Management
Our owned and managed hotels are truly a bottom-line proving ground for hotel managment services. Our "hands-on" philosophy and team buidling approach assist us in effectively operating hotel assets. Our philosophy also focuses on protecting and enhancing our hotel assets while providing excelent returns.
The use of modern technology for budgeting, forcasting, personnel selection, marketing and food and beverage services, enables Schahet Hotels, Inc. to efficiently manage our hotel properties.
Schahet Hotels years of experience in managing revenues and expenses as well as our network of business contacts for purchasing, banking, legal, and accounting gives us the leverage to ensure the success of our hotels.
Company Profiles
GARY N. SCHAHET, Chairman - gschahet@aol.com
Gary is a graduate of Miami University, Oxford, OH, with a BS in Business Administration and also received a Masters in Business Administration majoring in Real Estate from American University, Washington, D.C. Throughout his career Gary has worked in the field and office in all phases of hotel development and operations. He has been involved in the development, management, and renovation of all Schahet Hotels' properties. Schahet Hotels has developed 17 hotels and currently operates 8 hotels including Holiday Inn, Hampton Inns, Courtyard by Marriott, and Residence Inn by Marriott. The Company has consistently received high marks for development and modernization, as well as excellent operations under Gary's leadership.
Gary has a long history of involvement with the International Association of Holiday Inns (I.A.H.I.), which began in the early 1970's. He has served on various committees including the Scholarship Committee and Food and Beverage Committee, and he also chaired the Marketing Committee and the Reservations Committee. In 1990 he received the I.A.H.I. Award of Excellence for outstanding service as a Member and Chairperson of the Reservations Committee. His involvement in this franchisee organization culminated with his serving as President of the IAHI. Gary currently serves as Chairman of the Multi Franchise Organization, another organization of select hotel franchisees.
Gary has served on various civic and charitable organizations including a Special Task Force for United Way, Board of Directors of Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, United Jewish Appeal Young Leadership Cabinet, Board of the Indianapolis Jewish Welfare Federation, and Broadmoor Country Club. He has also served on the Board and is Past President of the Board of Jewish Education and is Past Chairman of the Jewish Welfare Federation Annual Campaign. He currently serves as a Member on the Board of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association, and has served as a Board Member of the Indiana Hotel & Lodging Association. He chairs the Grant and Allocations Committee of Methodist Health Foundation and co-chaired the Critical Care Campaign Planning Committee and most recently was elected First Vice President of Tamarisk Country Club in Rancho Mirage, CA.
JEFFREY BROWN, Chief Executive Officer - jbrown@schahethotels.com
Jeffrey graduated from the University of Iowa in 1975 with majors in Accounting and Industrial Relations. He has held a CPA certificate from the State of Indiana since 1980. Currently he is Chief Executive Officer for Schahet Hotels Inc. located in Indianapolis, IN.
Jeffrey began his career with the company in 1976. He has worked in all areas of hotel operations from a traveling general manager filling in vacant general managers positions, to overseeing all accounting operations of the Company’s headquarters office. He instituted the first computer system to help streamline and produce financial statements for all Schahet Hotels' properties. He has also been instrumental in the development of the Company’s various hotels as well.
Currently as Chief Executive Officer for the company, he is responsible for a wide variety of duties from writing the company associate manual and handling all company benefit plans to assisting in new development and overseeing construction of new hotels. During his career at Schahet Hotels, Jeffrey has implemented many of the controls and procedures used at the hotels. He also handles all major purchasing for capital expenditures, as well as purchases for other items that he has set up, to take advantage of group purchasing to help minimize costs. All health insurance plans are handled by him as well. Jeffrey has been involved in the interior design on all hotel renovations, as well as assisting decorators for overall commercial re-design at many of the new hotels that have been developed.
His primary responsibilities still include overseeing day-to-day operations of the hotels under Schahet Hotels’ management. He works very closely with the General Managers and sales departments at each of the hotels. His experience also includes working with the different franchisors of hotels the Schahet Hotels management team has owned or managed.
In 1995, Jeffrey served as President of the Hampton Inn Great Lakes States Marketing Partnership, a five-state association with over 50 member hotels. He received the President's Award from Hampton Inn in 1996. In 1997 he received the Indiana State "Hotelier of the Year Award". Jeffrey is a Board Member and past Chairman of the Indiana Hotel & Lodging Association. In 2004, he received the Most Valuable Volunteer Award from the American Hotel & Lodging Association. His association with Intercontinental Hotels includes serving on the IAHI Information Technology Committee. Jeffrey currently is Vice-president of the Hamilton County Convention & Visitors Board. He has chaired the committee for the Indiana State Hoosier Hospitality Conference and continues to serve as a committee member. Jeffrey is a lifetime member of the University of Iowa Alumni Association and Alpha Kappa Psi.
Greg J. Schahet, Chief Financial Officer - greg@schahethotels.com
Greg graduated from Cornell University in 1996 with a BS from the School of Hotel Administration. He later continued his education at American University where he was a Graduate Assistant, was recognized as a Dean's Leadership Fellow and received an MBA from the Kogod School of Business in 2001.
Before returning to school to pursue an MBA, Greg worked at Katz, Sapper and Miller, LLP in Indianapolis, Indiana. Greg worked as a staff accountant and was responsible for planning and preparing financial statement audits, reviews and special purpose audits for various private companies, a public company and various non-profit organizations. He was also responsible for preparing various corporate and partnership tax returns. Greg earned his CPA license, which he still holds today and he is also a certified Real Estate Sales person in the state of Indiana.
Greg joined Schahet Hotels in 2001 and became CFO in 2009. He is responsible for development and operations of franchised Hotels owned and/or operated by Schahet Hotels. In October 2005 Greg was recognized by the Schenectady County Democratic Party as their business Leader of the Year.
Outside of work Greg participates in various community activities. He is a board member and past treasurer of the Bureau of Jewish Education and also serves on the board and executive committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis and previously co-chaired its young leadership division. Greg is also a member of the Beacon Society, a group of young professionals that support Methodist Hospital. And, Greg is active in the Hotel community conducting admissions interviews for candidates from central Indiana seeking admission into Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. He's also actively involved with the International Association of Holiday Inns (IAHI) and serves as it Inn-Pac co-chairman and also as a member of its Priority Club Rewards Task Force.
DAN WALLER, Vice President of Operations - dwaller@schahethotels.com
Dan, a hospitality industry veteran of more than thirty-five years, joined Schahet Hotels in 1988. He served as our General Manager of the full service Holiday Inn Holidome and Conference Center in Holyoke, MA for 18 years. During this time he led the property through two major renovations and multiple changes in food and beverage. Dan was elevated to the position of Vice President of Operations when the company sold the Holiday Inn in 2006. He assisted with the opening of the Hampton Inn Schenectady, before moving to Indianapolis in 2007. His duties now include working with the General Managers in the day-to-day operations of the hotels. Dan believes strongly in Schahet's philosophy of associates first. He is passionate about the company values and maintaining the RISE culture.
Prior to joining Schahet Hotels, Dan worked as a Food and Beverage Director, General Manager and Regional Manager of full service hotels for 15 years. He has assisted in the design and opening of hotel restaurant and lounges as well as creating the themes and menus. He studied Culinary Arts in FL and WA and Hospitality Management in FL and MA. He received a degree as an Electronics Technician from Columbia Technical Institute in Arlington, VA. During this time he served in the US Army and received an Honorable discharge in 1968. He was then employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Electronics Section.
Dan has served on the Board of Several Chambers of Commerce and Lodging Associations in MA, FL and WA. He has received recognition for work with persons with disabilities from the State of MA. He has also been actively involved in charities including "Give Kids the World" and The American Heart Association. He coached youth sports including football and baseball. Dan has also volunteered in nursing homes and assisted living working with entertaining seniors. He believes his greatest accomplishment is being a husband of thirty-five years, father of five and grandfather of seven.
SUSIE ETIENNE, Vice President of Sales and Marketing - setienne@schahethotels.comSusie joined Schahet Hotels in 1997 with an impressive background in hotel sales and marketing and a successful track record of selling to both National Association and Local Corporate accounts. In her current role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing, she is responsible for key marketing initiatives, training and development of the company's sales force, and top line revenue budgets totaling over $30 Million in annual sales.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management from Purdue University in 1984. Over the course of her career, she has held sales management and leadership positions with Hyatt, Hilton and Sheraton Hotels. Prior to joining Schahet Hotels, she served as a National Sales Manager for the Indianapolis Westin, negotiating the headquarter hotel status for the cities largest conventions and positioning herself for an easy transition to build her own sales department as the opening Director of Sales for the Hampton Inn Downtown in 1997.
Passionate about Organizational Development, she has been instrumental in advancing the company's leadership culture with its fundamental core values focused on providing a quality work life for Schahet associates resulting in outstanding guest experiences and notable investor returns.
Susie has held Board of Directors positions for Tour Indiana, has been an active member of the Indiana Chapter of Meeting Professionals International, as well as the Tri Kappa Philanthropic Sorority, serving on their marketing and public relations committees. An Indiana native, she resides in Avon, Indiana with her husband and their two sons.
