on quality and guest satisfaction. His passion is developing his teams to embrace all duties of their position, from financial accountability, impeccable quality assurance, sales, and marketing, to positive service culture and community involvement.

His educational background includes over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry working with several brands including Hilton, Marriott, Choice, and Radisson. James has been engaged in limited service, select service and mid-scale brands at every level. Soon after managing his first property, James was promoted to Area Operations Manager overseeing multiple properties receiving accolades, including multiple GM of the Year awards, as well as Quality Assurance and Financial Achievements. Following his success with previous management companies, James joined the Kinseth Hospitality team in 2011 and shifted to a Regional Sales Director. In this role James worked with a multitude of brands developing a strong sales force, positioning each property to outperform their respective competitive set.

In his current position as Regional Operations Manager, James has a strong focus on quality, efficiency, service, and property sales. James takes all of this previous experience and embraces those experiences in his day to day management approach.

David Brown

Director of Operations

David Brown is a Director of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality, overseeing a variety of hotel properties across multiple brands including IHG, Marriott, Hilton, Radisson, and Best Western throughout the states of Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. In his role, he works closely with Hotel General Managers, Restaurant Managers, and Directors of Sales helping them achieve financial success and guest satisfaction performance. His passion is to develop strong property leaders who in return meet and exceed the expectations of their guests, brand leaders and ownership.

His background includes over 21 years of hospitality and hotel management experience. David began his career as Guest Service Representative and Night Auditor and moved his way up the ranks within the business. David has worked 20 of the 21 years in the business for Kinseth Hospitality. During his tenure with Kinseth Hospitality David has won numerous awards and accolades along with the coveted General Manager of the Year award.

David has extensive knowledge in many aspects of the Hotel business with a great knowledge in Revenue Management and a deep background in Food and Beverage as a General Manager of a franchised restaurant. His experience ranges from small select-service hotels to full-service hotels, and conference centers. His strong background in hotel operations, food, and beverage, renovations, as well as sales and marketing make him a strong asset for Kinseth Hospitality.

David has a degree in Business Administration from Baker University.

Elliott Rhoad

Director of Operations

Elliott Rhoad is a Director of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality, overseeing a diverse portfolio of hotels within the organization including full-service, limited service, and select service hotels in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. 
 
In his role, he works with hotel general managers, property owners, and investors to achieve financial success, enhance their career goals, and drive sales. Elliott’s focus is to assist in the professional growth of team members by helping as many of them as he can get to the next step in their careers to make our business stronger and develop loyal team members.
 
His educational background includes 24 years of experience in the hospitality industry starting out as a night auditor at a Best Western in Charleston, South Carolina. He joined Kinseth in 2018 as a General Manager for Holiday Inn Dubuque and successfully won the 2021 General Manager of The Year award for Kinseth. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business with a minor in Hospitality from the College of Charleston. 
 
In his current position as Director of Operations, Elliott leads his group with a strong grasp of finance, sales, and marketing ideas. He is always willing to try new things to gain positive exposure for his properties. In his free time, he enjoys coaching soccer and keeping up with his two teenagers.

Tammy Fraley

Director of Operations

Tammy Fraley is a Director of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality Companies, overseeing a portfolio of select service and extended stay hotels located in Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Colorado. In her role, she works closely with hotel General Managers, Directors of Sales, hotel Owners, and Investors. Her passion is mentoring individuals and supplying the tools to drive revenues, deliver a superior customer experience and create an inclusive culture at their hotels.  She is committed to the success of others and finds true satisfaction in realizing the potential of others by finding opportunities for their career growth.   
 
She began her career in hospitality in 1998, when she started working as a meeting planner securing hotel room blocks. Over the course of the next 10 years, she moved into the roles of Sales Coordinator, Sales Manager, Director of Group Sales, and Director of Sales & Marketing.  In 2009 she switched gears to work in operations as a General Manager which eventually evolved to an Area General Manager bringing her into her role today as a Director of Operations. She has over 24 years of experience in the hospitality industry and began working for Kinseth in 2012.
 
During her career, she has received many awards multiple times, including eight Quality Excellence Awards, seven Teamwork Awards, three Financial Achievement awards, and two Leadership Awards.  She has also been the recipient of a Perseverance Award and Select Service General Manager of the year. She holds an associate degree in marketing, General Manager Certifications for Marriott, Hilton, and IHG, and is also a Marriott Certified Meeting Planner. She enjoys sharing her experience and knowledge with others while gaining the same in return from each of the individuals she works with. In her free time, she enjoys family, crafting, and baking.

Suzy Ridder

Director of Operations

Suzy Ridder is a Director of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality, overseeing a majority of extended stay and limited-service properties within the Marriott and Hilton brand family. In her role, she works closely with hotel general managers, owners, investors, and brand teams. She also assists with setting up effective teams and brand systems at new construction properties. 

Suzy’s goal is to develop the skill sets of our general managers to be the best they can be while driving the financial success of the hotel brand in each market. In addition, she pushes her teams to drive guest satisfaction scores to the top 10% of their brands. She enjoys working for a family-owned business that can drive results but also values the importance of individual staff members by believing in them and treating them with respect and trust.

She started her hospitality career while working through college with a boutique hotel company in the San Francisco and surrounding areas.  From there she grew into many different hotel positions including Hotel General Manager.  She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business with an emphasis in Statistics from San Francisco State University. 

She successfully won the Extended Stay General Manager of the Year award for Kinseth in 2021. She was the lead opening manager for multiple Marriott Hotels and assisted in renovations and openings for both Hilton and IHG hotel brands. 

In her spare time, she enjoys visiting with family, walking her dog, and relaxing with friends. 

Dave Davis

Director of Operations

Dave Davis is a Director of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality, overseeing a diverse portfolio of hotels within the organization including full-service, limited service, and select service hotels in Iowa. 

In his role, he works with hotel general managers and property owners to Improve hotel profitability as well as guest & employee satisfaction. Dave is focused on working closely with a variety of hotels and different hotel staffs. He likes to see managers grow in their positions and profits improve.

His educational background includes 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry starting out as a server at a Holiday Inn restaurant called “Fat Eddies.” He joined Kinseth in 2005 as a General Manager for Radisson Hotel and Hampton Inn. Prior he spent 6 years as a resort GM of Blue Water Resort and Casino, and another 6 years at John Q Hammons and Horizon Hospitality. He has won several awards while working at Kinseth including the 2012 Full General Manager of The Year award, leadership, and financial management awards. He holds CHA, CRDE and CRBE certifications. 

In his free time, he enjoys golf, spectator sports and spending time with family.

​Lori Faught

Director of Operations

Lori Faught is a Director of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality, overseeing a diverse portfolio of hotels within the organization including full-service and limited-service hotels in Iowa and Minnesota.

In her role, she works with hotel general managers and property owners to achieve financial success, and drive sales. Lori enjoys helping properties grow financially, improving guest scores, and employee morale.

Her educational background includes 32 years of experience in the hospitality industry starting out at the front desk at the Holiday Inn for Kinseth in Mason City, Iowa. As a GM she was able to turn a property in probation around to be above average on QA’s for a 58 year old building.

She has won several awards while working at Kinseth including GM of the Year three times. Other awards were received for finance, marketing, aspire awards, and quality awards.

DJ Miller

Regional Director of Operations

DJ Miller is a Regional Director of Operations for Kinseth Hospitality, overseeing a diverse portfolio of hotels within the organization including full-service, limited service, and extended stay hotels in Omaha, Bellevue and Council Bluffs.

In his role, he works with hotel general managers to help them succeed with Kinseth Hospitality Company and the brand they are working for. DJ’s goal is to have his team achieve financial success, and help his general managers achieve any career goals they might have.
His educational background includes 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He started his career in 2008 at the HGI Sioux City Riverfront as an AGM then he moved to Omaha and started working for Kinseth Hospitality Company in 2011. In 2023 he won several awards, including Most Improved Service Scores for all Home2 Suites and the Leadership Award-Extended Stay. He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
 
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, hunting and fishing, golfing and watching his kids sports or choir events.

Stefanie Arnaman

Vice President of Sales, Marketing, E-Commerce, & Revenue

Stefanie Arnaman is the Vice President of Sales, Marketing, E-Commerce, and Revenue for Kinseth Hospitality Companies overseeing Revenue Management, E-Commerce, and Creative Marketing. In her role, she works with her team to maximize hotel revenue through effective inventory and pricing strategies based on future demand forecasts, current trends, and historical data. In addition, she oversees the E-Commerce manager and assists with developing strategies to drive online traffic to our company and portfolio websites. Together they coordinate website design, Search Engine Optimization, and photography for the portfolio. She also oversees the Creative Marketing Specialist by coordinating print media production and digital marketing projects.

With a very successful hands-on approach to managing people, her passion is to develop her teams through successful leadership training and mentoring, to build creative marketing strategies and e-commerce solutions that drive measurable metrics and revenue, and to push each hotel in the Kinseth Hospitality portfolio to reach their goals.

Her educational background includes over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry with over 15 years in revenue management for Kinseth Hospitality Companies. Previous to employment at Kinseth Hospitality Stefanie held many different titles with Larkin Hotel Management Company and Interstate Hotels. She has worked as Human Resources Manager, Front Offices Manager, Sales Manager, and Revenue Manager. In addition, she has experience working with many brands including Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, IHG, Choice, Wyndham, Carlson, Red Lion, and Independent Hotels.

She is a certified Revenue Manager with multiple brands. Her successful experience in hotel operations, revenue, and marketing strategies bring a wealth of knowledge to the Kinseth team.

Janette Steffensmeier

Director of Revenue Management

Janette Steffensmeier is the Director of Revenue Management for Kinseth Hospitality. In her role, she oversees the Revenue team and works closely with our hotel managers and their ownership teams to analyze markets and determine optimal product price points to help each property reach their revenue goals each year. Her passion is coaching both new and seasoned Hotel Managers on understanding revenue systems as well as enforcing proper use of the programs for optimal functionality.

Her educational background includes over 13 years of experience in the hospitality industry working with revenue management systems across many brands including Hilton, Choice, Radisson, Wyndham, Best Western, and Hyatt. She began her career with Kinseth Hospitality in 2008 and has held several positions at the Holiday Inn Express in Coralville, Iowa working her way up to the management team.

Knowledgeable in many areas Janette has been an integral part of Kinseth’s revenue management team working with nearly 50 properties including new builds, brand conversions, independent and receivership hotels. Her attention to detail, hands-on management style, and extensive understanding of each individual market Janette has been able to assist properties in attaining their revenue goals.

She received an accounting degree from Kirkwood in 2011 and joined our corporate revenue team that same year.

Neal Roth

Revenue Specialist

Neal Roth is a Revenue Specialist for Kinseth Hospitality, overseeing Select Service and Extended Stay brands. In his role, he works closely with hotel General Managers and Directors of Sales helping them achieve the most competitive results possible in regard to average daily rate and financial performance. While strong financial performance is the ultimate goal, Neal greatly enjoys building and mentoring teams of people that truly want to see each other succeed and rise together.

Neal has 33 years of experience working in the hospitality industry. He began his career with Kinseth Hospitality in the year 2000. He has served as General Manager at a total of 5 different full-service and select-service hotels, including 2 newly built properties, and oversaw a major full-service conversion. 

As a General Manager for KHC, Neal won many financial awards for strong financial performance as well as multiple sales awards. He was named General Manager of the year on more than one occasion. He has won multiple Quality Excellence Awards with different brands.  As an active member in his local community, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Iowa City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for nearly 20 years. Over the years he remains most proud of the several team members that he has worked with who have stayed with KHC long term and continue to grow in their careers in our amazing industry. 

Neal graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 1995, with a degree in Hospitality Administration. He still enjoys returning to Las Vegas on occasion.

Ashley Reuter

Revenue Specialist

Ashley Reuter is a Revenue Specialist for Kinseth Hospitality. In her role, she works closely with hotel managers and their ownership teams for our full-service, limited, select, and extended-stay hotels across all Marriott brands.

She enjoys analyzing local markets to determine optimal product price points to help each property achieve financial success and increase its revenue. Her passion is helping all hotels she is involved with succeed and meet their goals.

Ashley has over 9 years of experience in the hospitality industry and started out working at the front desk. She became a front desk manager (GSM) in 2018 at the West Des Moines Marriott. She won an award for teamwork from Kinseth in 2022. She has a degree in educational studies and is certified in One Yield.

She enjoys traveling, Hawkeye sports, and spending time with friends and family in her free time.

Stephany Kruger

Revenue Specialist

Stephany Kruger is a Revenue Specialist for Kinseth Hospitality. In her role, she works closely with hotel managers and their ownership teams for full-service and limited-service hotels across Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, primarily focusing on IHG properties and some Hilton hotels.

She enjoys analyzing local markets to determine optimal pricing strategies that help each property achieve financial success and drive sales. Her passion lies in building relationships with General Managers, Directors of Sales, and staff to support them in reaching their goals.

With over 8 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Stephany began her career as a Front Office Manager. She holds a degree in Hospitality Management, equipping her with the knowledge to excel in her role.

In her free time, she enjoys attending sporting events at Iowa State, cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Cubs, riding my bike and attending RAGBRAI every year.

Amber Olson

Revenue Specialist

Amber is a Revenue Specialist for Kinseth Hospitality, focusing on Hilton properties. In her role, she collaborates closely with hotel General Managers and their Directors of Sales to drive financial success across various locations.

With a passion for helping teams achieve their budget goals, Amber aims to instill confidence in the GMs and their staff, ensuring they feel supported by the corporate team. She particularly enjoys engaging with properties to refine pricing strategies, and she thrives on the variety of tasks and projects that come her way.

Amber brings four years of experience in the hospitality industry, having begun her career as a Guest Service Manager at the Iowa City Hilton Garden Inn before taking on her current role. Notably, her previous property won multiple awards, and she received a Teamwork Award from Kinseth in 2022.

In her free time, Amber loves spending time in her garden—whether tending to vegetables or flowers—and going on nature walks with her dogs. She also enjoys traveling, supporting Hawkeye sports, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Stacy Farmer

Corporate Director of Sales

Stacy Farmer is the Corporate Director of Sales for Kinseth Hospitality overseeing a portfolio of full-service, select-service and extended stay hotel properties. In her role, she works closely with the hotel director of sales and the entire hotel sales team, along with each brand to ensure the success of each hotel. Her passion is for training and developing sales teams to ensure they reach their highest potential.

Her educational background includes over 22 plus years in the hospitality industry working various hospitality positions including front desk, guest service manager and director of sales. Stacy started working with Kinseth in 2003 while attending the University of Iowa. She graduated with a BA in Communications.

With her knowledge and experience in hotel sales and operations Stacy is committed to unlocking every sales persons fullest potential while working one on one with each team to ensure success. Stacy is certified in Hilton and Radisson Sales, Cvent Meeting & Event Planning, as well as a certified and licensed Corporate Administrator for Delphi FDC and Delphi Standard for entire portfolio.

April Oehrle

Regional Director of Sales

April Oehrle is a Regional Director of Sales for Kinseth Hospitality overseeing a portfolio of full-service, select service and extended stay hotels. In her role, she works closely with Directors of Sales and their teams to ensure they have the knowledge, support and tools they need to be successful leaders in their roles.
 
She has worked in the hospitality industry managing both operations and sales working with several brands including Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, Radisson and Choice. April began working in the hospitality industry at a resort in Bloomington, Indiana in 1991 while pursuing her license in cosmetology and has remained in the industry ever since.

With knowledge and experience in food and beverage operations, banquet operations, group sales, catering sales, wedding planning and convention services; April is committed to increasing revenue across the brands while empowering the sales teams to be their best. She has a passion for the hospitality industry and mentoring others.

She is a certified Marriott Wedding Planner, CVENT certified Supplier and certified in CVENT Event Diagramming.  She has also successfully completed Marriott Access Edge and IHG Solution Selling.

Miriam Lemke

Regional Director of Sales

Miriam Lemke is a Regional Director of Sales for Kinseth Hospitality, overseeing a diverse portfolio of full-service, limited-service, select-service, and extended-stay hotels. In her role, she works closely with hotel General Managers, Directors of Sales, and Assistant General Managers/General Sales Managers to ensure they have the knowledge, support, and tools necessary to succeed in their leadership positions.

With 7 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Miriam began her career after graduating college with an internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando. She then moved to the Quad Cities, where she started as a Sales Admin at a Radisson and quickly advanced to Sales Manager at another Radisson. In 2018, she was recruited as Catering Manager at the Hilton Garden Inn Bettendorf, and in 2020, she was promoted to Director of Sales. Her dedication to excellence earned her the KHC Director of Sales of the Year award in 2021.

Miriam is committed to helping her teams exceed revenue goals, drive higher occupancy rates, secure partnerships with local businesses, and deliver exceptional customer service. She takes pride in building relationships with Directors of Sales and General Managers, and she enjoys mentoring her team to help them grow and develop their skills.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, which she humorously notes she uses daily, along with an Event Manager and Design Certificate. In her free time, Miriam enjoys hanging out with her husband, dogs, and family, cheering on the Hawkeyes, binge-watching TV, and daydreaming about being back at Walt Disney World.

Teresa Blythe

Regional Director of Sales

Teresa Blythe is a Regional Director of Sales for Kinseth Hospitality overseeing a portfolio of full-service and limited-service hotels. She works with properties in IL, WI, IA, MO and IN. In her role, she works closely with Directors of Sales and General managers to ensure they have the knowledge, support and tools they need to be able to drive sales for their property and enhance their career goals.

Teresa began her career by enrolling in the Travel & Tourism program at Parkland College, a community college for fun. She started working at the front desk at an independent hotel in Champaign, IL where she was promoted to reservations and then to sales. Teresa moved to St. Louis with friends and started her career with Marriott where she was flexible and was able to relocate to where the next opportunity took her, where she got her promotion to sales. Teresa has moved all over the United States and has worked with different brands, management companies and positions in sales. Teresa has since relocated back to Champaign where her career began and now working with Kinseth Hospitality Companies.

Teresa has a degree in Applied Science for Ornamental Horticulture, a Certificate in Travel & Tourism and has a Director of Sales certificate with Hilton Brand and Marriott Brand. She also was given the DOS sales Excellence Award in 2023.

Gayla Failor

Regional Director of Sales

Gayla Failor is a Regional Director of Sales at Kinseth Hospitality, she has 18 years of experience in hotel management. Gayla oversees a diverse portfolio of properties that include full-service, extended stay, and select-service brands. In her role, she works with many top-tier hotel brands, including Marriott, IHG, Hilton, and Hyatt, where she works closely with hotel General Managers and teams to drive sales excellence, enhance guest satisfaction, and achieve revenue growth.

With certifications from Marriott and IHG, Gayla has a proven history of leading high-performing teams and implementing strategies that deliver measurable success. Her leadership style emphasizes creating environments where individuals are empowered to exceed expectations and reach their full potential.

In addition to her hospitality expertise, Gayla has spent over a decade as a successful Real Estate Agent, guiding clients through the intricacies of property transactions and showcasing her versatility and commitment to outstanding results.

Outside of her professional pursuits, Gayla finds joy in spending time with her two dogs, Finley and Wilson.

Denise Stejskal

E-Commerce Web Manager

Denise Stejskal is the E-Commerce Web Manager for Kinseth Hospitality. In her role, she focuses on monitoring the online presence of all our properties across all Internet channels, including branded and non-branded websites, local listings, meta sites, and third-party OTA sites. She works closely with our revenue managers to develop meta channel and OTA travel ad campaign strategies for our hotels.

In addition, she assists, in coordinating professional photo shoots for our hotel products, and creates and designs websites for F&B or independent hotel outlets as needed. Denise also manages Google ads, provides SEO audits for branded and non-branded hotel and restaurant websites, and writes SEO-friendly copy. She monitors the online reputation of our assets and assists properties in connecting to their sites, reviewing disputes, and responding.

Denise loves brainstorming creative ideas and enjoys taking a deep dive to find digital marketing and advertising opportunities that have the potential to generate new business and increase revenue.  She enjoys teaching and watching fellow employees learn new things. She is highly organized and a big believer in utilizing the tools at hand to improve productivity, training, and communication within the organization. 

Denise joined Kinseth Hospitality in 2011. She graduated from Clarke University in Dubuque, IA with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish in 2003. She is also Marriott Plus Certified. She enjoys spending time with her family and traveling to new destinations.

Sarah Olberding

Marketing Manager

Sarah Olberding is the Marketing Manager for Kinseth Hospitality, where she creates effective marketing and sales materials and graphics with a focus on brand standards. She has a passion to create collateral that is well designed and grabs the attention of the target audience.

Since the beginning of her career, Sarah has focused on channeling her talent and creativity into meaningful and powerful results. She takes pride in her designs as well as the strong relationships she has built with clients and colleagues. Sarah firmly believes in working hard, working together, focusing on small details, and having fun along the way.

Sarah joined Kinseth Hospitality in May of 2018 and brings 4 years of graphic design experience after graduating from Clarke University in Dubuque, IA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design in 2014.

Michelle Peterson

Creative Marketing Specialist

Michelle Peterson is a Creative Marketing Specialist for Kinseth Hospitality with a focus on restaurant and food and beverage marketing. In her role, she works on building brand recognition and creating sales materials, as well as creating social media strategies for our restaurants and full-service properties. She also assists the marketing team and our entire portfolio by creating effective marketing and sales materials as needed. She has a passion for communicating visual ideas that successfully captivate a target audience and build successful relationships. 

Since the beginning of her career, Michelle has been a motivated self-starter with high energy. Her focus with creative marketing is on understanding the brand, and the target audience’s wants and needs, and then connecting all the dots. She loves how every day is different and filled with creative ways to communicate with our outside world. Working with so many different professionals gives her energy. 

She graduated from Iowa State University with a BA degree in Art and Visual Culture and a Minor in Apparel and Merchandising design in 2018 and from Upper Iowa University with a BA degree in Graphic Design in 2020. She is Google Ad Certified. When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family and being outside