TRADEWINDS ISLAND RESORTS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Catering / Convention Services
Alana Owens, Director of Catering/Convention Services, was born in the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area before moving to Washington state where she received a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington. She moved back to her home town in August 2011 and joined TradeWinds as a Booking Administrator. Alana has held previous positions including Convention Services Manager and National Sales Manager before transitioning into her new role as Director of Catering/Convention Services. aowens@twresort.com, 727.363.2331
Bob LaCasse, Managing Director. Bob is a longtime industry veteran bringing more than 25 years of hotel and resort management to his new position. Prior to joining TradeWinds, Bob was the Managing Director for Cheeca Lodge Resort in the Florida Keys where he and his team were recognized by the prestigious National Gold Stevie Award for leadership in hospitality in 2019 from the American Business Awards. LaCasse has traveled throughout the country managing many top-quality resorts and hotels, including the Marriott in Delray Beach, FL as General Manager, Le Meridien in San Francisco as Managing Director, Area Director of acquisitions and transitions for HEI Hotels, Regional Director of Operations for Interstate Hotels overseeing five hotels, including the International Hotel, all adjacent to the world renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Bob also served as Managing Director for Hyatt Hotels at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Newport, RI. Bob began his career in his hometown as Executive Steward at the 1200 room Sheraton Boston with ITT Sheraton, later Starwood Lodging, which led to his first time General Manager role. Bob is a Boston native, married, and has three sons.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Finance
- VP of Finance and Accounting
Elda Vaso, Vice President of Finance and Accounting, has been with the TradeWinds Island Resorts team for almost twenty years. Vaso joined the accounting team in 1998 and has held different positions within the department, including accounting assistant, staff accountant, assistant controller, and financial controller. Her responsibilities as Vice President of Finance and Accounting include financial reporting, banking, budgeting and leading the accounting team. A native of Albania, she moved to Florida in 1996. Vaso attended University of Tirana, and graduated in 1995 with a degree in Economics, specializing in Financial Accounting. She lives in St. Petersburg with her husband and two children.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Human Resources
- VP of HR
James (Jim) McKenna, Vice President of Human Resources, has a long history of helping hospitality employees around the Tampa Bay area. Before bringing his talents to the team at TradeWinds in 2021, he served as the Area Director of Human Resources for a company called Aimbridge Hospitality which manages both South Seas Island Resort and the Inns of Sanibel. Prior to spending the past 8+ years with Aimbridge, Jim also served over 5 years at Saddlebrook Resort as the Director of HR & Loss Control and 5+ years at the neighboring Don Cesar Resort as the Director of Human Resources. A true champion for company culture and the people who make it all happen, Jim's passion for hotel employees has been a motivating factor throughout his career. He attended Penn State Erie, receiving his degree in Business Administration and Management. Jim currently resides in St. Petersburg with his wife.
Job Titles:
- Food & Beverage Director
- VP of Food & Beverage
Jeff Fredrickson, TradeWinds Food & Beverage Director, has been with the properties for 18 years. Fredrickson oversees all aspects of food and beverage service at the Island Grand and RumFish Beach Resort, which includes 14 dining and entertainment venues. With more than 34 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Fredrickson is a graduate of the esteemed Culinary Institute of America. Before joining the TradeWinds, he worked as the Executive Chef for several prestigious venues, including Trump Taj Mahal Casino & Resort, the Hotel Condado Beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico and the Grand Bay Hotel in Miami. In conjunction with his culinary team, Fredrickson helped launch the first-ever TradeWinds Island Resorts cookbook, "Flavors of the Beach." A Boston native, Fredrickson currently resides in St. Petersburg with his wife, Ella, and their three children.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Sales
Karleen Johnson, Assistant Director of Sales, joined the TradeWinds Island Resorts in June of 2000. Prior to her promotion in July of 2021, Karleen held previous positions at TradeWinds as National Sales Manager, Catering Sales Manager and Convention Service Manager. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Florida. Karleen was named TradeWinds' Catering and Convention Service Manager of the Year in 2005 and obtained her CMP Certification in 2006.
Matt Danders, National Sales Manager, was a native of Kansas prior to his arrival in St. Petersburg in 2018. Matt has over 20 years experience in the hospitality industry with previous positions held at the upscale InterContinental Hotel Group and Hilton branded hotels in the Kansas City area. Before joining TradeWinds Island Resorts, Matt was National Sales Manager at a renowned golf resort in the St. Petersburg area.
Shelly Palmquist's career has been dedicated to the hospitality industry, having served more than 33 years at the TradeWinds Island Resorts, in addition to several other vacation ownership companies. Currently, she is the Vice President of Revenue Management, responsible for overseeing the room revenue department, group and leisure reservations, and the tour and travel market. Palmquist began as a reservation agent and worked in several positions including reservation manager, group reservation manager and reservations and revenue director. She is responsible for daily revenue forecasting and rate adjustments as well as the annual room revenue budget. Palmquist has participated in numerous revenue management workshops and is Navis certified. A native of Trenton, New Jersey, she has lived in the St. Petersburg area most of her life. She resides with her husband in Seminole and has two grown children.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Sales
- VP of Sales
Terry Popelka, Vice President of Sales, is the most recent addition to the TradeWinds executive team, coming on board in 2009. In this position, Popelka leads the group sales team along with the conference services and catering programs for both TradeWinds Island Resorts. A 20-year hospitality industry veteran, Popelka spent five years with TradeWinds from 1995 to 2000. He left as National Sales Manager to continue his career with Starwood as Director of Northeast Sales for the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida. During his nine years with this property, he was named the 2008 Sales Manager of the Year for large hotels. Popelka attended Valencia Community College and the University of Central Florida and is a member of the New York Society of Association Executives (NYASE) and Financial and Insurance Conference Planners (FICP).
Terry Popelka, Vice President of Sales, leads the overall group sales team, conference services and catering programs. Before joining TradeWinds Island Resorts in November 2009, Terry was with the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort as the Director of Northeast Sales for just nine years. Terry received numerous awards during his career with Starwood, and in 2008, he was named Starwood sales person of the year for all of North America. A veteran of the hospitality industry, Terry started his career in hospitality sales with TradeWinds back in 1995. tpopelka@twresort.com, 727.363.2245
Job Titles:
- Hotel Manager
- Hotel Manager, Supports
Travis Johnson, Hotel Manager, supports the Managing Director with all day-to-day hotel operations and oversees the hiring of new staff and the resort's marketing efforts. Johnson, who has been with TradeWinds since 2001, has held a variety of key roles with the company, including Director of Recreation/Activities, Guest Service Manager, Director of Resort Operations, General Manager (SandPiper Beach Resort), and Vice President of Marketing. Johnson currently serves on the Pinellas Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Board of Directors. He previously served on the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce Board from 2009-2016 and was Chairman in 2015. A native of Canada, Johnson attended Bemidji State University and graduated with degrees in Mass Communication and Sport Management studies. Johnson resides in St. Petersburg with his wife and two daughters.