The Team

President

Aaron Walker

Aaron Walker is the president of ARK Hospitality. 

Beginning at the age of sixteen with his first job in a family-owned hotel, through today, Aaron has gained a lifetime of hospitality experience and is excited to bring that knowledge to ARK Hospitality and its clients.  After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in finance and economics, Aaron continued his hospitality journey with Marriott International, serving in numerous property-level management positions.  He later joined Park Management Group and steadily rose in responsibility, serving as Director of Operations and Vice President, helping Park Management grow from 3 hotels to well over 150. 

In 2012, Aaron joined Aimbridge Hospitality as a Vice President of Operations, overseeing multiple brands across the United States.  Aaron was instrumental in leading two of the fastest-growing divisions within Aimbridge, the mid-scale and extended stay divisions, from their infancy to well over 250 properties. Results-driven, Aaron prides himself on developing owner-first relationships and has founded ARK Hospitality with that principle at its core: “Everything we do is to create value, build genuine long-lasting relationships, and help maximize returns for our owners”. 

Aaron has had the privilege of serving on numerous national associations and industry committees over the years.  Through these roles, he has been instrumental in shaping industry standards and advocating for policy changes that support the hospitality space and its overall long-term growth and stability.  His collaborative approach has made him a sought-after voice for high-level strategic initiatives and national governance. 

Chief Operating Officer

Jeff Bailey

Jeff Bailey is the chief operating officer for ARK Hospitality.

Jeff’s hospitality career began as a teenager in South Florida. Before joining ARK, he worked at more than a dozen full-service hotels across the country, owned two restaurants, and currently plays an integral role in growing our people and portfolio. He has experience with several hotel brands, including Marriott, IHG, and Hilton. His accolades include General Manager of the Year, Most Improved Marriott in the World, and Best Customer Experience for two consecutive years.

“Together, we’re stronger!” is a quote that has guided much of Jeff’s career. A leader within several community and state hotel associations, Jeff has been engaged in government relations and other efforts to help secure local tourism funds and lead various hotel leaders toward a common goal locally and beyond.

Jeff understands the importance of using his talents and experience to help the overall industry. His desire to develop others has extended to organizing educational outreach programs to schools and people with special needs.

Senior Vice President of
Growth and Performance 

Amy Howland

Amy Howland is the senior vice president of growth and performance for ARK Hospitality.

Bringing more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Amy’s career began as a part-time front desk associate. This role ignited her passion for creating exceptional guest experiences and set the foundation for her people-first approach to leadership.

Over the course of her career, Amy explored various facets of hospitality, including a brief tenure in sales, before discovering that her true strength and calling is in operations. Known for elevating service standards, developing high-performing teams, and leading with clarity and purpose, she has earned a reputation as a trusted and impactful leader in every organization she has served.

Before joining ARK, Amy was the senior vice president of operations at Sandpiper Hospitality, where she oversaw hotel operations, task force managers, recruiting, and new property transitions. She led large-scale operational initiatives across 73 assets, strengthened organizational alignment, and played a pivotal role in supporting the company’s accelerated growth and performance.

At the heart of Amy’s leadership is an unwavering commitment to people. She believes deeply in serving both guests and team members, creating environments where individuals feel supported, valued, and empowered to excel. Her philosophy and approach align seamlessly with ARK’s vision, mission, and core values.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Amy is a devoted wife to her high school sweetheart, a proud mother of four adult children, and “Nana” to five beloved grandchildren. She enjoys spending time outdoors – especially on adventures accompanied by her two dogs – and is guided by the belief that life is defined by breathtaking moments that leave lasting impressions.

Vice President of Operations

Dennis Sicher

Dennis Sicher is the vice president of operations for ARK Hospitality.

Dennis is a highly experienced hospitality professional with over 30 years of success in the industry.

With a strong background in customer service and operations management, Dennis has consistently delivered exceptional guest experiences throughout his career. Before hospitality, Dennis served in the Air Force, where he developed valuable skills in leadership, teamwork, and attention to detail. His dedication to excellence and commitment to providing top-notch service have earned him a reputation for delivering results. Dennis’s extensive experience, combined with his military background, makes him a reliable and efficient professional in the hospitality field.

While Dennis uses many quotes, his favorite ones are “Control your controllables” and “Do it, do it right, and do it right now.”

In addition to his successful career, Dennis finds joy in his personal life. He is happily married to his wife, Tina. Together, they share a love for their grandchildren and spending quality time with them. Dennis and Tina also have a passion for travel – exploring new destinations and embracing different cultures. They particularly enjoy relaxing on the beach and occasionally embarking on a cruise to unwind and create lasting memories.  This balance between work and personal life reflects Dennis’s ability to prioritize and find fulfillment in both professional and personal endeavors.

Vice President of People and Culture

Gabriela Poineau

Gabriela Poineau is the vice president of people and culture for ARK Hospitality.

Originally from Chile, South America, Gabriela began her career in hospitality as a housekeeper while going to college for accounting. Upon learning that she was studying accounting, she was offered the opportunity to begin working in the management company as an accounting manager. Given her financial acumen, understanding of operations and “people IQ”, Gabriela was invited to consider transitioning to the People and Culture department as the director of engagement, followed by director of people and culture.

Gabriela currently serves ARK as the vice president of people and culture. She oversees people operations (human resources), payroll, benefits, compliance, training, and team member engagement. She implements and evaluates programs that maintain ARK’s renowned culture, which fuels its operational success across more than 100 hotels.

Vice President of Hotel Accounting

Tina Newberry

Tina Newberry is the Vice President of Hotel Accounting for ARK Hospitality, focusing on the management company’s hotel accounting.

Tina comes with over two decades of industry experience, which will help ensure that ARK is scalable for growth at every level.

Tina is known for being a confident and influential agent for positive change with a keen eye for providing detailed and accurate financial reporting to leadership and investors. Before joining ARK, Tina was Vice President of Finance at HRI Hospitality, where she was a catalyst for system automation – streamlining daily and monthly reporting. Tina served as Vice President of Centralized Accounting at Aimbridge Hospitality, where her team provided accounting services for over 200 properties. At Remington Hospitality, Tina’s career grew from Accounting Manager to Vice President of Accounting alongside Remington’s growth of tripling the number of managed properties. Before joining the corporate side, she contributed at the property level as Controller for multiple brands.

Tina holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of New Orleans and completed postgraduate work at Loyola University of New Orleans. She is an active licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas.

On the personal side, Tina enjoys spending time with her husband, Cory, of 18 years, and their 16-year-old daughter, Gabby. As a family, they focus on traveling to new places to experience the culture and relax on beaches. Tina and her family also have a big heart for rescuing animals, growing their fur baby family to three cats – Clover, Aria, and Eliza and three dogs – Lizzie, Dandy, and Maggie.

Vice President of Development & Analytics

Greg Thompson

Greg Thompson is the vice president of development and analytics for ARK Hospitality.

Greg is a seasoned professional with a passion for excellence and a commitment to nurturing guest satisfaction and team member well-being. With over 25 years in the hospitality sector, Greg’s journey has been marked by a diverse range of roles and accomplishments. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Professional Golf Management from Methodist University, which laid the groundwork for his successful career in the industry.

In 2000, Greg started in private country clubs as an assistant golf pro before joining the clubhouse management team as the food and beverage manager. In 2009, he joined an award-winning Homewood Suites as an assistant general manager. This eventually led to a dual general manager role where he excelled in overseeing operations and revenue management for a portfolio of properties. In 2019, Greg joined Aimbridge Hospitality as a dual general manager, showcasing his leadership capabilities and operational acumen. His dedication and hard work were recognized when he was promoted to director of operations in 2020. In that role, he successfully managed a portfolio of 22 hotels that included renowned brands such as Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Choice, and ESA.

Throughout Greg’s career, he has demonstrated a strong foundation in hospitality management and a proven track record of success in various leadership roles. His mantra of, “Take care of your people, and they will take care of you,” underscores his people-centric approach to management, emphasizing the importance of nurturing relationships and fostering a positive work culture within the organizations he serves.

Vice President of Transitions & Development

Arturo Jimenez

Arturo Jimenez is the vice president of transitions & development for ARK.

Arturo’s career started at the young age of 19 years old as a DJ for Royal Caribbean. There he met the love of his life. After about 5 years, Arturo moved to Puerto Rico to work with the largest Puerto Rican hospitality company by managing a Howard Johnson in Mayaguez. Two years later, Arturo decided to move to Virginia to work with various hotels like Williamsburg Marriott, Kingsmill Resort, The Jefferson Washington DC Boutique Hotel, and the Hilton Oceanfront Virginia Beach. Throughout his time at these hotels, Arturo was the director of rooms, the director of housekeeping, a hotel manager, and, most recently, a regional vice president for Sandpiper.

Vice President of Commercial Strategy & Performance

Heather Condeluci

Heather Condeluci is the vice president of commercial strategy & performance at ARK Hospitality.

Heather is a high-impact commercial leader whose rapid progression at ARK Hospitality reflects her strong ownership relationships, deep extended-stay and select-service expertise, and consistent ability to drive performance across diverse markets. After joining ARK as regional director of sales, she advanced quickly through regional vice president into her current role, a promotion earned through measurable portfolio growth, strengthened owner trust, and transformational sales leadership.

In her role as vice president, Heather leads ARK’s commercial strategy across an expanding multi-brand portfolio, guiding teams through openings, turnarounds, and long-term strategic planning. Known for her owner-first communication style and collaborative leadership, she ensures alignment between property teams, revenue management, brand partners, and ownership groups to deliver both near-term results and sustained asset performance.

Since joining ARK, Heather has been instrumental in onboarding and developing high-performing sales teams, elevating sales culture, and driving commercial results at both stabilized and ramping assets. Her leadership has contributed to year-over-year revenue growth, improved extended-stay occupancy contribution, stronger negotiated account penetration, and meaningful share shift across key markets. Heather’s ability to blend data-driven strategy with hands-on execution has become a cornerstone of ARK’s success in extended-stay and select-service segments.

With more than a decade of hospitality sales experience, Heather brings a deep understanding of extended-stay demand, project-based business, government and corporate negotiated segments, and market-by-market commercial optimization. Her strategic approach was shaped by previous multi-property leadership roles at Sonesta, where she oversaw a large extended-stay and select-service portfolio and drove competitive outperformance.

Heather’s leadership, relationship-building, and commitment to delivering results position her as a trusted partner to ownership groups and a key driver of ARK Hospitality’s continued commercial growth.

Regional Vice President of Operations

Jerry Alnemat

Jeries (“Jerry”​) Alnemat is a regional vice president of operations at ARK Hospitality.  

Jerry was born and raised in Jordan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in statistics. He has worked as a construction project manager and restaurant manager before moving to the United States, where he continued his career in the food and beverage industry.

In 2016, Jerry started as a general manager, where revenues, profits, and scores soared. In 2020, Jerry was promoted to a regional role. He continues to excel, managing dozens of properties under a variety of brands, including Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham, etc. Jerry has developed a number of award-winning general managers.

Jerry is an award-winning, authentic, involved leader with a strong business sense and engaging interpersonal skills. His approach to business is summed up with one of his favorite quotes: “Hard work wrapped with a positive approach can always bring the team to perform at their best.

Jerry is happily married with a daughter, a grandson, and two fur babies.

Regional Vice President of Operations

Tyler Pitman

Tyler Pitman is a Regional Vice President of Operations at ARK Hospitality, where he oversees the financial and operational performance of a diverse portfolio of branded hotels across the United States.

With more than a decade of experience leading extended stay and select service properties, Tyler brings a proven ability to drive results while fostering a culture of collaboration and growth. He is recognized for his strategic mindset, clear communication, and talent for inspiring and motivating teams. Leading by example, Tyler demonstrates integrity, adaptability, and a results-oriented approach that consistently elevates performance.

Before joining ARK, Tyler served as regional director of operations at Aimbridge Hospitality. His expertise spans major brands including Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham, Best Western, Choice, and Extended Stay America. Tyler has an extensive track record in operations, sales, revenue strategy, hotel openings, receiverships, conversions, and transitions.

Regional Vice President Commercial Performance

Mark Colville

Mark Colville is the regional vice president of commercial strategy for ARK Hospitality.

In 2024, Mark joined the ARK team as regional director of sales. With experience across Hilton, Sonesta, Choice, and independent hotels, he is passionate about building strong relationships, driving top-line revenue growth, and creating winning cultures within hotel teams.

Known for his hands-on and collaborative leadership style, Mark enjoys working closely with property teams, ownership groups, and commercial leaders to uncover new business opportunities and strengthen hotel performance. He takes pride in mentoring and developing sales leaders, helping them grow in their careers while building confidence in their leadership abilities.

Throughout his career, Mark has consistently delivered results through proactive sales strategies, market insight, and relationship-driven business development. He believes success starts with people first – building trust with clients, supporting hotel teams, and creating partnerships that lead to long-term growth for both the hotels and the individuals behind them.

In his current role, Mark oversees commercial strategy initiatives across ARK Hospitality’s growing portfolio, partnering with sales, revenue management, marketing, and operations teams to maximize revenue opportunities and support continued portfolio growth.