13 minute read
LEADERS OF COBB
Since its establishment more than 180 years ago, Cobb County has been defined by its people. Some of these individuals have made their mark by becoming pioneers of business, captains of industry and heads of state.
And if you’re reading this, you likely know why Cobb is attractive to so many. It hosts exceptional schools, is within close reach to the world’s busiest airport, has all of the convenience of proximity to the
big city and is fertile ground for entrepreneurship. The list goes on, but it always comes back to the people who have built this county into what it is.
On the following page we have profiled an individual who is among Cobb’s premier leaders. We wanted to find out about her job, delve into her personal life and gain some words of wisdom. And of course, we asked: Why have you picked Cobb County?
THE STORY: I was born in Decatur, and my family moved to Cobb shortly thereafter. I attended Georgia Southern University. After college, I went to work for my father’s business, which included real estate investments. I gained confidence and inspiration from working for him and aspired all the while to be as successful as he was. Therefore, I started a small office furniture, space planning, and project management business. My clients consisted of Fortune 100 companies, Atlanta hospitals, and private medical offices. As my business grew, my tireless work ethic and dedication to deliver the best service became evident to my clients and colleagues.
Eventually, I made the decision to put my career on hold to start a family. I was a stay-at-home mom for 17 years to four amazing children. As my children got older, I made the decision to re-invent my career and myself. In 2010, I got my real estate license, joined Dorsey Alston and never looked back. My first full year in real estate, the Atlanta Realtors Association recognized me as “Rookie Of The Year.” Since becoming a realtor, I have been a Top Producer with the Atlanta Realtors Association. In 2019, I was the #3 agent in sales volume company-wide at Dorsey Alston. WHY I CHOSE TO WORK IN COBB: Dorsey Alston opened the East Cobb office in 2014. The transition from the Buckhead office to Cobb County was a natural progression for me in 2016. I have come to really appreciate all the Cobb community has to offer. It feels like a big city with the abundance of shopping and dining, but in reality is a small community. Cobb is a great place to live and work. Since the pandemic, I have been working from home. I truly miss going into the office and seeing all my fellow East Cobb Agents. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? I am passionate about working with people and maintaining lifelong relationships. Helping my clients navigate the home buying or selling process seamlessly is important to me. Success is not about the price of the home, but rather, understanding the current market and helping my clients achieve their real estate goals through my market knowledge and strong negotiation skills. What I also love about the real estate business is that every day is different, each transaction is unique, and there’s always a new opportunity. LEISURE TIME: I enjoy spending quality time with my family
Dawn Anderson Realtor, Dorsey Alston Realtors
and friends, cooking, traveling, playing tennis, volunteering, and all things outdoors. My guilty pleasure is playing tennis and being a member of ALTA and USTA leagues. BEST ADVICE: Believe in yourself, don’t be afraid to re-invent yourself, and always use a Realtor! WHAT’S NEXT? Throughout my years in the real estate industry, I have seen a lot of change. 2020 has certainly reshaped the real estate culture. Virtual open houses, Facetime showings, video marketing, virtual sales meetings, and Zoom calls have become a part of our day-to-day business. I am looking forward to continuing to establish new relationships and growing my network in the Cobb community. Staying loyal to my clients and focusing on their goals always will be a priority. I believe in creating exceptional experiences in every market.
DoubleTree
Is All About the Upgrade
When COVID-19 threw a major curveball at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Atlanta – Marietta, the management team took action to create a safer, more sanitized customer experience.
By Jennifer Morrell
Pictured left to right going around the table: Gregory Brown, General Manager; Alicia Smith, Accounting Manager; Lamin Sarr, Executive Chef; Cerissa Stewart, Convention Services Coordinator; Omar Mendoza, Executive Housekeeper; Robin Snyder, Controller; Mai Jallow, Director of Human Resources; Wendy Jettmar, Corporate Sales Manager; Andre Hill, Chief Engineer; and Paul Woodley, Director of Sales.
One of Marietta’s most notable establishments is the DoubleTree (DT) by Hilton Hotel Atlanta – Marietta. The DT became a Hilton – DoubleTree in 2006, and today is a full-service Hilton brand hotel with 224 guestrooms. If you’ve had the pleasure of visiting the hotel, you are probably familiar with the signature chocolate-chip walnut cookie offered to guests. In addition to warm cookies and warm service, the hotel offers king, double and suite guestrooms, complete with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in-room dining. The DT is known for its Southern hospitality and Atlanta access. Located just off I-75 at Windy Hill, it is close to family-friendly restaurants and is just one block from Windy Hill Hospital. A free shuttle is offered to Truist Park for Braves games and The Battery Atlanta.
“In 2018, we completed a multi-million dollar renovation, upgrading the breakfast area, a brand-new fitness center, and an indoor/outdoor pool with hot tub,” says General Manager Gregory Brown. “The hotel has 10,000 square feet of meeting space for board meetings, weddings, and other functions.”
Back in 2019, the DT hosted more than 50,000 guests, but the hotel isn’t just a convenient place for people to lay their heads. The DT’s management sees the hotel as a community partner. Along with offering foods, beverages, and other contributions, Brown said the DT works with MUST Ministries, American Red Cross, and the American Cancer Society. The hotel is also a Dobbins Airforce Base partner. “We feel that the hotel’s contribution has been quite impactful,” he says.
The unforeseen event To be sure, the DT spoils guests with endless amenities and offerings, but like nearly every business in Cobb County, the COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges that led to new ways of thinking and doing business.
Prior to the pandemic, the hotel employed about 85
people, contractors included. By the end of March 2020, hotel management found themselves unable to accurately assess the days to come, and they wanted the staff and guests to feel safe. Thus, they opted to suspend the operation of the hotel for six weeks. “The generous owners decided that we would send everyone home with pay during this time, and the managers would maintain the structure and cleanliness of the building,” Brown said. “We extended this time for two additional weeks. On June 15, we reopened the hotel with 27 associates, managers, supervisors, and additional personnel in housekeeping.”
The onset of COVID-19 affected the DT in numerous ways, but also provided opportunity for growth and reassessment of hotel operations. Brown and his team consider the hotel to be corporate, for the most part. “Our hotel is unlike an airport property, where you have business and leisure travelers who book adjacent to where they land, as they feel this is convenient,” he says. “Here, we have corporate travelers whose company and/or business is in the area throughout the week, such as General Electric (GE), Home Depot, Dobbins Air Force Base, Manhattan Associates, Lockheed Martin Corp., Graphic Packaging, NAPA, HD Supply, and Wellstar. Many of these companies are contracted through the Hilton brand.
“As we all know, corporate traveling was suspended, and many of these companies are traveling very little, even today,” Brown continues. “Of course, we lost 90 percent of our corporate guests. Although we are noticing a small, but steady, increase in corporate travels and guests presently, we have more weekend traffic. This is the case for most properties today.” Keeping guests safe The DT philosophy for keeping guests safe in the COVID-19 “new normal” is simple: Vigilance is key, and availability is the win!
“All of us are asking, ‘What should I be doing to remain safe?’ and ‘If I choose to go someplace, what are they doing that
NOHUNGER VEMBER
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It will be your Thanksgiving blessing to your community.
Pictured left to right going around the table: Omar Mendoza, Executive Housekeeper; Mai Jallow, Director of Human Resources; Cerissa Stewart, Convention Services Coordinator; Andre Hill, Chief Engineer; Wendy Jettmar, Corporate Sales Manager; Robin Snyder, Controller; Alicia Smith, Accounting Manager; Lamin Sarr, Executive Chef; Paul Woodley, Director of Sales; and Gregory Brown, General Manager.
helps me to believe that things are clean for my safety?’” Brown says. “We are not confronted with a pandemic often. It’s a new day; nothing is the same.”
Brown shared with his staff that the business has been forced to shift gears into another realm of “drive.” During the hotel’s suspension period, he and his team wanted to assure that when the doors reopened, every single component of operations was upgraded. This meant that whatever request guests or even staff members had, the DT could genuinely convey that an upgrade had taken place.
Changes had to be made. “If we were doing everything the same as we had before, I considered it a problem,” Brown says. “Fortunately, the Hilton brand became the trendsetter in this industry, and Chris Nassetta, Hilton’s CEO, implemented a clean, strict road for us to drive with cleanliness in mind. Each shift, I have a person who maintains our public spaces, constantly cleaning. This is all they do during their shift.”
The DT set a few best practices and new habits into place for the housekeeping staff to make strides toward better safety. Executive Housekeeping Manager Omar Mendoza says new training on how to clean and disinfect the rooms and public areas, including the 10 most-used spots, was a necessity. In every room, areas that are given special attention include lights, lamps, switches and electronic controls; handles and knobs; major bathroom surfaces; the climate control panel; the remote control, telephone and clocks; beds and bedding; tables, desks and nightstands; irons and safes; and food and beverage amenities.
Partnering for safety DoubleTree developed a partnership with Lysol when Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta gathered information from the World Health Organization, Mayo Clinic, and the Centers for Disease Control, with an attempt to tackle cleaning material that would handle COVID-19 and any other viruses. Nassetta learned what it would take to maintain the proper cleanliness for COVID-19, and then met with Lysol.
“Everyone knew that Lysol and other disinfectants were unavailable,” Brown says. “Although stores were getting shipments, studies showed that the merchandise would [sell out] less than 15 to 30 minutes after arrival. An agreement was made with Hilton that would place all Hilton hotels on automatic shipment for the upgraded Lysol products for commercial cleaning. I sincerely believe Mr. Nassetta works with great diligence in maintaining good rhythm and harmony in the flow of hospitality.”
Hilton created the CleanStay program, which went into effect June 15, 2020. The program consisted of many components. Examples include the use of the new, commercial Lysol spray and wipes, and CleanStay seals for guestrooms. Hilton quickly became a trendsetter in this regard. Brown rolled out the program with the word “upgrade” in mind, since he and his team had to upgrade everything after being confronted with COVID-19.
Mendoza is a fan of the partnership with Lysol. “I think it has been great, because it not only provides security to travelers, but also to employees, by having the necessary tools to do the job,” he says. “We can also provide personal protection, especially in moments where nobody knows how to act with new procedures that should be performed in cleaning ours rooms and public spaces. These are important advantages that this partnership brings to Hilton.”
Mendoza says the key Lysol products that the DT is utilizing are Lysol Commercial Use Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Wipes.
Brown reiterates the importance of vigilance and availability. Having a dedicated person, in addition to the staff, to maintain a superior cleaning level is important. The DT has a person on each shift who walks behind each use of areas in our public spaces. If something is brought to the staff’s attention, this dedicated person allows immediate interception of any potential issues and concerns.
Brown says that, to date, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Atlanta – Marietta has had no issues, for which he and his staff are grateful. “It is a new day, and many things have happened around us. We have upgraded our training on unconscious bias and proper decisionmaking in an ongoing effort to prevent misuse of decisions made in our new world. It’s the thought of knowing we need each other, in more ways than one.”
Mendoza furthers this mentality. “As the
type of travelers change during this time and are more transient than the executive, the main challenge is to keep a deep cleaning on every single room,” he says. “This is not only because of the overall condition of the rooms, but because we must disinfect them properly. It takes more time to get the rooms clean, disinfected, and ready to sell.”
Brown’s final take on the measures being taken by the DT are clear. “My background is compliance, and I like to ascertain that those around me understand the small difference between rules and guidelines,” he says. “In this, we need to understand that empathy and genuine spirit of servitude always stamps success on those who we welcome here at our hotel. “Things happen, and seasons change,” he continues. “However, we are giving our guests the view that we understand what is around us, and that where there is a need, we are available. Our hotel won the 2019 Hilton DT CARE Award. This is an award based on compliance, service, and cleanliness rankings. I remind our team in empowerment that we can maintain this honor. We just need to upgrade.”
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During these challenging times, A.G. Rhodes continues to provide safe and compassionate care for our community’s older adults. Learn more: www.agrhodes.org/coronavirus
