Q Eric A. Danziger, a 30-year industry veteran, has been named president and CEO of Wyndham Hotel Group. Danziger, who started as a bellman at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, spent 11 years with Doubletree, becoming president of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts in 1990. He served as president and CEO of Starwood Lodging and later served as president and CEO of Carlson Hotels Worldwide. Most recently, Danziger was CEO of WhiteFence, an online site for home services.

Q Dolce Hotels and Resorts appointed Steven A. Rudnitsky president and CEO. Rudnitsky recently stepped down as president and CEO of Wyndham Worldwide's Hotel Group. Reporting to Rudnitsky are Steve Giblin, chief operating officer; Debra Bates, chief financial and development officer; and Carl Cohen, chief sales and marketing officer.

Q Red Roof Inn Chief Executive Officer Joe Wheeling is stepping down, effective April 30. Wheeling will remain in a senior advisory capacity and as a member of the board of directors for two years. The company will execute a national search for his replacement.

Q Joe Molinaro, founder of Molinaro Koger, died in early December at age 84. Molinaro founded C. Joseph Molinaro Associates in 1959 as a real estate brokerage serving the hospitality industry.

Q Joie de Vivre, California's largest boutique hotel collection, promoted Ingrid Summerfield to president. Summerfield, who has more than 25 years of hospitality experience, also serves as chief operating officer.

Q Benchmark Hospitality named Wende Blumberg general manager for Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, FL.

Q John Campbell, general manager of the La Jolla (CA) Beach & Tennis Club, was elected secretary/treasurer of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. In related news, Joseph A. McInerney, president and CEO of the AH&LA, extended his contract an additional two years, ending October 2011.

HEI Hotels & Resorts appointed Brian Mayer to the position of senior vice president of operations. Prior to joining HEI, Mayer spent nearly 10 years with Starwood Hotel & Resorts.

Q Martin Rinck, the newly named president for Hilton Hotels-Asia Pacific will be based at the company's regional headquarters in Singapore.

Q The Hispanic Hotel Owners Association named Raul Leal, president and partner of Tecton Hospitality and Desires Hotels, Hotelier of the Year. Leal recently led 27 associates who participated in Team Build, a Habitat for Humanity project.

Hilton Hotels Corporation appointed Paul J. Brown to the position of president, global brands and shared services. Brown will report to Hilton's President and CEO Christopher J. Nassetta.

After three years as managing director of Inn of the Anasazi, Marcie Lieberman has joined Rosewood Hotels & Resorts as senior corporate director of operations.

Q Navin Dimond, president and CEO of Stonebridge Companies, was inducted into the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association Hall of Fame. Stonebridge Companies is a leading franchise development and management company for Hilton Hotels, Marriott International and Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

Q Boomerang Hotels, parent company of GuestHouse International Hotels, Inns & Suites and Settle Inn & Suites, appointed Sandy Thibodeaux as Southeast regional director of franchise sales and development. Based in Kissimmee, FL, Thibodeaux is responsible for brand growth and development in Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and North and South Carolina.

Q Sal Capriola was recently named director of training for Hotel Equities. His responsibilities include conducting training classes and scheduling hotel inspections.

Craig Stechman has taken over as senior vice president of sales and marketing at Windsor Capital Group, parent company of Windsor Hospitality Group. Stechman spent the last seven-plus years as VP, sales and marketing for Hersha Hospitality Management and has more than 25 years of industry experience.

The Dow Hotel Company promoted senior general managers Michael Pitstick and Steven Falciani to the newly created position of regional vice president of operations. Pitstick was general manager of the Bellevue (WA) Hilton, and Falciani was general manager of the Marriott Suites Anaheim (CA).

John Flannigan is the new president of the JRK Hotel Group. Most recently, Flannigan was general manager of the group's Hotel Roger Williams in New York City, where he oversaw the property's re-opening in 2004. Prior to joining JRK, he was general manager of the Hotel Giraffe in New York City.

Thomas J. Hutchison III, Jay H. Berlinsky and David F. Urban have formed Legacy Hotel Advisors, a firm specializing in strategic hotel positioning, capital sourcing, condo and mixed-use conversions, site selection and asset management. Hutchison, founding member and chairman of Legacy, is the past CEO of CNL Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Berlinsky, president and CEO, was executive vice president of CNL Realty & Development Corp. Urban, senior vice president of planning, served as vice president of capital planning for Pyramid Advisors.

Hospitality Ventures named Michelle Davis director of revenue management. Davis recently worked as area director of revenue management, Carolina Regional Revenue Center for Hilton Hotels Corporation. Also at Hospitality Ventures, Andrew Bou has been appointed vice president-accounting and finance.

Greg Mendoza, former vice president operations/development at Millennium Partners, is the new general manager of The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park. In his previous role, Mendoza was responsible for asset management of the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami, The Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C. and the Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown.

The Hilton Boston Logan Airport Hotel named Mark Fallon, a 25-year hospitality industry veteran, the new general manager.

After serving nearly a quarter of a century as a U.S. Navy pilot, Kevin Sinnett is the new general manager of Ladera, an open-air resort in St. Lucia. Sinnett, a former basketball star at the Naval Academy, chose to remain in the military despite being drafted by the NBA.

The alumni association of The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University named Bruce White, White Lodging chairman and CEO, 2008 Industry Leader of the Year. The company was again honored at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX, where Dave Sibley, president & CEO of White Lodging's Hospitality Management Division, accepted the first-ever Pineapple Award on behalf of Bruce White. The award honors the company's longstanding partnership and commitment to fostering the university's hospitality students.