ANSWERS.
Who was the guest speaker who visited our class that graduated FSU in '96, started in real
estate, then moved into golf course ownership and management here in Tallahassee and now
owns the Golf Club at Summerbrooke? - Mr. Reagan Hobbs
Who was the guest speaker that graduated from FSU and worked for Hyatt corporate
management, then moved to Omni and now works at their property in Jacksonville, and what
was the 'trilogy' she spoke about? - Allison Oehler; the guest, associate, and owner
Who was the guest speaker that is the GM at the Omni Jacksonville and graduated from Cornell
to work his way up from bellman, then through F & B, then through rooms division, and what is
his philosophy about decision making? - Mr. Burnell Goldman; any decision you are about to
make, if you can print it on the front page of the newspaper the next morning, then you can do it
Who was the guest speaker whose father started the first Day's Inn in Tybee Island, GA and
has given many contributions to FSU over the years, and what was his valuable advice? - Mr.
Clint Day; keep balance, keep relationships strong, keep people who matter around, and always
adhere to the golden rule
What were some of the ethical dilemmas and lessons discussed by Mr. Reagan Hobbs, Ms.
Allison Oehler, Mr. Burnell Goldman, and Mr. Clint Day? - Mr. Hobbs talked about the birthday
party at his clubhouse where one of his managers got 'into it' with the guest over a
misunderstanding, causing the entire party to leave; he didn't 'jump the gun' and fire the
manager even though it was his original intention while driving to the club because he gave
himself time to cool off; the manager in question had a family emergency just 3 days prior and
Mr. Hobbs empathized with them and now, they are one of his best managers. Ms. Oehler
talked about the time when she was a housekeeping director/manager and a vendor continually
gave her cash/gift cards so that she would continue to buy from them; she was naive at the time
and accepted them, but now realizes that you have to be careful of people that want to take
advantage of you or give you things. Mr. Goldman spoke about the owner of a certain hotel who
wanted to push the old GM out of the new property and replace him with Goldman; he did not
see the action as ethical and reported the owner to the GM and the management company,
despite his desires for advancement; in the end, it ended up benefitting his career greatly. Mr.
Day discussed the importance of loving and cherishing your significant other and to know when
to pull the plug on 'toxic' relationships.
, Who was the focus of the Undercover Boss episode we watched in class? - Joel Manby, CEO of
Herschend Family Entertainment
What was the first focus of the Undercover Boss episode? - The 'Ride the Duck' attraction with
Howard the captain
Who was the second focus of the Undercover Boss episode? - Albert, the young man in
customer service at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO; worked there full time for 6 years while
trying to get a college degree in engineering at night, but can't find the right balance because he
can't afford school without working and can't find time for school while working; passionate
about HFE and designs rollercoasters in his spare time
Who was the third focus of the Undercover Boss episode? - Richard, a street cleaner at Silver
Dollar City for 12 years; Joel is up at 3:30 am to shadow Richard who is patient with him and
tells him about his 5 kids, 2 of whom are adopted, and his wife who are living in a pop-up trailer
after their house caught fire
Who was the fourth focus of the Undercover Boss episode? - Jennifer, a server on the
Showboat Branson Belle; she is enthusiastic and friendly and shows Joel the most important
aspects of being a successful server; she has 2 kids and expresses the troubles she has
regarding the uncertainty of her job; on days where she is not needed and sent home, she ends
up losing money because she ends up paying for babysitting for her children that she doesn't
use
Who was the fifth focus of the Undercover Boss episode? - Mercedes, an employee at
Adventure Aquarium for 2 years who contributes to many aspects of management and
operation of the property; she teaches Joel to clean aquarium windows and operate the touch
tank and emphasizes attention to detail and passion; she is incredibly grateful for her
opportunity to work for HFE as she explains that before her job there, she was homeless with a
small child
Who is the area vice president and GM at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, FL and
where did she start her career? - Pat Engfer; she started in Hilton Head, SC as a concierge and
moved throughout the country in places ranging from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles and ended up in
Orlando at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport for 20 years and has worked at the
Grand Cypress for more than a year now
Who is the Director of Human Resources at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, FL
and where has her career taken her? - Lealla Stoutenburg; she worked for General Motors but