Managing Director, The Peabody Orlando / President, Hotel Operations
General Manager, The Peabody Orlando / Corporate Director of Revenue Management, Peabody Hotels Division
Director of Rooms
Director of Food & Beverage
Director of Catering and Convention Services
Corporate Executive Chef
The Peabody Orlando Culinary Team
Conference Management Team
Sales Team
Alan C. Villaverde joined The Peabody Orlando in 1993 as vice president/general manager, bringing with him 23 years of hotel/hospitality management expertise. He came from a similar position with the Stouffer Orlando Resort. In 2006, Villaverde was elevated to Executive Vice President of Peabody Hotels with responsibility for The Peabody Memphis and The Peabody Little Rock in addition to his role as general manager of The Peabody Orlando. In 2009, Villaverde was promoted to President of Peabody Hotels Division and Managing Director of The Peabody Orlando. During his seventeen-year Peabody tenure, he has garnered almost every major hotel award for The Peabody Orlando, including the coveted Mobil Travel Guide Four Star, AAA Four Diamond and Conde Nast Traveler's Top 100 Business Hotels awards.
Villaverde began his career as a sales manager with the Hilton Hotel Corporation at Rye Town Hilton Hotel, Rye, New York, and was subsequently promoted to director of sales for Hilton's Tarrytown Hotel in Tarrytown, NY. Later, he became vice president of sales with the Stouffer corporate office, Cleveland, OH., responsible for 35 properties throughout the United States and the Caribbean. He was then appointed VP/GM for the Stouffer Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, MD. He also served as general manager for the Stouffer Concourse Hotel, Washington, D.C., and the Stouffer Bedford Glen Hotel, Boston, MA. During his career, Villaverde has opened four new, major hotels.
Villaverde was honored as Maryland Hotelier of the Year, 1991; was named Peabody Hotel Group's Top General Manager, 1995 and 1998; Central Florida Hotelier of the Year, 1997; State of Florida GM of the Year, 1997, American Hotel & Motel Association's Outstanding GM of the Year, 1999. In February, 2000, he was named among Central Florida's 100 Most Influential People by The Orlando Business Journal. In 2007 he was named "Most Influential Executive" by Orlando Magazine. Preferred Hotel Group awarded the coveted 2011 Hotelier of the Year Award to Villaverde.
Over the years, Villaverde has held numerous board of director positions including the Maryland Tourism Council and the Sheppard Pratt Hospital Advisory Board for Adolescent Development. In 2000, he became chairman of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. He has been a board member of the Central Florida Hotel & Motel Association and past president of the E.T.C.. He currently serves as Chairman of the I-Drive Improvement District, Chairman of the I-Drive C.R.A., and Board Member of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Always a leader in fund-raising and charitable causes, Villaverde chaired the first three fund-raising campaigns for the "Food for All" project of the Maryland Food Bank Committees, raising $900,000 of food products for the needy. This earned him the Governor's Citation for Exemplary Efforts in Caring and Community Outreach. Likewise in Orlando, Villaverde is a tireless fund-raiser on behalf of Give Kids The World, a local wish-granting organization providing memorable vacations for terminally-ill children and their families from around the world. Villaverde and his wife, Mary Kay, also support "Seniors First" sponsoring an annual fund raiser providing financial aid for this organization that serves the elderly in Central Florida.
Villaverde, a native of New York City, has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts, New York. Villaverde resides in Orlando with his wife, Mary Kay, and daughter, Kathryn.
Barbara Bowden serves as general manager of The Peabody Orlando and the director of corporate revenue management for Peabody Hotels. A native of St. Louis, MO., Bowden began her hotel career in 1984 at the front desk of the Buena Vista Palace Hotel in Orlando, Fla. Two years later when The Peabody Orlando opened its doors for business on November 1, 1986, she joined the hotel as front desk supervisor.
As general manager, Bowden is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the 1,641-room hotel. Since being appointed to this role in February 2010, Bowden helped lead The Peabody Orlando's $450-million expansion which was completed in September 2010. Most recently under her leadership, The Peabody Orlando was once again awarded with the coveted Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star rating for the 22nd consecutive year, making it the largest non-gaming hotel in the United States with this distinction.
In addition to her role as general manager, Bowden is responsible for the creation and implementation of the corporate revenue management and distribution infrastructure for Peabody Hotels, including organizational structure, strategy, supporting processes and operations, internal education and training.
Currently, Bowden holds an executive committee position on the America's Board of HSMAI, and is past-chairperson of the HSMAI Revenue Management Special Interest Group.
Her years with The Peabody Orlando have been star-studded. She won the Department Head of the Quarter, 1989; Department Head of the Year, 1995; General Manager's Special Achievement Award for Excellence, 1998; Peabody Hotel Group Rooms Division Leadership Award, 1999, and Peabody Hotel Group's President's Award for Excellence, 2006.
Marshall Kelberman joined The Peabody Orlando in 1988 as director of human resources, and was appointed director of rooms in 1992.
Kelberman is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the hotel's 1,641 rooms and suites, and 300,000 total sq. ft. of flexible meeting space.
What does a director of rooms actually do? Everything. Kelberman oversees departments who manage the front door, bellstand, front desk, concierge, The Spa at The Peabody, along with fitness center and salon, recreation, pool decks, tennis court, housekeeping, public area cleaning, laundry, dry cleaning, but most importantly, security, along with our Peabody Partners who operate the Executive Business Center, Captain's Choice Golf Pro Shop, The Gift and Pool Shops, Mears Ticket & Transportation services and National/Alamo Car Rental.
How does Kelberman accomplish all of this? He has systematically developed a team of department heads who complement each other, and have evolved into a mature and dynamic hotel management team.
His participation and leadership for the elevation of the hotel's guest and associate satisfaction, led to the hotel's development of unique service cultures such as Peabody Service Excellence® and the installation of sophisticated technology to monitor and manage guest-related needs and concerns. Including, HotSos and Unifocus Loyalty systems. He is co-Chair of both The Peabody Orlando Guest Engagement Committee and The Greener Peabody, promoting guest relations and sustainability. He has been a leading light in the broadening application of the award-winning Peabody Service Excellence® and a formidable proponent of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. 1600 Quality Criteria.
Kelberman has been awarded numerous honors for his dedication to, and pursuit of, excellence. Including the "Hospitality Leader of the Year" award from Valencia Community College, the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Educational Institute Lamp of Knowledge award as "Outstanding Trainer – Property Level," for his ground-breaking work in instituting progressive training procedures. and he was among The Orlando Business Journal's Forty under 40 Up and Comers," an annual award which recognizes the area's leading businessmen and women.
He lives in Orlando with his wife and three children.
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John Everett Askew began his career in the food and beverage business in 1984 when he studied at the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York.
As part of the opening team in 1986, he signed on as the sous chef of the B-Line Diner, the hotel's famous 24-hour, upscale diner. He was later promoted to chef de cuisine for Capriccio Grill® Italian Steakhouse.
John moved up the culinary ladder at The Peabody Orlando, holding such positions as executive sous chef, hotel wide, manager of the B-Line Diner, assistant director of food and beverage, leading to director of food and beverage in 1993 in Memphis.
John won the prestigious IFMA (International Food Manufacturers Association) Silver Plate in 2001. He is a member of the Tyson Leadership Network Board, the Basic American Culinary Connection, Cargill Winning Connection. He is a past board member of the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Board, and of the Williamsburg Area Restaurant Association.
Married with three children, John is an active bicyclist and a dedicated participant in community affairs.
Eddie Maddox has been with The Peabody Orlando since 1988. In March, 2000 he was named director of catering and convention services, and has gained the respect and confidence of management and owners, and thousands of satisfied guests and meeting planners. Under his leadership, The Peabody Orlando's catering and convention services department has won major industry awards, including the Gold Platter and the prestigious Ivy Award of Restaurants & Institutions magazine.Eddie's 2000 promotion ensured - and further elevated - the industry-wide reputation for the consistent excellence of the award-winning catering and convention services department of this landmark business hotel. In the interim, he has contributed much to the development and fine-tuning of his department's expertise, professionalism and creativity.
A Certified Meeting Professional, CMP, since 1994, Maddox has held numerous positions in the local chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives (N.A.C.E.), including: vice president, treasurer, fundraising chair and program chair. He recently passed his Level 1 Sommelier examination, and now pursues Level 2.
Since joining The Peabody Orlando he has handled some of the nation's largest conventions held in Orlando: the PGA Merchandise Show, Coverings, Florida Restaurant Association, Surf Expo. Every year, he pours his heart and soul into the Black and White Gala sponsored by the hotel for Give Kids The World, a wish-granting organization for sick children from around the globe.
Maddox, a military brat, was born in West Germany and has lived across the U.S., and in Okinawa, Azores Islands and Germany. His interests include most sports, baseball, golf, college football, boating, reading, movies and music. He is married with two children.
A native of Wels, Austria, Karl Edlbauer began his culinary career at one of Europe's most distinguished hotel and restaurant schools for chefs, Gmunden-Salzburg. This step set in motion a personal odyssey that took the young Edlbauer to the farthest reaches of the globe by land, sea and air.
Following graduation from Gmunden-Salzburg and stints at some of the world's most exclusive hotels, from The Savoy on The Strand, London, The Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland, to the InterContinental Hotel in Dusseldorf (where he served H.R.H. Queen Juliana and King Bernhard of The Netherlands), Chef Karl answered the age-old, irresistible call of the ocean waves and ran off to sea.
Of course, he did so as executive chef aboard such luxurious cruise liners as the Royal Viking Sea, Star and Sky (where he first met Mr. and Mrs. Jack Belz of Belz Enterprises, parent company of Peabody Hotel Group), and on the exquisite Sea Goddesses I and II where he served Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco and crossed paths with such mega-movie stars as Sean Connery, Barbra Streisand and Cary Grant.
In 1986, a newly-arrived emigre in the United States of America, Chef Karl came to the then-unfinished hotel building on International Drive. His brief: to create the finest team of culinary professionals in Orlando and establish the cuisines of The Peabody Orlando as la creme de la creme.
"My life has been a veritable fairytale-come-true," smiles Chef Karl as he talks of his youth dreams and ambitions. "I had a burning desire to visit America, to see for myself, this vast, vast land of extraordinary contrasts and opportunities. Initially, I thought I'd stay for a year or so. Now, after 21 years with The Peabody Orlando, I am one of the most contented human beings on the planet. I am blessed to work for a first-class company with the best colleagues and friends anyone could ever desire."
Chef Karl smiles as he talks of his days at sea. "They were wonderful times. I enjoyed every cruise liner I sailed, and indeed; I can thank this episode of my career for bringing my wife, Brita, into my life. And, it was while at sea I first met Mr. and Mrs. Jack Belz, who with their sons Marty and Gary were instrumental in bringing me to Orlando as Executive Chef for their new hotel.
"People ask if I regretted leaving life at sea for a land-based job. When Brita and I met, fell in love and married, we both knew it was time to get back on terra firma, settle down and start our family. Everything in my life has had its right time and place. I am now in the right place at the right time of my life."
The Edlbauer family is a miniature United Nations: Karl was born in Austria, Brit in the United Kingdom; son Andreas was born in Norway, and Mark was born in Orlando.
Since The Peabody Orlando first opened its doors in 1986, Chef Karl has made a significant contribution to the phenomenal success of the hotel. His expertise and leadership have been instrumental in the many awards showered on the hotels restaurants and banquet services. Dux®, for example, has had the distinction of being a Forbes Four-Star rated restaurant for many years.
What's next for Chef Karl? "Here's to the next ten years at The Peabody Orlando," he smiles.
A graduate of Culinary Institute of American in 1988, Chef Scott Maurer serves as the executive sous chef for The Peabdoy Orlando. Chef Scott first joined The Peabody Orlando in 1989, where he worked in all three of the hotel's restaurants, B-Line Diner, Capriccio Grill and Dux. In 1992, he was promoted to chef de cuisine for Dux, and later left the hotel to work as the executive chef of Cove Cay Country Club in Clearwater, FL, the chef de cuisine at Bistango Restaurant in Atlanta, GA during the Olympics and in 1998 opened the Phoenix Brewing Company as its executive sous chef.
In 1998, Chef Scott returned to The Peabody Orlando as chef de cuisine for Capriccio and a year later was appointed to banquet chef. Today, he serves as the executive sous chef for all of the hotel's culinary departments, including fine-dining, banquet, and pastry.
Jared Gross began his culinary career in 1997 as part of an externship program with The Peabody Orlando, under the expert guidance of Karl Edlbauer, corporate executive chef for Peabody Hotel Group.
Following his externship, Chef Jared was hired full-time and held a lead position at Capriccio, one of The Peabody Orlando's hallmark restaurants. Meanwhile, he cross-trained in all areas of the hotel's food operations including, banquets, garde manger, pastry shop and at all three award-winning restaurants, Dux Capriccio Grill, and the B-Line Diner. In addition, he assisted in the development and presentation of teh hotel's monthly wine pairing dinners. Two years later, he was promoted to sous chef, a meteoric rise for any young chef.
As he developed his management skills, he became proficient in menu development, placing food orders, managing staff and joined the hotel's mentor program.
In 2003, Chef Jared was appointed chef de cuisine of the newly re-conceptualized Capriccio Grill® Italian Steakhouse, a new twist on the old Capriccio concept. Under his supervision, Capriccio Grill was honored with numerous awards, including the DiRoNa Award of Excellence and the AAA Four Diamond Culinary Award of Excellence. A few years later, Chef Jared became the Four-Star, Four-Diamond fine dining restaurant chef of Dux.
Most recently, in July 2010, Chef Jared was named chef de cuisine of Napa, a Napa Valley wine-themed restaurant part of the hotel's $450 million expansion. An innovative farm-to-fork concept restaurant, Napa, provides organic selections offering guests the freshest, most sustainable dining experiences possible.
Carlos Addarich joined The Peabody Orlando as banquet chef in April, 2007.
As a boy in his native Puerto Rico, Carlos Addarich dreamed dreams of the pristine, snow-clad peaks of the Swiss Alps, images his father, now a retired pharmacist, brought back from Europe. "One, day, some day," young Carlos vowed, "I am going to go there." And, go there, he did… and then some.
In 1990 while attending the University of Puerto Rico majoring in Industrial Management, the young Carlos realized that the two things in his life that were the most important to him were cooking and travel. So, he changed course, and chose a profession that allowed him to do both.
After formal training at the Baltimore International College, The Greenbrier Culinary Apprentice Program and the European Education Center, Virginia, County Cavan, in the Republic of Ireland, young Carlos began his career as a first assistant to the chef saucier at The Greenbrier Resort. He was a gold medalist in the Junior ACF Culinary Competition, and a bronze medalist in the Professional ACF Culinary Competition. Then, he packed his bags, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the Old World and went in search of a culinary career and - the snow-clad Alps. He landed a job at the Hotel Allegro in Bern, Switzerland, where he assisted in the "mise en place" for satellite kitchens, The Bistro, Eurosia and Allegretto Restaurant. Then he got the assignment of his young life: he was put in charge of the menu planning for the "All American" action station at the world renowned Bern International Jazz Festival.
For the first three weeks, it was gray and dreary, and nary a sign of the Alps! "Where are they?" he would ask, and his bemused colleagues told him that they were there, but hiding. "One morning, I awoke, the sky was blue, and there all around, were those magnificent snowy peaks, just like the ones in my dad's photos. I was overcome by the beauty of it, the stark purity and crystal clear air. I called my dad to tell him that the Alps really were there," and he said, 'I told you so."
Then, it was back to the New World to become sous chef and restaurant chef at Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Florida. He went on to become executive sous chefs for Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa, Florida, and for the Cap Juluca, British West Indies. In 2003, he returned as banquet chef to the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort and in 2006 was chef de cuisine at Todd English's Bluezoo at that hotel.
When asked about the chefs who influenced his own culinary prowess, he lists some of the biggest names in the business: Pascuale Carpino, Marco Pierre White, Alain Ducasse and perhaps the most important of all his mentors, chef Peter Timmins, executive chef at the Deer Park Lodge in Ireland. "I remember once staying up all night to help him with his upcoming competition in Germany," recalls chef Carlos. "At that time, he was the team captain for the Irish Culinary Olympic Team. To this day we are in touch and he is now executive chef at The Greenbrier Resort."
Chef Carlos brings an updated trendy level of banquet services to Peabody's culinary team. He keeps up-to-date on trends and techniques and goes for innovative flavor combinations and superb plate presentations that surpass upscale, stand-alone restaurants.
In his spare time, chef Carlos is an avid golfer. He loves to cook a Swiss favorite dish: Raclette with gherkins, pickled onions and steamed new potatoes. He and his girlfriend love to entertain and take pride in pairing wines to the various foods they prepare.
Alain VergnaultAlain Vergnault rejoined The Peabody Orlando in 2010 as the executive pastry chef having worked most recently as corporate executive pastry chef with the Patina Group in Los Angeles, California. Prior to his stint in California, Chef Alain served as the executive pastry chef at Payard Patisserie at Caesars Palace and as the assistant pastry chef at Wynn in Las Vegas. Prior to these positions, Alain was the executive pastry chef at The Peabody Orlando from 2004 to 2007.
A 21 year veteran of the industry, Karen began her career in 1985 in Atlanta and has been with The Peabody Orlando since 1988 in a variety of positions within the catering department. She possesses an intimate knowledge of the property's catering and conference services on all levels. Her confident and professional presence delivers calm reassurance that every event and meeting will run smoothly and seamlessly from start to finish.
As a senior member of the sales and catering team, Karen is a mentor for other members, Writes and implements reviews for Senior Catering/Convention Services Managers, Catering/Convention Services Managers and Floor Managers develops new operational procedures so you know her brand of hospitality is present in every staff member working your event.
Her expertise and dedication to the customer is demonstrable by her having received the 2002 General Manager's Achievement Award of Excellence, 2002 and 2009 Golden Duck Award, and the 2003 Peabody Hotel Group's Catering Conference Services Manager of the Year.
Karen actively participates in many hotels sponsored events such as Give Kids the World. She is multi-lingual and brings treasured international experience to her position at The Peabody Orlando.
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Few people know Orlando meetings business as well as Margie, who began working in this market in 1991 and has continued to provide outstanding service to meeting professionals as a vital associate at The Peabody Orlando since 2004. From her first position with us, Margie has set the standard of excellenceto the meeting professional. She focuses the entire catering services team on achieving your goals and exceeding your every expectation. Through her leadership, her team carefully manages the coordination of hotel operations, meeting room sets, reservations, VIP coordination, audio visual, guest technology, and electrical requirements.
Her expertise in catering and conference management ensures smooth execution of operating procedures with all other support departments whether it is a Citywide, In-House, Fast Track or Rooms only event. You know your meeting or event will be flawless due to Margie's in-depth review of each manager and event.
In addition to Catering Management, Margie has experience in Sales, Reservations, Group Housing, and Credit Services, so she is your "go to" person with any questions or needs you may have.
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It would take an entire page to list Susan's experience and background in the meetings and events industry. She is a Certified Meeting Professional, CMP, and a senior manager with extensive experience in top 100 level trade shows, association, convention and corporate meeting coordination. Her twenty years of combined convention service, independent meeting planning, trade show floor management and catering sales experience have developed an exceptional ability to anticipate, understand, communicate and coordinate meeting needs in hotels and convention centers. This experience combined with policy and procedure development, staffing and recruitment duties and supervisory experience have produced a meeting professional with deep and unique understand of the needs of all sizes and types of meetings, conventions and trade shows.
Susan's mastery of the principles of strategic meeting management means she understands financial forecasting, feasibility studies, business plan design and implementation, so she is in alignment with your business goals and the increased demand to produce Return On Investment for your meetings and events.
Her commitment to the industry is evident through her involvement with CIC – APEX Resume and Work Order Panel; MPI – Executive Committee and Board of Directors; Association for Convention Operations Management; Central Florida Convention Services Association; Hotel Sales Management Association; and ASAE.
Kimberly J. LoudA meeting professional needs to be a person who learns quickly, anticipates needs, and thrives on over-delivering, this describes Kimberly Loud. She has never met a challenge she didn't like, or overcome. A graduate of University of Central Florida, Kimberly's career has spanned 18 years and included stints on both coasts. She first became a member of The Peabody Orlando team in 1993 and has been in the catering and convention services department since 2000. She is tireless in her pursuit of excellent customer service and client satisfaction.
Kimberly has the knowledge, experience and skills to handle events from 50 to 1600 guestrooms. You can trust her to effectively manage complicated requirements with ease and professionalism. And she knows all too well how to soothe the most demanding guest speakers and VIP guests who test even the best meeting professional's patience.
Kimberly offers professional assistance in planning set-ups/meetings and menus/food and beverage events to make your event truly special and within budget.
To call Laurie Sullivan Helley an overachiever is an understatement. Her accolades began in college and continue through to her new position with The Peabody Orlando. Her 30 years as a hospitality sales superstar include several national hotel chains where she developed long-term relationships with meeting and event professionals that are built on integrity and trust. She also has a rare combination of salesmanship, hotel business knowledge, analytical aptitude, and operational experience required to fully understand the needs of today's meeting professional.
She is a valued member of MPI, Professional Conference Managers Association, National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, and the Religious Conference Managers Association.
Catherine McKenna, recently joined The Peabody Hotel Group family and will manage the Global Account office for the Midwest in Chicago. Her past experience includes work with Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, the Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel and Visit Charlotte.
Her dedication to the industry has led her to obtain both her CMP, and CMM certifications. In addition she is active on both the National and local levels for PCMA & MPI and has served on the MPI Foundation Board of Trustees and the US Council for MPI International.
As a volunteer she also devotes time to mentoring those in meetings industry and works to raise awareness and funds for the American Legion.
Sheri Wallen's experience in hotel sales is as broad as the United States since she has worked in Atlanta, New York City, and Los Angeles. A consistent performer who puts the customer first, Sheri has received the Group Sales Manager of the Year for Peabody Hotel Group, 2005, General Managers Award for Special Achievement, 2005, Golden Duck Award, 1997, 2001 and 2002, and largest in-house booking June 2001.
In her role with The Peabody Orlando she her duties include department administration for 14 sales managers and assistants by coaching, mentoring, production reviews, contract/booking approvals, market deployment distribution, forecasting and turnover processes; strategically deploying a "new" sales force in 2009 to position the hotel for the expansion transition; and directing team in maximizing room nights, rates, food/beverage revenue & ancillary hotel revenues.
In addition to the meetings industry, Sheri's passions include family, playing the piano and competing in triathlon.
