NEWH - Summer 2012 - (Page 18)

Q&A One-on-one with Jason Stock Why hospitality? Construction, architecture, and design have always been passions of mine, but the hospitality industry truly is a world of its own. Some of the most talented people from the A/D/E & C elds are involved in hotel construction and renovation, and there’s a draw there to work with some of the top individuals in their respective elds. Hotels are also more than just commercial assets—they are living and breathing buildings. When you look at all the di erent components of a hotel, they really represent three to four businesses in one. e property-level people that make these di erent businesses function have completely di erent perspectives and feelings as to what their hotels represent; but ultimately, they all have the same goal of trying to establish the home-away-from-home feeling for guests. president of the Washington DC Metro chapter, and director of business development, First Finish, Inc. subcontractors to manufacturers); now that things are coming back online, we have tighter deadlines and many companies are faced with either sta ng or manufacturing stressors and we’re ultimately responsible for bridging the gap. We’re addressing these obstacles with open and honest communication. We don’t view projects and ownership groups as customers and products that we sell—we approach things as their trusted advisor. We need to deliver a message that’s clear and propose real-world solutions, regardless of the impact it may have on us being selected as the partner for the project. ere’s a de nite di erence between a ‘can-do’ attitude and what is actually achievable within our industry’s new paradigm. As the president of the Washington DC Metro chapter, what are some of your initiatives for the year? Since we’re celebrating twenty years, we’ve added some speci c goals which include reaching two hundred general members and awarding $20,000 in scholarships, which would bring our chapter’s cumulative total to more than $200,000. Aside from our fundraisers and programs, we’ve also been working very hard to attract hospitality professionals from previously untapped groups. We’ve had great success in getting more people to attend and participate in our events from the ownership, management, and construction management elds. Bringing asset managers, acquisition, and development professionals along with analysts and operators to contribute has resulted in many current members developing a more complete understanding of how our industry works. How did you end up where you are today? By complete accident. I did have a construction background, but nowhere near the level of expertise my colleagues at First Finish have. My background is actually in international trade, export, and tourism promotion, and I was overseas for a number of years. When I heard about the opportunity with First Finish, it seemed to be a great t—my career path has always had a business development/outreach component and some sort of link to hospitality. After a few meetings with First Finish, the culture of the company just drew me in. What was it about First Finish that attracted you to your current role? First Finish has always been a big believer in getting involved in the community and grassroots business development. ey support many worthy causes, and they also get involved in a number of industry-speci c associations and boards. Association involvement is something that I believe in very strongly. First Finish has not only supported me in my outreach e orts, they’ve encouraged it. e other deciding factor was First Finish’s culture. We’re a very passionate group and it shows in everything we do. When you see a high level of passion, and it’s not just top-down but rather it’s in every ber of every person, you know you’ll have a chance to do something special. Without being too focused on our market, I’m very much looking forward to our upcoming golf tournament, the State of the Industry event, and our 20 th year Gala celebration. I’m also really looking forward to the Leadership Conference in 2013. What NEWH events this year are you most looking forward to and why? What has NEWH done for you? What are some of the biggest challenges in the industry today? It’s opened doors for me professionally and personally. I’ve been able to meet, interact, and, as a result, work with some of the most talented people in the hospitality industry—many of whom I now call my friends. Time is the biggest challenge. I can’t think of one project that doesn’t involve a time/risk component. It has always been the case in the hospitality renovation business, but I would say that right now we’re feeling it the most. Many companies downsized across all segments of our industry due the recession (from A&D rms, 18 www.newh.org When you are not at work or at NEWH events, where can we nd you? If I’m not working, you’ll always nd me with my three-year-old son, at the zoo, aquarium, science center, or a park or museum— anything that keeps him excited about learning and discovering new things. ❙❘❚ http://www.newh.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - Summer 2012

NEWH - Summer 2012
Table of Contents
News
Who’s Who
Sustainability: Point of View
Scholarship
Q&A: Jason Stock
Q&A: Adrienne Pumphrey
Have You Seen?
Product Know How
On the Scene
Hunter Douglas Hospitality
Project: Omni Dallas Hotel
Project: Creek Tower at Cherokee Casino & Hotel
Save the Date
New Members
Partner Profiles
Ad Index

NEWH - Summer 2012