Sharlene Berg Selected as Director of Lodging for Old Harbor Native Corporation.
Responsibilities include overall management of the Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel.
Berg brings more than 20 years of tourism industry experience in Alaska to this new position with Old Harbor Native Corporation. Her responsibilities include long-term planning, establishing strategic objectives for the division, and overall management of the company's Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel near the entrance of Denali National Park. In this role, she will work with on-site managers to ensure all areas of hotel operations and positive guest relations are successfully maintained.
Berg previously served as Director of Lodging with another well-respected Alaskan Native corporation before accepting this position. She has served as a board member for the Alaska Hotel and Lodging Association, the Governor's Work Force Development Board and the local Alaska Tourism Industry Association.
Berg brings a passion for great customer service to her new job. She states, "Alaska is a dream vacation for people and many of them have had to scrimp and save to visit our great state. My job is to help them realize their dream and make this a wonderful life-long memory."
Berg moved to Alaska in June of 1973. She has been married to her husband, Daniel Berg, for 38 years and has two children.
The Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel located near the entrance of Denali National Park are owned by Old Harbor Native Corporation, one of 252 Native village corporations established by Congress in 1971 under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). More information about the hotels is available at www.denalialaska.com
Tennelle Peterson Selected as Assistant General Manager
for Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel Anchorage, Alaska, April 29, 2013… Old Harbor Native Corporation, owner and operator of Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel, announces the hiring of Tennelle Peterson as Assistant General Manager for the two properties located near the entrance to Denali National Park. In this position, she supports the General Manager with all aspects of the hotel operations, including guest relations, front desk, housekeeping, food and beverage, maintenance, financial oversight, and staff development.
Prior to working at the Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel, Peterson worked for eight years in increasingly responsible positions at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge. Her professional portfolio also includes experience at the Four Seasons, Residence Inn by Marriott, and the St. Thomas Restaurant Group. She has worked in hospitality management for over 10 years, with wide-ranging experience in the areas of housekeeping, rooms and guest service operations, along with food and beverage and spa operations.
Tennelle holds a B.S. in International Hospitality from the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management from Northern Arizona University. This educational experience included membership in the Eta Sigma Delta Hospitality Honors Fraternity and studies in England at the Oxford School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Oxford Brookes University.
In addition to her educational and management experience, Peterson is passionate about leadership and service, supports community activities, serves as a coach and plays sports, and is active in the local Chamber of Commerce.
Jacob Ebel Named Executive Chef for Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel
Anchorage, Alaska, April 12, 2013… Old Harbor Native Corporation, owner and operator of Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel, announce the hiring of Jacob Ebel as Executive Chef for the two properties located near the entrance to Denali National Park.
Ebel served in this role with a management company for two years, and under his guidance the restaurants delved into themed menus focused on seasonal Alaskan ingredients. This included utilizing produce from Denali Organic Growers, 100% sustainably harvested Alaskan seafood, and wine pairings to highlight featured menu items.
Jacob Ebel began his culinary journey at the age of 15, working through nearly every restaurant position until finding his home in the kitchen. A Midwest native, Ebel developed a passion for cooking sustainable American cuisine utilizing local ingredients. This passion lead him to cook his way across the country, learning multiple regional cuisines from Colorado, to California, and ultimately to Alaska. This diverse blend of influences has forged his culinary style into one focused on New American cuisine rooted in French technique.
Before his current position, Ebel worked as Executive Chef for Bistro Danielle in South Lake Tahoe, CA. While there, he crafted menus focused on wild game and farmers' market produce, paired with Sierra Foothill wines. The restaurant received a number of #1 rankings in the Lake Tahoe basin. Ebel also served as Chef de Cuisine for Lake Tahoe Cruises and Sous Chef at the acclaimed Story Inn in Brown Co., Indiana.
Ebel received formal culinary education from Sullivan University's National Center for Hospitality in Louisville, KY, completed an apprenticeship through the American Culinary Federation (ACF), and has most recently earned the designation of Certified Food & Beverage Executive through the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA). He maintains active memberships in the ACF, AH&LA, and the James Beard Foundation. Jacob and his team share a passion for participating in local and regional cooking competitions as a way to put Alaska on the map as a culinary destination.
Jelena McAleer Selected to Serve as Director of Food and Beverage for Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel
Anchorage, Alaska, April 12, 2013… Old Harbor Native Corporation, owner and operator of Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel, announce the hiring of Jelena McAleer as Director of Food and Beverage for the two properties located near the entrance to Denali National Park.
McAleer served in this role with a management company for two years and she has groomed her team of culinary and hospitality professionals to consistently improve the guest experience at the Alpenglow Restaurant and Mountaineer Bar and Grill. Jelena is dedicated to ensuring every guest is treated with genuine Alaskan hospitality and an unexpected culinary experience while visiting Denali National Park.
Jelena McAleer's pursuit of good food and wine took her from her native Croatia to sunny San Diego, CA and snowy Vail, CO before arriving in Alaska. Her passion for hospitality became evident during her early years when she spent summers working various positions at bustling hotels and restaurants along the Adriatic Coast.
Before joining the Old Harbor Lodging Division, Jelena began her restaurant management career as the Food and Beverage Manager with the premiere La Casa Del Zorro Resort in the De Anza Borrego desert. She also completed a MID training program at the resort which introduced her to every aspect of hotel and resort operations.
This experience was followed by the opportunity to join Destination Resorts as Food and Beverage Manager at the Atwater Restaurant in the Vail Cascade Resort. It was here Jelena met acclaimed chef Thomas Salamunovich of Larkspur Restaurant, who asked her to join his team as the Director of Dining. Jelena accepted and experienced the culinary and hospitality philosophy that forever changed her style and approach to managing restaurants. She spent over three years with Salamunovich's Savory Group restaurant consulting company, ultimately serving as the General Manager for the Restaurant Avondale at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Jelena earned a B.A. in Hospitality & Resort Management and a B.A. in Economics in Tourism from Rochester Institute of Technology, (ACMT) in Dubrovnik, Croatia. In 2008, Jelena was named one of "30 Under 30" outstanding hospitality professionals by Restaurant Hospitality magazine.
Shirley Palmer Appointed to Serve as Director of Rooms For Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel
Anchorage, AK, April 12, 2013… Shirley Palmer, an experienced and versatile hospitality manager for more than a decade, has been named Director of Rooms for Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel. The two hotels, owned and operated by Old Harbor Native Corporation, are actively gearing up for the busy visitor season and in her new role Shirley will oversee day-to-day management of the front office and housekeeping departments.
Ms. Palmer began her hotel industry career in 1999 and has held key leadership roles at IHG Hotels, Starwood Hotels and Millennium and Copthorne Hotels. In addition to managing guest service teams, Shirley's unique skillsets have enabled her to successfully contribute in a variety of critical areas, including revenue management, project management and product development. Shirley has also maintained an active role with the Alaska Hotel and Lodging Association's Stars of the Industry program.
Shirley brings her experience as an operations leader and guest service advocate with leading hotel properties to her new position. She excels in creating effective teams focused on providing a great service experience for all guests and customers. Her leadership skills earned her Alaska region "Guest Service Manager of the Year" awards in 2003 and 2006. Her guiding philosophy is, "If you love what you do, it will bring out the best in you."
Before her career in the hotel industry, Shirley was active in her family's shoe factory in the Philippines, where she maximized revenue growth through effective direction of manpower and development of effective sales strategies. Shirley holds a B.S. Degree in Psychology with a behavioral science major and is currently a board member of Alaska Fashion Week and a shoe designer. She lives with her husband, three boys and two dogs in Anchorage, Alaska.
Jennifer Hanks Appointed Inventory Control Manager for Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel
Anchorage, Alaska, May 2, 2013… Old Harbor Native Corporation, owner and operator of Grande Denali Lodge and Denali Bluffs Hotel, announces Jennifer Hanks has been hired as Inventory Control Manager for the two properties located near the entrance to Denali National Park.
In her current position, Jennifer is responsible for managing central reservations, room allocation and group tours. She is charged with consistently monitoring and maintaining the ideal balance between tour wholesale room blocks and individual room sales with travel agents and travelers.
Hanks started working in the Alaska visitor industry during high school and experienced unique employment opportunities in different areas of tourism operations. Her previous experience includes positions with well-known visitor industry companies such as Westmark Hotels, Holland America Line, Gray Line of Alaska and Alaska Adventure Unlimited.
Jennifer enjoys being involved in the close working relationship between the hotels and tour companies, travel agents and travelers. Hanks was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska and currently lives in Wasilla, Alaska with her husband and two children.
Old Harbor Native Corp. press release