ASCENT PROCESSING - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Client Support and Implementation Specialist
Arnelle was born in Freeport, Bahamas with a diverse lineage hailing from Ragged Island and Jamaica. She is currently located in Georgia, a place she has called home for many years now. She is also married with one child and a proud U.S. Army Veteran. Arnelle enjoys listening to audiobooks, cooking, fitness, traveling the world, and being adventurous. In addition, Arnelle is what most call a "Foodie"; Her origins already made her a food enthusiast, but throughout her travels the enthusiasm grew. Time spent in Korea eating their cuisine and falling in love with soul food in Georgia encouraged this love of food. Watching the Food network for fun (Iron Chef to be specific) also exacerbated this love of diverse cuisine; because of this when traveling she is more interested in eating at the local restaurants than visiting the popular tourist sites.
Most of all, Arnelle is on a constant journey to grow mentally, and spiritually. She believes that kindness, empathy, and positivity are powerful, free, and essential. Bringing forth an international background in HR and Credit Card Processing, Arnelle is very enthusiastic about providing excellent care to our Ascent Clients.
Having grown-up in southeast Florida where riding your bike to the beach was the norm and vacationing meant visiting family in big cities up north, Christine was awe-struck the first time she visited the Smoky Mountains and discovered a love of hiking and the four seasons. This newfound love ultimately led to her moving full time to the mountains in the mid-90's where she spent the next 20 years managing a top Vacation Rental Management company in Gatlinburg.
Christine has a strong background in accounting and a love of helping people solve problems while making them smile. She joined the Ascent family in 2016 and has been able to bring that unique perspective to her role as Chief Resource Officer.
When Christine isn't working, she enjoys hiking and spending time outdoors in the beautiful Smoky Mountains but also loves traveling, reading, and spending time with her family.
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou
Dawn joined Ascent Processing in 2019 with 13 years of experience in the payments industry. She is excited to be part of such an amazing group of people who all have a passion for providing the best service possible!
Dawn was born in California, grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and moved back to California as a young adult. This is where she met her husband and started her family. About 4 years ago they relocated to Utah.
When she isn't working, she is spending time with her husband and 4 kids. When not jumping around from one activity to the next, they love to go back to the Bay Area to see extended family and visit the beach or go to Southern California and go to Disneyland.
DeAnna entered the payment processing field 29 years ago and joined Ascent processing in 2004. A trailblazer in the space, she has helped propel the vacation rental business forward by providing higher standards of support and collaborating directly with Visa and other technology partners to shape new programs that have ultimately allowed clients to better grow and sustain their businesses.
Currently, DeAnna provides development and legal support as well as financial oversight to the Ascent team. She enjoys assisting with creative solutions, goal setting, and business guidance when needed.
A true Colorado native, DeAnna spends her days peacefully residing 7800 feet above sea level in the Boulder mountains, often hiking with her two rescue pups. DeAnna's purposeful and authentic lifestyle is part of what inspired her to blend both her passion and appreciation for travel with the vacation rental community to provide top tier service to those within the industry. She is continually grateful for the opportunity to help clients through the complexities of payment processing so they can be free to enjoy their own travelling adventures.
Debi joined the Ascent team in early 2022 with 20 years' experience in payment processing, merchant support, and sales. Debi is dedicated to assisting each client with perseverance and empathy. Her goal is to make people smile. Debi is a native Californian where she graduated from California Lutheran University and now resides in the Fresno area. She loves spending time with her family and several fur-babies.
Job Titles:
- Partnership Account Manager
Working in the travel industry gave Emily an appreciation for local cuisine. She is a foodie who enjoys living and eating like a local wherever she finds herself. She also has an almost-troubling stationery addiction and an uncontrollable need to color-code everything, including her two children, Gray and Khaki.
Born and raised in sunny Florida, Ephraim graduated from Oakwood University with a degree in Political Science and a minor in History. His career began in education as an elementary school teacher but transitioned into the tech world, where he spent several years working with startups of all sizes. Recently, Ephraim earned his MBA with a focus on Marketing.
Outside of work, he indulges in a passion for cooking and is a self-proclaimed master chef. He and his wife Lauren have been happily married for 3 years. Ephraim is also a devoted Lakers fan and an avid reader, finding particular inspiration in the teachings of Alan Watts.
A seasoned CEO, board advisor, and entrepreneur, Eric Mason brings nearly three decades of executive leadership to the table-guiding startups, scale-ups, and multinational corporations alike. While he is renowned for orchestrating transformative M&A transactions, Eric's expertise spans far beyond deal-making. His career is grounded in a deep passion for hospitality, technology, and real estate investment-sectors in which he has consistently delivered growth, innovation, and shareholder value.
Throughout his extensive career, Eric has:
Led Multiple Businesses: Serving as CEO and executive leader across various organizations, he blends operational excellence with visionary leadership. His track record includes building high-performing teams, streamlining operations, and positioning companies for sustained success.
Advised High-Growth Ventures: As a board member and strategic advisor, Eric guides companies through growth challenges-from securing capital and forging strategic alliances to refining go-to-market strategies in evolving sectors like short-term and mid-term rentals, real estate tech, and corporate housing.
Pioneered Real Estate & Hospitality Innovation: Eric has long recognized the convergence of hospitality and technology. He invests in and advises real estate ventures that leverage cutting-edge tech solutions-helping to develop smarter property management systems, optimize revenue, and deliver exceptional guest experiences.
Championed Tech-Driven Strategies: From SaaS platforms to data analytics and automation, Eric's leadership style is rooted in leveraging technology to gain competitive advantage. His ability to foresee market shifts and pivot quickly has enabled companies under his guidance to remain agile and profitable.
Fostered a Global Perspective: Having operated in multiple markets, Eric understands the complexities of international business, including navigating cultural nuances, building cross-border partnerships, and managing distributed teams.
Board & Advisory Roles: Eric currently serves on the boards of multiple companies, leveraging his strategic insight and operational experience to guide corporate governance, expansion strategies, and long-term planning. His board involvement spans both established firms and high-growth ventures looking to scale.
Job Titles:
- Client Success and Implementation Specialist
Jonathan Castano is a Texan through and through. He was born in San Antonio and lived in Austin until attending Texas State University. Upon earning his degree, Jonathan began working in the Vacation Rental Industry, with roles focusing on Trust & Security, Onboarding, and Account Management.
Jonathan enjoys vacationing at Disney with his wife and three children. During football season, he can be found on the couch cheering on the Houston Texans.
Jonathan is a native Californian, born and raised in the Bay Area, where he currently resides with his wife, 2 daughters and 4-legged (dog) son. From an early age, he was intrigued by different cultures (especially their food!) and was fortunate to grow up in a family that loved to travel. This love of travel, food and culture is what attracted Jonathan to the VR space.
When not working, he can typically be found driving his daughters to dance/gymnastics practice and competitions, and his "son" to the occasional dog show. Disneyland, Lake Tahoe, and Hawaii have been his go-to-family-friendly vacation destinations. Being a die-hard sports fan, Jonathan has a deep-rooted love for his local sports teams, and can always be found cheering for the Giants, Warriors, Sharks and Niners.
Before joining the Ascent team, Jonathan spent the last 13+ years in the payment processing world. He is excited to be joining such a great team to utilize his expertise in payment processing to help Vacation Rental/Lodging merchants streamline their programs and drive more direct revenue.
Jonathan is a native Californian, born and raised in the Bay Area, where he currently resides with his wife, 2 daughters and 4-legged (dog) son. From an early age, he was intrigued by different cultures (especially their food!) and was fortunate to grow up in a family that loved to travel. This love of travel, food and culture is what attracted Jonathan to the VR space.
When not working, he can typically be found driving his daughters to dance/gymnastics practice and competitions, and his "son" to the occasional dog show. Disneyland, Lake Tahoe, and Hawaii have been his go-to-family-friendly vacation destinations. Being a die-hard sports fan, Jonathan has a deep-rooted love for his local sports teams, and can always be found cheering for the Giants, Warriors, Sharks and Niners.
Before joining the Ascent team, Jonathan spent the last 13+ years in the payment processing world. He is excited to be joining such a great team to utilize his expertise in payment processing to help Vacation Rental/Lodging merchants streamline their programs and drive more direct revenue.
Julia was born in Steamboat Springs, CO, making her one of the rare people you meet in Colorado that was actually born here. She was bitten by the travel bug early in life and continues to enjoy seeing new places and learning new languages. She still lives in Colorado and enjoys riding horses and hiking with her dog, Olive. She has grown with Ascent since 2010 and loves working with such a great group of people, partners, and clients.
Julie is a wife, and mother of two boys with a passion for the game of lacrosse. Texas is currently where her family calls home after moving from Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia. Her house is divided with Bear fans and one Bronco fan. The Bronco fan is allowed to stay, since he is also a Cubs and Blackhawks fan.
When Julie isn't working she enjoys watching sports, traveling, and seeing live music. Her favorite places to travel are anywhere with a beach or near the mountains. There are only two states she hasn't been to which is a goal she intends to reach. Julie graduated from Northern Illinois University and began working at the local hospital as an exercise physiologist for 5 years. She moved to Golden, CO with her husband which is where she crossed paths with Ascent. She has been with Ascent Processing, Inc. since 2008 and is so grateful to be able to work with such unique and special people.
Lauren joined Ascent Processing in 2018 with 11 years of experience in Merchant Services, including Customer Service, Compliance, Training & Development and Operations Management.
Originally from Chicago, she relocated with her husband to Arizona in 2009, and has been enjoying the scenic desert life ever since. When she isn't working she can be found cooking and spending time with family, which also includes a dog and a chinchilla.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Paul was first drawn to the intersection of payments and technology in 1999, when he joined a small payments company in Boulder in need of a tech-forward critical thinker to help with large scale M&A growth. He moved quickly into leadership roles where he utilized exceptional logic, communication, and technology skills to find creative ways to solve problems for both internal and external customers.
Paul's leadership trajectory led him to the Bay Area of California, where he was instrumental in building systems and processes resulting in exponential growth for a young payments startup. Through senior leadership roles in both Operations and Sales, he built systems and teams across the country responsible for the company's double-digit annual growth. He led both internal and external technology teams and helped to craft and drive the company's overall strategy, leading to its successful acquisition by Global Payments in 2014.
Paul joined the Ascent team in 2019 and quickly began leveraging Ascent's unique position as the most-trusted vacation rental online payment processor to integrate innovative partner programs and groundbreaking short-term and long-term rental payment solutions. Ascent appreciates Paul's consultative approach to overcoming obstacles, his proven ability to help his partners and clients successfully grow their business, his extraordinary vision, and his leadership.
Paul now lives in North Carolina with his family and two dogs. He enjoys spending time with friends, attending live music, fishing, horses, traveling and cooking, and continues to find that helping people and businesses succeed is one of his favorite ways to spend time.
Being raised in a family that emigrated from the Czech Republic taught Regina to be grateful for all the opportunities and gifts that her life has been blessed with.
After working in the Payment Processing Industry for a small company in Boulder, CO, Regina fortunately realized at a young age, that focusing on the Vacation Rental and Lodging space was her true passion. Meeting kindred spirits that successfully added value to their companies and communities, while enjoying the vacation destinations they called home, gave her the inspiration to start Ascent. The challenges of payment acceptance for our industry 25 years ago, as well as today, continues to drive us to offer the strongest program to our clients and partners.
The opportunity to enjoy a life that combines a fulfilling and valuable career, travel (which she's often called "work"), the outdoors, and most importantly all the friendships created along the way, makes Regina excited and thankful for tomorrow.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
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Having spent his early years in both New York City and Northern New Jersey, Robert's journey led him to South Carolina in 1985, where he enrolled at Clemson University. Following his graduation, his connection with the Carolinas remained strong, and he currently resides just south of Myrtle Beach, S.C.
In the early 1990s, Robert assumed the role of Owner Relations Manager at a modest resort in South Carolina, overseeing slightly over 100 properties. This venture marked his entry into the hospitality and property management sector, which he has embraced ever since. Over a span of 12 years, Robert held various leadership positions within hospitality providers, spanning Operations, IT, and Accounting. His career trajectory climaxed in his appointment as General Manager for a vacation rental management company that oversaw a portfolio of more than 1,000 properties.
Taking a new direction, Robert transitioned to the supplier side of the Vacation Rental industry roughly 14 years ago. During this time, he represented well-regarded companies such as Instant Software and Visual Data Systems. In these capacities, he collaborated and consulted with a diverse array of property managers, ranging from small operations to larger entities across the United States. His focus was on equipping them with the knowledge and resources necessary not only to prosper but to excel in an ever-evolving landscape. Throughout his tenure, Robert delivered numerous presentations and workshops, relishing the opportunity to engage with clients and partners at industry events.
Robert became a part of the ASCENT team in 2020. He currently resides in the southern region of Myrtle Beach, allowing him to maintain a hands-on connection with the daily requirements of vacation rental managers. Amidst his responsibilities, he finds solace in enjoying the beach, provided the weather isn't sweltering.
Working in the travel industry gave Emily an appreciation for local cuisine. She is a foodie who enjoys living and eating like a local wherever she finds herself. She also has an almost-troubling stationery addiction and an uncontrollable need to color-code everything, including her two children, Gray and Khaki.