PEOPLE update as of July 23, 2019

Kimpton Saint George Toronto has appointed Frank Campo as its new director of sales and marketing. Campo brings 15 years of expertise in the hospitality industry to Kimpton Saint George. After earning a Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University in Hotel Operations, Campo went on to occupy various hospitality managerial positions, overseeing a range of responsibilities as both resort assistant Manager and housekeeping manager. Upon demonstrating excellent leadership and customer service, Campo moved into a director role, overseeing the front office at Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach in June 2004. Subsequently, Campo worked in various director and managerial roles for The Sutton Place Hotel Toronto, Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto, and until recently, Thompson Hotel Toronto.

DP Murphy Hotels has appointed Kell Slone general manager of the Fairfield Inn, Moncton. With over 25 years of hospitality leadership in casinos, restaurants and hotels, Slone intuitively sees the threads of opportunity that wind through an organization, brings them together into a coherent whole, coaches and mentors others to reach their potential, and drives competitive advantage. Previously, as GM at a Best Western, Slone grew market share to 141 per cent, increased guest satisfaction scores by 30 points and respositioned the hotel as a market leader in the sports team market. At another hotel, he was promoted from director of sales and marketing to acting GM, helping the hotel recover financially from a crippling strike, while repositioning as an economy brand. Slone holds many industry accreditations including CHA, CHSP, CHRM and Court of Master Sommeliers. He is also an occasional contributor to industry publications including Hotel Executive and Baking Arts.

Edmonton hotel and tourism veteran Richard Wong has been appointed president of Nova Hotels, a rapidly growing, family owned and operated hotel chain and management company with 14 full and limited service hotels across Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. Wong's previous experience includes positions as general manager of the Edmonton Convention Centre; as COO responsible for five British Columbia hotels and resorts with North Coast Hotel Resort Ltd.; and a previous two-year stint as executive vice-president with Nova Hotels. Before that, his jobs included general manager of the Chateau Lacombe and Sutton Place hotels, vice-president of industry relations with Travel Alberta and volunteer work with various non-profit groups.

Bruce Gravel, former president of the Ontario Accommodation Association and Peterborough humour columnist, has just published his fifth funny book: Humour on Wry, with Salsa. The book contains 69 short stories “to bring you smiles and chuckles”, according to the author. There is even a recipe for rhubarb salsa! It is the fourth volume in Bruce's “Condiment Series”, following Humour on Wry, with Mustard (2008), Humour on Wry, with Mayo (2010), and Humour on Wry, with Ketchup (2012). Among the 69 short stories in the new book are: honeymooning in the sewers of Paris, how not to terminate an employee, the perils of fishing naked, the problems if Hell is cancelled, hosting a family reunion at a funeral home, ghostly matrimony, looking for a Galway hooker, and why our police need hazard pay at RIDE checks. Bruce's books may also be ordered from amazon.com (in print or as e-books), or at brucegravel.ca.