Meet The Team

Mr. Smith is a co-founder of Pennbridge companies. Since its inception, Pennbridge has purchased/developed over $300 Million in hospitality assets.  Pennbridge and its affiliates have owned multiple hotels in five states, of which seven are ground-up developments.  Pennbridge has a longstanding franchise relationship with Marriott International and InterContinental Hotels Group.  In addition, Smith and Lewis have affiliation with Hilton Hotels and Hyatt Corp. Pennbridge hotels are managed by Smith and Lewis’ management company, Pennbridge Lodging Corp, which received the prestigious Marriott Horizon Award in 2018. 

Prior to co-founding Pennbridge, Mr. Smith worked for various investment groups focusing on real estate acquisitions and development including Starwood Capital Group in Greenwich, CT, Brighton Corporation, Salomon Smith Barney's Real Estate Investment Banking Group in New York City, and Grosvenor International Limited in Washington D.C.

Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a concentration in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, graduating magna cum laude, and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mr. Lewis is a co-founder of Pennbridge companies. Since inception, Pennbridge has purchased/developed over $300 million in hospitality assets. Pennbridge and its affiliates have owned multiple hotels in five states, seven of which are ground-up developments. Pennbridge has a longstanding franchise affiliation with Marriott International and InterContinental Hotels Group and has relationships with Hilton Hotels and Hyatt Corp. Pennbridge hotels are managed by Pennbridge Lodging Corp, the hotel management company co-founded by Mr. Lewis, which received the prestigious Marriott Horizon Award in 2018.

Prior to co-founding Pennbridge, Mr. Lewis was a Vice President with W.P. Carey, a real estate investment firm headquartered in New York City, where he was responsible for one and a half billion dollars of assets under management. Prior to his experience with W.P. Carey, Mr. Lewis worked in the Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs. Mr. Lewis was educated at Brigham Young University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mike Webster is the President of Operations for Pennbridge Hospitality.  Prior to starting with Pennbridge Capital in December 2013, Mr. Webster worked for various hotel management companies as an executive hotel leader.  Most recently, Mr. Webster served as Vice President of Operations for Ocean Park Hotels, Inc., in San Luis Obispo, CA.   In this role Mr. Webster was responsible for operations of eight hotels with annual revenues exceeding $33,000,000, which included Marriott hotels, Hilton hotels, IHG hotels and a Best Western hotel.   Many of the hotels in portfolio ranked as market leaders on online review sites, guest satisfaction, team member satisfaction, and Revpar. 

Mr. Webster has a strong foundation in hospitality management while working for notable management companies including Tharaldson Management Inc. as the General Manager of the Courtyard by Marriott in Lubbock, TX and as the General Manager of the Courtyard by Marriott in Las Vegas, NV, as well as Ocean Park Hotels, Inc.  Mr. Webster holds an Associate of Science degree from Dixie State College in St. George, UT and also attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX.

Mr. Webster loves living in Highland, UT with his wife and three children where he can pursue his passion for the outdoors.  Snow Skiing the greatest snow on earth in the winter and taking in the picturesque beauty of Lake Powell in the summer are two of his favorite outdoor activities. 

Tom Whitney is the Vice President for Pennbridge Lodging. Before joining the Pennbridge team, Tom amassed over thirteen wide-ranging years of Marriott experience with the industry leader. Tom worked in a variety of Marriott Corporate roles throughout his hospitality career that helped form Tom’s love of hotels. Most of his time at Marriott was focused within the Global Design discipline but also included positions in Feasibility & Asset Management and his last position with Marriott Bonvoy. When he started at Marriott, Tom was influential in the prototype design of many initiatives and brand refreshes. He later oversaw the design development of over 1,500 Marriott Select Branded hotels while working closely with Marriott’s Development team. After his time within Global Design, he moved to Feasibility & Asset Management where Tom helped support Marriott’s aggressive growth strategies by underwriting over 400 Marriott-branded hotels throughout the US and Canada for all 30 Marriott brands. His last position at Marriott was working on the expansion and integration of Marriott Bonvoy throughout the entire Marriott ecosystem.

Tom studied Architecture at the University of Utah. While working for Marriott, his passion for hotels blossomed into much more. That affinity for the hospitality industry pushed him recently to complete a Master’s Degree in Hotel Management from Georgetown University while employed by Marriott. This educational pursuit coupled with his tenure at Marriott helped further Tom’s love for hotels. When not working on hotels, Tom enjoys spending time with his wife and three young daughters doing various activities and adventures. These include traveling near and far, playing tennis and coaching his daughter’s soccer team. When not thinking about hotels, he particularly enjoys hiking, biking, camping and looking for grizzly bears when spending time out in the Yellowstone region.

Curtis Hansen, Vice President of Revenue Management and Regional Manager at Pennbridge Hospitality, embarked on his journey with the company in February 2014 as the Opening General Manager for the Fairfield by Marriott Twin Falls. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in the hotel's success, earning prestigious Gold and Silver Circle awards from Marriott.

Recognized for his outstanding contributions, Curtis was honored as the Pennbridge Hospitality’s General Manager of the Year in 2015. Expanding his responsibilities, he took on the role of dual general manager in 2019, leading the launch of the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Twin Falls.

Acknowledging Curtis's leadership capabilities, he was appointed Regional General Manager in May 2021, overseeing properties in both Colorado and Twin Falls, demonstrating his effective management of diverse portfolios.

In July 2023, Curtis Hansen's exemplary performance resulted in his appointment as Vice President of Revenue Management and Regional Manager. In this dynamic role, he played a crucial part in successfully transitioning Pennbridge Hospitality to in-house revenue management, marking another milestone in his impressive career.

With over 24 years of hospitality management experience, Curtis holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Utah Valley University (2005). Throughout his career, he has showcased his versatility and expertise by working with renowned hotel brands such as Hilton, Choice Hotels, Hampton, Best Western, and Marriott.

Mark joined Pennbridge Lodging as Vice President of Construction in October 2023.  He brings a 30+ year blend of hospitality design and construction experience managing all aspects of ground up, conversion and renovation projects.

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University and is a Registered Architect.

Prior to joining Pennbridge, he served as a Development Project Manager for Peachtree Group on the AC Hotel Austin Hill Country, as Senior Project Manager for Hersha Hospitality on the AC Hotel Pleasanton and for 21c Museum Hotels and The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company.

Mark splits his time between Boise and North Georgia where he has a 20-acre horse farm that is managed by his wife and visited on occasion by his adult Son and Daughter. When he is not building something, Mark enjoys watching Formula 1 auto racing, college sports, golf and traveling.

Prior to Pennbridge, Mr. Bentz oversaw the accounting for a portfolio of multi-family properties for Pacific Urban Residential, a subsidiary of the private equity firm, Marcus & Millichap Company in Palo Alto, CA. While at Pacific Urban, Michael performed accounting and financial analysis for the acquisitions, sales and refinancing of properties across the West Coast valued at over $500mn.

Mr. Bentz began his career as an auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the semiconductor industry of Silicon Valley. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Brigham Young University and is a licensed CPA.

As controller, Mr. Payne is responsible for accounts payable, bank reconciliations, financial statement review and other accounting responsibilities for the hotels managed by Pennbridge Lodging. He has been in the accounting field for over ten years and received his Bachelors of Accounting from Boise State University in May 2013. Prior to joining Pennbridge Lodging Mr. Payne worked for Jitasa, an accounting firm working exclusively with non-profit clients throughout the United States. Jason has a passion for the outdoors and everything sports related, especially football and baseball.

Jonathan Love is the Operations Manager for Pennbridge Lodging. Jonathan retired from the US Army in 2021 after 23 years and four deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as multiple other assignments across the globe including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, South Korea, Okinawa, Malaysia, and Germany. He served the entirety of his career as an enabler (support) to Army Special Forces serving in Signals Intelligence and Human Intelligence roles. He also served three years as a First Sergeant for two different companies and finished his career running the unit's Human Performance and Wellness program.

Jonathan learned Arabic (99-01) and Persian Farsi (08-09) at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California and completed his BA at Thomas Edison State University. During his free time, Jonathan (who also answers to Jon, Jonny, and "hey you!"), coaches youth sports for Baseball, Softball, Flag Football, and runs a Kids CrossFit class out of his garage during the summer. Jonny married his best friend Michelle in 2008 and together they have four kids: Scarlett (12), Anson (9), Piper (8), and Oliver (5). They live in Cedar Valley and aspire to travel the world where Michelle shops and Jonny writes an epic science-fiction novel.

Ms. Elliott handles Accounts Payable responsibilities and credit card reconciliation for Pennbridge Lodging as well as the hotels managed by Pennbridge Lodging.  Her prior work experience includes plywood and glu-lam beam sales for Boise Cascade where she was instrumental in moving millions of board feet from eight mills across the country.  She also worked for Cardinal Logistics as a transportation coordinator.  There, Denise handled payroll for up to 30 drivers, customer invoicing, claim reconciliation, daily piece tracking, and daily driver tracking with routing across five states.   Most recently Denise worked for Bodybuilding.com where she was an accounts payable specialist.  Her duties included analyzing, prioritizing and coding internal and external multi-entity corporate payables.

Denise received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from Boise State University in 1993.  She enjoys boating, waterskiing, golf, and any other sports.  She even loves to watch sports, specifically football and baseball.

Kylee has been working for Pennbridge for 3 years as an Administrative Assistant. Kylee graduated from Utah Valley University in May of 2020 in Behavioral Science. When she is not working here she also teaches various styles of dance. In her free time she enjoys boating, watching movies, and spending time with her husband and her new baby boy.

Brandy Washington is the General Manager for the SpringHill Suites by Marriott St. George Washington. She has grown up in the hospitality industry with her family owning and operating a resort in Southern Utah. She attended beauty school in Utah which is where she started working for Marriott as a Night Auditor working her way through each department to become a General Manager. Brandy has been a General Manager for all three major Hotel Brands Marriott, Hilton, and IHG with experience in the majority of Marriott’s Select Brands.  

Brandy enjoys free time with her husband and two kids, supporting their sporting events and lots of time spent at the pool.

Pattrik Wyatt has joined the Pennbridge Lodging team at the SpringHill Suites St. George/Washington as the Director of Sales. He began his hospitality career in 2013 and has contributed to the success of three other properties. As Director of Sales he is responsible for corporate accounts, group sales, event space, and is committed to the providing outstanding customer service and guest satisfaction.

Prior to joining Pennbridge he worked in the restaurant industry, opening several restaurants in the Southern Utah area while going to school. Pattrik graduated from Dixie State University with a Bachelors of Business Administration in 2013. He enjoys travelling and visiting new places with his wife and four daughters.

Tyler Byron is currently the General Manager of the TownePlace Suites in Twin Falls, Idaho and started working with the Pennbridge in July of 2020.

He began his hospitality career in 2015 working a front desk position during college at the Courtyard in Provo, Utah and has since contributed to the success of four other properties while advancing through management. His greatest hospitality achievement was placing Top 15 in the world for the STR Student Market Study Competition, a prestigious global competition for University student teams to showcase their understanding and analytical expertise in the hospitality industry.

Tyler graduated from Western Governors University with a Bachelor of Science in Business - Healthcare Administration, emphasis in HR values and ethics in 2020. He enjoys travelling, sports, and hiking with his wife and daughter

Ben Weston joined Pennbridge Lodging in December of 2021 as a Dual-Property Director of Sales at the Fairfield Inn & TownePlace Suites in Twin Falls Idaho. Being a dual-property Director of Sales he is in charge of Corporate Account Sales and Event & Group Bookings. His position with Marriott at the Fairfield Inn & TownePlace Suites gets him out into the community to build relationships and represent our beautiful Hotels.

Ben attended Ricks College for 2 years with a focus on Business Management. He has had a career in the banking industry  for the last 20 years here in the Magic Valley working with Business owners and Individuals building their dream homes. Because of this he is a lifetime member of the Magic Valley Builders Association. Ben has helped his family run and operate their hotels in Idaho, and Utah for the last 20 years under the Choice, Best Western, and Weston Inn Brand names. Along with these accomplishments he is also a Twin Falls Chamber Member Ambassador.

Ben has lived in Twin Falls, Idaho for 20 years and enjoys spending time with his wife and his four beautiful daughters. In his free time he loves to camp, travel the world, and support his girls in all of their sporting events.

Doug Russo is the General Manager of the Residence Inn Boise by Marriott in Boise, Idaho.  He has been in the Hospitality business for over 25 years.  He is General Manager certified for all three of the major Hotel Brands (Marriott, IHG & Hilton). 

Prior to starting with Pennbridge in July 2020.  He worked for Stonebridge Hospitality Company for 6 years.  He was the General Manager of the Doubletree by Hilton in Grand Junction Colorado after receiving a promotion from being the General Manager at the Courtyard by Marriott in Glenwood Springs.  His biggest achievement was winning the Hospitality Award for Doubletree by Hilton for Hotels with 225 rooms or more in 2019. He also won the Hilton Pride Award for Doubletree by Hilton and was nominated for the Care Cup three consecutive years. 

Mr. Russo graduated with honors from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island with his Associate Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management.  He enjoys traveling with his family and playing anything that is competitive. 

Alexander Tranter is an accomplished Assistant General Manager with a proven track record of success in the hospitality industry. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management from San Francisco State University, he possesses a solid foundation of theoretical knowledge and practical expertise. Throughout his career, Alexander has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, strategic thinking, and a strong commitment to delivering outstanding guest experiences. His role as Assistant General Manager at Residence Inn by Marriott Downtown Boise has allowed him to showcase his ability to oversee day-to-day operations, manage staff effectively, and maintain the highest standards of service.

Adept at fostering a positive work environment, Alexander encourages teamwork and continuous improvement among his team members. His excellent communication and interpersonal skills enable him to build strong relationships with both guests and colleagues, ensuring a seamless and memorable stay for all visitors. With a passion for hospitality and an unwavering dedication to excellence, Alexander Tranter continues to make a significant impact on the success and reputation of Residence Inn by Marriott Downtown Boise. His commitment to the industry and drive for continuous growth make him an invaluable asset to any hospitality establishment.

Kristina Tobin joined Pennbridge Lodging in August of 2021 as the Sales & Catering Manager at the Residence Inn Boise City Center.  She is responsible for event and group sales.

Kristina has 20 years of experience working in the hospitality industry with the first 7 years in Front Office and the latter 13 years in Catering Sales.  She started her career with the Summerfield Suites as a front desk agent in 2000 and that’s where her passion for hospitality began.  Upon graduating college in 2004, she joined the Ritz Carlton team in Half Moon Bay, California, where she quickly excelled over the next 3 years.  With a strong desire to expand her experience and service in hospitality, Kristina stepped into a Catering Sales Manager role with the Sheraton and Westin Hotels in Palo Alto, California in 2007.  Kristina’s accolades include being named Employee of the Year, being a part of the “Catering Sales Team of the Year” and receiving Catering Sales Manager of the Quarter awards for her excellence in service. 

Kristina strives to exceed customer expectations and the goals of the company.  She thrives on building relationships and being a partner to all of her clients.

Kristina graduated from Mills High School in Millbrae, California and obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Management from San Francisco State University.

In her free time, Kristina enjoys hiking, swimming and spending time with her family.

Emma began her journey in the hospitality industry in August 2016 after moving to Denver from California. After working her way up in different departments, she became the AGM at Towneplace Suites by Marriott Denver Airport at Gateway Park. Emma joined Pennbridge lodging in May 2021, she was promoted to General Manager in August 2021.

Before moving to Denver, she worked at a Group Home Facility as the House Manager for 15 years and as an administrative assistant for five years. Emma loves spending time with her family.

Mark Hayes is the General Manager of Element by Westin SkySong in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has been in Hospitality for over 9 years. Prior to starting with Element in July of 2020, he worked for Holiday Inn & Suites for 3 years and Graduate Hotels for 5 years.

Mark started as a night Auditor for Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North. He worked his way up to General Manager through the Rooms & Sales Departments. Mark championed high guest satisfaction scores by working to improve hotel culture and communication. Ultimately, he won Best Culture Award, and most Improved Loyalty Recognition from IHG.

As General Manager of Graduate Hotel’s first property to open, Mark worked to establish the brand both in his local community as well as college towns across the nation as Graduate grew to over 35 properties. Mark has been recognized by Graduate Hotels for Best in Marketing, Best in Guest Service, and recognized by the City of Tempe as a Community Champion for his work on the Tempe Town Car and his volunteer efforts to support Tempe Tourism by working to pass legislation to better financially support Tourism offices around Arizona.

Mark enjoys spending time with family, friends, and his three dogs. When not at home or work, Mark is traveling and trying new cuisine.

Rebecca Potter is the Director of Sales & Marketing for the Element by Westin SkySong in Scottsdale, Arizona. Rebecca is an enthusiastic hospitality sales & marketing leader with a proven track record of meeting or exceeding group and leisure revenue goals and even setting a few property records along the way! She has successfully repositioned hotels following significant capital investments and rebranding through brand messaging and implementation of new brand standards, social media and public relations. Rebecca brings with her an extensive hospitality background in operations and sales.

Rebecca’s passion projects include baking for the Arizona Chapter of For Goodness Cakes, which provides custom birthday caked for at-risk youth and foster kids and her 1966 VW bug. Rebecca enjoys time with her family including three teenagers, two rescue dogs and the coolest cat ever.