Category Archives: People Spotlights

Team Member Spotlight: Vanessa Bejar, Pastry Chef at Musical Instrument Museum

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The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix is known for more than just its impressive collection of instruments and cultural exhibits. Thanks to the creativity of Guest Services’ pastry chef Vanessa Bejar and her collaboration with the talented MIM team, Café Allegro and Beats Coffee Bar® offer guests a flavorful experience to complement their visit.

From Passion to Profession

For Vanessa, the journey into pastry began at an early age. “I started baking when I was about 7 or 8 years old, helping my mom make goodie baskets for the holidays,” she shared. “I fell in love with baking and haven’t stopped since.” Now at MIM, Vanessa works as part of Guest Services’ dedicated culinary team, crafting everything from seasonal pastries to elaborate banquet desserts.

Vanessa’s responsibilities include:

  • Weekly-changing desserts: For Café Allegro, tailored to seasonal flavors and ingredients.
  • Daily pastry production: For Beats Coffee Bar®, featuring an assortment of cookies, muffins, scones, and breakfast pastries.
  • Catering for concerts and banquets: Ranging from casual treats to elegant plated desserts, often with creative themes.

Highlights of 2024

One of Vanessa’s standout moments from 2024 was being featured in MIM’s quarterly newsletter, Quarter Notes, for her seasonal holiday offerings. “It was such a fun experience showcasing the pies and pumpkin cream cheese bread loaves I created for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” she said. You can read more about Vanessa’s holiday creations by checking out her feature in Quarter Notes.

Her contributions to MIM’s nearly year-round concert series have also made a lasting impact. “With concerts happening almost 360 days a year, it’s rewarding to see guests enjoy my creations during such a variety of events,” she noted. Vanessa’s exceptional work is part of a larger Guest Services effort to enhance the guest experience, ensuring every culinary detail is handled with care and professionalism.

Looking Ahead to 2025

For 2025, Vanessa is excited about the creative possibilities that lie ahead, working alongside her team to elevate MIM’s culinary offerings:

  • Experience Weekends: These events, tied to MIM’s exhibits, allow Vanessa to craft desserts inspired by diverse cultures, such as Irish, Mexican, or Hawaiian flavors. “It’s a chance to make things I might never attempt otherwise,” she said.
  • Expanding the Menu: At Beats Coffee Bar®, Vanessa plans to introduce more seasonal pastry varieties and experiment with new recipes. “I love the creative freedom to try something new and see what resonates with guests,” she added.

Teamwork and Gratitude

Vanessa’s success reflects the collaborative spirit of Guest Services and the outstanding operations at MIM. The teamwork between Vanessa, Café Allegro, Beats Coffee Bar®, and the broader Guest Services culinary group ensures every dish is crafted to delight.

As Vanessa puts it, “I love seeing the joy that desserts bring to others. It makes me happy to know I can brighten someone’s day with something I’ve made.”

We extend our gratitude to Vanessa and the entire MIM team for their dedication and creativity, which continue to make the museum a memorable destination for guests from around the world.

 

Musical Instrument Museum Wins 2023 Q Award

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Congratulations to Thomas Painter and the Guest Services team members at the Musical Instrument Museum (“MIM”) in Phoenix, Arizona! The Q Award is presented to the unit that receives the highest Quality Assurance score in the Company. The MIM operations received an outstanding total score of 96.3%.

MIM is only 14 years old, but rates as one of the most unique and most visited attractions in Arizona. At over 200,000 square feet and a collection of more than 13,400 instruments and associated objects, MIM is the largest museum devoted to the art of the musical instrument.

To highlight the success achieved this past year at MIM, our Insider team met with Joe Van Hooser, Managing Director of Food & Beverage to discuss how the MIM team does such an excellent job keeping their quality assurance scores high.

Joe also discussed his confidence in Thomas Painter, the General Manager of F&B at MIM. “Thomas has been a breath of fresh air since his hire in early 2022. He is a true professional, extremely knowledgeable, and has a vast amount of experience. A golden shoo-in for MIM,” says Joe.

We also met with Thomas, who added, “Achieving the score was a goal from the outset of my tenure here. As a matter of fact, in early 2022, when Joe Van Hooser shared the Q Award parameters with me, I boasted that we would win that award in 2024. Typically, I am not so boastful, but I am constantly trying to set high standards for our team and felt that we were onto something with a very strong core.”

When asked if there is anything he is looking forward to in 2024, Thomas said, “Yes! More growth in all outlets and more creative GSI-initiated events like our Wine Dinner. This year we will explore Dinner Shows on the Main Courtyard at MIM and Seasonal Jazz Brunches.”

We’d also like to list the Honorable mentions of units below which scored 95% and above in 2023. In addition, there were a total of 48 units that scored 93% or above.

Callville Bay Food and Beverage, NV
Cottonwood Cove Retail, AZ
Willow Beach Recreation, AZ
Echo Bay RV Village, NV
Fletchers Cove Boathouse, D.C.
Cottonwood Cove Recreation, AZ
Cottonwood Cove Dining, AZ
Lincoln Memorial Retail South, D.C.
Callville Bay Retail, NV
Weeki Wachee State Park Rentals, FL
Lincoln Memorial Retail North, D.C.
Willow Beach Retail, AZ
Temple Bar Retail, AZ
Rainbow Springs State Park Boat Rentals, FL
Watkins Glen State Park Lower Café, NY
Rainbow Springs State Park Tube Rentals, FL

Congratulations to all properties on a great year!

Welcoming Rod Taylor as Vice President of Hospitality

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Congratulations to Rod Taylor, the new Guest Services Vice President of Hospitality! Rod’s career in hospitality began in 1980 as a mechanic in marinas, setting the stage for his growth in the industry. During his tenure with Forever Resorts, the previous concessionaire at our Lake Mead units, his role involved managing operations where they rented houseboats, dining operations, and much more, showcasing his ability to handle large-scale hospitality services.

 

Recently, Nico Foris, CEO, congratulated him by saying, “I am very excited to announce the promotion of Rod Taylor to Vice President of Hospitality, effective January 1, 2024. His dedication, commitment, and expertise have truly set Rod apart to join our executive leadership team at Guest Services. Rod’s four decades of operational experience, large-scale problem-solving of complicated matters with the National Park Service, and effective team management and leadership align so well with Guest Services’ core values, and he will continue to build upon the success of the division. In his new role, Rod will be responsible for overseeing the five properties at Lake Mead, Lake Roosevelt, Stehekin, Mount Rainier, and Big Sur. Please join me in congratulating Rod on this well-deserved promotion!”

 

Honoring Barry Trice: Celebrating 27 Years of Excellence as He Transitions into Retirement

We would also like to celebrate Barry Trice, our esteemed Senior Vice President of Hospitality, who is transitioning toward retirement. Barry’s 27 years of dedicated service have been a cornerstone of our success, setting a high standard of excellence and fostering key partnerships that have greatly benefitted Guest Services.

Nico said, “Barry Trice, our Senior Vice President of Hospitality, is now embarking on a separate transition toward retirement. Barry’s twenty-seven years of service to the Company has been invaluable.  He has established a standard of excellence and cultivated so many key partnerships and relationships, which we still maintain today. Barry will remain part of Guest Services to support Rod during the transition efforts over the next year and continue to be involved with our existing units on a lesser scale, notably at Florida Southern, Musical Instrument Museum, The Doubletree, and the Condominium & Property Management division. We are all extremely grateful for Barry’s contributions past, present, and into the future during this exciting time.”