Where Legends Checked In. Where Stories Continue.

Why I Am Here

Greatness Requires Risk.

That's a Davidson core value. It's also how I operate. I took an underperforming Autograph Collection property—Marriott's lifestyle brand analogous to Kimpton—and transformed it into #1 in Iowa in one year. Not through luck. Through a bold 6-week community relaunch, destination F&B concepts, and the relentless belief that hotels should be cultural hubs, not just places to sleep.

Now I'm executing a bold America 250 campaign with Fortune 100 partner John Deere at Hotel Julien. I built this digital case study because I believe the Cottonwood deserves the same transformation. A building where JFK stayed, where Nixon announced, where the Reuben was invented - that's a building worth leading. I know how to turn a hotel into a neighborhood gathering place. I've done it twice.

Hospitality isn't a job to me. It's how I connect people to place, to each other, to something worth remembering. That's the work.

Joseph Maddox

The Philosophy

Ambition · Accountability · Access

The Game of Potential

The Why: The Ambition Gap

I build teams because I know the friction between ambition and reality. I know what it's like for my experiences of life to be less than the ambition I have for my life. My drive is to actualize that potential in others. Closing the gap between what a property could be and what the daily operation is. I don't just manage hotels; I elevate the people who run them.

The How: I Play an Open Game

High performance requires a game worth playing. If the rules are hidden or unfair, no one competes. I run operations by making the game explicit.

Ambition

Shared Language (Mini-GMs)

I democratize the data to create "Mini-GMs." I don't just teach tasks; I teach the business of hospitality. By giving every team member the scoreboard (KPIs, P&L flow-through, and Guest Satisfaction scores), I empower them to create experience at profitable scale. They aren't just serving guests; they are managing the asset.

Accountability

Map the Gap

I use a three-step system: Envision where we are going, accept Radical Accountability for where we are right now, and Map the Gap to build the bridge. This defines the work required: the systems, the training, and the activations needed to move from Here to There.

Access

Fair Rules & The Big Trade

I don't ask you to leave your problems at the door; I ask you to remember that everyone has problems outside of that door. That shared reality makes Shared Gratitude, Mutual Respect, and Intentional Mentorship non-negotiables.

Enjoy the Product: The team experiences what they build: spa visits, dining experiences, and city access are standard.
Radical Transparency: Regular reviews that are dialogues, not dictates.
The Big Trade: The ultimate perk is Mentorship. I commit to developing your career with the same intensity I develop the property.

The Process

See → Shape → Sell

See the Potential → Shape the Process → Sell the Product

See the Potential

Every property has untapped potential. In its spaces, its people, its place in the community. The Cottonwood sits at the heart of Omaha's Blackstone District, carrying forward a legacy that stretches back to 1916. I see The Committee Chophouse as the steakhouse destination Omaha deserves. I see the rooftop ballroom where Nixon made history. Vision begins when you name what this place could become.

Shape the Process

Vision without culture is just a poster on the wall. Shaping the process means leading a team that knows why they're here, and feels empowered to deliver on that promise. It's the rituals, the recognition, the shared ownership. I lead by removing barriers and learning alongside the people doing the work.

Sell the Product

The product isn't a room. It's not a meal. It's the first-person experience of being served by a team with a defined vision and the culture to execute it. Guests feel something they can't quite explain, but they return for it. That feeling is the product. And when it's real, revenue follows.

Role Alignment

Every Responsibility. Proven.

Commercial Strategy & Revenue Growth

"Drive top-line revenue growth through strong commercial strategy, market positioning, and disciplined execution."

18% TRevPAR growth; 12% GOPPAR growth at The Warrior Hotel
25% RevPAR lift; 19.6% RGI improvement (106 to 145)
RevPAR Index 116, outperforming comp set by 230 bps at Hotel Julien
Rooms pacing $600K ahead YoY; grew banquet revenue $300K
Proficient in Demand 360, Agency 360, Lighthouse, ProfitSword for competitive intelligence and market positioning

Developer-Owner Relations

"Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with ownership, delivering transparent communication and consistent results."

Strategic liaison to Restoration St. Louis (Warrior's developer-owner analog to Clarity/GreenSlate)
$280M+ mixed-use assets managed; understand CAM, shared parking, district dynamics
70% rooms flow-through; GOP 8-10% above ownership targets
Recovered $500K in outstanding receivables through aggressive collections
Proficient: ProfitSword, Hotel Effectiveness, Demand 360, Agency 360

Service Culture & Guest Experience

"Champion a service culture that reflects Kimpton's personality—bold, human, inclusive, and guest-obsessed."

Achieved #1 U.S. News Hotel in Iowa through personality-driven service culture
#1 TripAdvisor ranking; NPS up 24 points at The Warrior, 12 points at Hotel Julien
Guest satisfaction increased 20% YoY through guest-obsessed culture
Built teams where hospitality feels personal - to guests, to each other, to the community
AAA Four Diamond maintained two consecutive years

Executive Team Leadership

"Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing executive team and hotel staff... A visible, charismatic leader who naturally connects."

Built personality-driven service culture achieving #1 TripAdvisor, NPS up 24 points
80% team retention vs. 50% industry average - people stay where they feel valued
24% increase in leadership retention via career pathing for 20 managers
Reduced labor 10% while elevating service standards and team morale
Chamber board, Film Festival board: visible in the community, not just the lobby

Community & Neighborhood Activation

"Unite the local community behind the hotel by creating experiences, partnerships, and programming that make the Cottonwood a true neighborhood gathering place."

Bold America 250 campaign with Fortune 100 partner John Deere; planning signature downtown festival Fall 2026
Business of the Year 2025 within nine months; Chamber board, Film Festival board
6-week community relaunch: 2,000 attendees, $200K auxiliary F&B spend
22 district-wide cultural activations driving 6% portfolio TRevPAR increase
Positioned hotels as district cultural hubs, not just places to sleep

Destination F&B & Experiential Programming

"Passion for food & beverage, experiential programming, and placemaking."

Created destination F&B across four concepts, transforming outlets into neighborhood gathering places
Carnegie Mellon-trained experience designer applying theatrical storytelling to commercial execution
Launched four experiential F&B concepts that elevated guest experience and local market positioning
Managed luxury experiential events up to $1.2M budget at CNN, Lego, NBC, Fortune 50 clients
$200K auxiliary F&B from single 6-week activation

Operational Discipline & Brand Standards

"Ensure operational discipline, brand standards, and financial accountability across the property."

Maintained AAA Four Diamond status at The Warrior (2023-2025)
Executed Hilton brand conversion with zero operational downtime
$10M annual operating budget at The Warrior; $9M at Hotel Julien
ServSafe Food Protection Manager certified (2022-2027)
Certified Pool Operator (2023-2028)

The Autograph → Kimpton Analog

Autograph Collection is Marriott's lifestyle brand analogous to Kimpton. Independent hotel DNA, experiential hospitality, local cultural programming. I've done this before.

Transformed underperforming Autograph property to #1 in Iowa in one year
$70M mixed-use development with developer-owner who viewed hotel as district anchor
Created destination F&B across four concepts; transformed outlets into neighborhood gathering places
Regional network in Iowa/Nebraska accelerates market penetration
Not learning on the job. Executing a proven playbook in a parallel asset.

Proof of Work

Five Case Studies

Regional Portfolio Strategy ($280M+)

See: In 2024, I took the opportunity to helm Hotel Julien Dubuque, Iowa's oldest , to lead its renovation and return the asset to its place as the city's cultural center. Recognizing the value of continuity, my previous ownership group retained me as a strategic consultant for their $250M portfolio (The Warrior, Hotel St. Louis, Hotel Blackhawk, The Current Iowa). The goal: sustain the high-performance culture and revenue strategy we had built, even as I executed a turnaround in Dubuque.

Shape: I transitioned from day-to-day operations to Asset Strategy. My scope bridged the gap between ownership and operations: coaching General Managers, serving as a liaison for staff, and finalizing annual operating budgets. I focused on keeping vital community partnerships alive and designing the "activation calendars" that allowed the properties to manufacture demand rather than just capturing it.

Sell: This hybrid model delivered results on both fronts. While driving Hotel Julien to "Business of the Year" status, I simultaneously engineered 22 precinct-wide activations for the consulting portfolio, driving a 6% TRevPAR increase. It proved that "Experience Design" is scalable, allowing me to guide the financial and cultural performance of ~900,000 sq. ft. of combined real estate while revitalizing a separate historic icon.

U.S. News #1 Hotel in Iowa (2024 & 2025)

See: The Warrior Hotel was stunning, a restored icon as part of Marriott's Autograph Collection. But it needed to become more than a building. It needed to become a benchmark. The opportunity: create an operation so consistent, so guest-focused, that it would define excellence for the entire market.

Shape: Systems that supported the vision. Every department aligned around one shared goal. Labor forecasting tied to occupancy. Menu engineering balancing quality with cost. Guest recovery programs transforming feedback into loyalty. Culture and performance moved together.

Sell: RevPAR lifted 25%. RGI increased 19.6%. Guest satisfaction rose 20 points. Named Top Hotel in Iowa by U.S. News & World Report in both 2024 and 2025. Awards followed, but what mattered was that excellence had become habit.

The Community Relaunch (2,000+)

See: The Warrior Hotel reopened in June 2020, mid-pandemic, to an empty town square. Zero buzz. Zero community connection. The question wasn't how do we get guests? It was how do we become part of this place?

Shape: We didn't do one ribbon cutting. We did six weeks of them. Spa ribbon cutting. Restaurant ribbon cutting. Rooftop bar ribbon cutting. Each one invited a different slice of the community. We turned opening weekend into opening season.

Sell: Over 2,000 people walked through the property in six weeks. The local paper ran five separate stories. City council started bringing delegations for tours. Community buy-in became the foundation for every dollar that came after.

The Activation Engine ($1M+)

See: Hotels treat activations like one-offs: a wine dinner here, a holiday party there. No compounding. No system. I saw an opportunity to build a calendar where every month has a signature moment, where guests return because they know what to expect.

Shape: We built three layers. Recurring series: Ladies Night, Sunday Brunch, Trivia Wednesdays. Seasonal tentpoles: 12 Days of Christmas ($60K raised), Halloween Spooktacular, Grandparents Day Brunch. Premium experiences: Chef's Table series, Eclipse Weekend (213 rooms, $87K revenue), NYE Gala ($47K, sold out).

Sell: $1M+ in activation-driven revenue from 2022–present. We shifted the perception from we're here if you need us to you need to be here for this. That's when hotels stop chasing demand and start manufacturing it.

Building Teams That Stay (80%)

See: Hospitality's retention crisis isn't about pay. It's about meaning. People leave because they don't feel seen, don't see a future, and don't believe their work matters. What if we built a culture where people actually wanted to stay?

Shape: Multi-layered recognition: Monthly Employee of the Month with real rewards. Weekly department-level shoutouts. Annually: service celebrations, holiday parties, team outings. Career pathing infrastructure: high-potential identification, mentorship tracks, promotion pathways.

Sell: Retention climbed to 80%. Leadership retention increased 24%. 14 associates mentored to management positions. Stable teams mean consistent service. Guests feel the difference in every interaction.

The Methodology

What I Do. What I've Proven.

Every property I've led has followed the same transformation arc. Not theory. Results. The Warrior went from underperforming to #1 in Iowa in one year. Hotel Julien earned Business of the Year in nine months. The methodology below isn't what I think might work at the Cottonwood. It's what I've proven works everywhere.

Turn Hotels into Cultural Hubs

Proven: #1 U.S. News Hotel in Iowa, AAA Four Diamond, 2,000-person relaunch

Hotels that just sell rooms compete on price. Hotels that create culture compete on experience. The Warrior wasn't underperforming because of the building or the market. It was underperforming because it wasn't giving people a reason to care. Six-week community relaunch. Destination F&B concepts. Systematic programming that turned a hotel into a cultural hub. That's how you go from invisible to #1.

Make the Hotel the Neighborhood Gathering Place

Proven: Business of the Year, John Deere partnership, Chamber & Film Festival boards

A hotel isn't an island. It's an anchor. At Hotel Julien, we earned Business of the Year in nine months - not by being the best hotel, but by being the best neighbor. America 250 with John Deere. Board leadership with the Chamber and Film Festival. When the community sees you as theirs, they defend you. They recommend you. They fill your restaurants on Tuesday nights. They send their parents to stay with you. That's not marketing. That's belonging.

Balance Bold Programming with Operational Discipline

Proven: 18% TRevPAR, 70% flow-through, GOP 10% above targets, 80% retention

Creativity without discipline is theater. Discipline without creativity is a commodity. The transformation at The Warrior delivered 18% TRevPAR growth and 12% GOPPAR growth simultaneously. 70% flow-through. GOP 10% above ownership targets. But the number I'm proudest of is 80% team retention. You don't get results like these without a team that believes in what they're building. Bold programming pays when your people are all in.

Proof of Concept

250 America at Hotel Julien Dubuque

This year, I launched 250 America, a year-long activation celebrating America's 250th anniversary at Hotel Julien Dubuque. Twelve monthly themes. Dozens of community partnerships. Systematic programming that turns one concept into 365 days of momentum.

This is the model: pick one big idea rooted in the property's story, build a 12-month calendar around it, partner with community organizations, create repeatable structures. Not starting from scratch every month. Building a system that compounds.

The Blackstone Sessions at Kimpton Cottonwood would follow the same methodology. Different themes, but the same systematic approach. Twelve months of programming that feel authentically Omaha while driving measurable revenue.

250 America: 12-month thematic activation at Hotel Julien Dubuque, the same methodology adapted for Kimpton Cottonwood

Monthly Themes

Dozens

Community Partners

Big Idea

The Hotel's Story

A Symbol of Elegance

The Blackstone Hotel opened in 1916 as a residential hotel for Omaha's elite. By 1920, Vienna immigrant Charles Schimmel had transformed it into "the most elegant hotel between Chicago and San Francisco." On the Lincoln Highway, it became the premier stop for travelers crossing the country by rail and road.

The Cottonwood Room featured a cottonwood tree installation and a 54-foot backlit photographic mural. The Orleans Room won Holiday Magazine's Award for Excellence sixteen consecutive years. Somewhere in a weekly poker game called "The Committee," Bernard Schimmel created the Reuben sandwich for grocer Reuben Kulakofsky.

Every president through the 1970s stayed here. JFK and Jackie celebrated their fifth anniversary. In 1967, Richard Nixon announced his presidential candidacy from the rooftop ballroom. Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Ginger Rogers, Jimmy Stewart, Marlon Brando: the Blackstone was where legends checked in.

The hotel closed in 1976 and spent forty years as office space. In 2017, Clarity Development and GreenSlate invested $75M to return it to its rightful place. The Kimpton Cottonwood opened in November 2020, carrying forward a story that began 108 years ago.

1916

Blackstone Hotel opens as residential hotel for Omaha's elite

1920

Charles Schimmel transforms it into luxury hotel; becomes premier stop between Chicago and San Francisco

1925

The Reuben sandwich debuts at The Committee's poker game

1958

JFK and Jackie Kennedy celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary

1967

Richard Nixon announces presidential candidacy from the rooftop ballroom

1985

Listed on National Register of Historic Places

2020

$75M restoration complete; reopens as Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel with 205 rooms and five F&B outlets