�I am very pleased to welcome Mark to the Lockheed Martin Center for Leadership Excellence,� said Ms. Sinclair,� and to welcome him back to Benchmark Hospitality International.  His extensive experience in successfully operating private corporate centers as well as Four Diamond service operations makes him the perfect choice for Lockheed�s new Center.�

Mark Grosh is a Benchmark alumnus, having previously worked for the company over a 12-year period.  He started with Benchmark Hospitality as conference planner at the Resort at Squaw Creek, Lake Tahoe, which Benchmark operated at the time.  Grosh was part of Benchmark�s pre-opening team at the AT&T Learning Center in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, serving as conference floor manager.  He subsequently was promoted to conference center manager for 23 Wall Street, the JP Morgan Conference Center located in Manhattan�s Financial District, when Benchmark opened the property.   

During his tenure with Benchmark Hospitality, Grosh assisted with property openings at the Thornwood Conference Center, Westchester County, New York, in 1996 and Compaq Commons, Houston, which opened in 1998.  As general manager he led the Benchmark transition team at CIBC Leadership Centre in Toronto in 1999, and the subsequent repositioning of that property as The Kingbridge Centre in 2001.

Mr. Grosh most recently served as director of sales & marketing for The Resort at Seabrook Island in South Carolina, and as a consultant for several hotel openings and conference center projects.   He studied history and international relations at the University of California, Berkeley.  Grosh and his family are relocating to the Bethesda area.

About Lockheed Martin Center for Leadership
The Lockheed Martin Center for Leadership Excellence, currently under construction, will upon completion provide a world-class learning environment for the global Fortune 100 company�s leadership training and development program.  The center, which will be a private facility, will also provide a venue for Lockheed Martin meetings, conferences and other events.  The property will include 101,000 square feet of meeting and event space with a 250-seat amphitheater, eight large training rooms, and 18 conference rooms.  The new facility will also offer lodging facilities, a full service restaurant and a fitness center for employees. 

Benchmark Hospitality International is a leader in the management and marketing of resorts, conference centers, hotels, and Personal Luxury Hotels�.  The privately held company, launched in 1980, is a founding member of the International Association of Conference Centers.  Benchmark is a worldwide organization operating over 30 properties representing major metropolitan and resort destinations.   Benchmark's international headquarters is located in The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston, with regional offices in New Jersey and Connecticut.  International offices are located in Tokyo and Santiago, Chile. For locations of properties and additional information, visit www.benchmarkhospitality.com.  

Ken Ellens
Ken Ellens Communications 
201-758-2864 / 201-758-2865-Fax
[email protected]