�I am very pleased to welcome Heidi to Makena Beach & Golf Resort,� stated Mr. Lewis.  �She brings important financial accounting experience to her new role as well as significant familiarity with Benchmark Hospitality International.�

Heidi Krause was most recently controller for The Chattanoogan, Benchmark Hospitality�s urban resort located in the heart of Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Since January of this year, Ms. Krause also served as task force leader in Accounting for Makena Beach & Golf Resort.

Previous to joining Benchmark Hospitality International, Ms. Krause was employed by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for ten years.  While there, she served in positions of increasing responsibility within Financial Accounting, culminating in her position as director of financial services for The St. Anthony, A Wyndham Historic Hotel in San Antonio, Texas.  During her tenure with the company, she held various roles within the accounting departments of hotels in San Antonio, New Orleans, Denver and Phoenix.  She began her hospitality career as food and beverage manager for the Wyndham Garden Hotel of Chandler, Arizona.

In 2003, Heidi Krause was named �Manager of the Year� for The St. Anthony.  She has also been named �Manager of the Quarter� on three separate occasions throughout her career.

Ms. Krause is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a Bachelors of Science degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management.  In June of 2006, she earned the Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) designation from the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals Association, an organization she has been an active member of for the past five years.  Ms. Krause has relocated to Maui.

About Makena Beach & Golf Resort

Makena Beach & Golf Resort is situated on 1,800 acres of the southern shore of Maui in the Makena district of the island. The property offers 310 guestrooms and suites, each featuring private lanais, and commands sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, as well as vistas of Maui's diverse landscape and the 10,000-foot Mount Haleakala.

The resort also features championship golf on the acclaimed Makena Golf Course, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr., 18-hole course that runs along the Pacific coastline, adjacent to the hotel. With stunning views from nearly every hole, the course is renowned for its ancient Hawaiian rock walls, natural gullies and stream beds, which were incorporated into the course's design.  Makena Beach & Golf Resort is operated by Benchmark Hospitality International.  For more information on Makena Beach & Golf Resort and for reservations, call 800.321.MAUI (6284) or 808-874-1111, or visit www.makenaresortmaui.com.  For information on Makena Golf Course, visit www.makenagolf.com.

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

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