SPRINGFIELD, Mo.–February 21, 2017–John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts (JQH) today announced that Patrick Blache has been promoted to vice president of information technology. He previously served as corporate senior director of information technology for the Springfield, Missouri-based company, which is a leading private, independent owner and manager of hotels in the United States. With more than 18 years of comprehensive experience in a multi-site, multi-host, network environment, Blache is responsible for continuing to guide JQH’s IT strategy at the corporate and portfolio levels, including 35 hotels and more than 1 million square feet of superb meeting space. He is located in JQH’s headquarters in Springfield and reports to Christopher Smith, JQH’s senior vice president of administration and control.

“Patrick has proven to be a talented strategist and leader as he has guided JQH through the necessary investments in bandwidth and infrastructure to ensure heightened service at JQH’s thousands of guest rooms and expansive meeting spaces nationwide,” Smith said. “Under Patrick’s direction, we are pleased to be one of the hotel companies leading the hospitality industry in deploying extensive technology for an enhanced guest experience.”

As vice president, Blache continues to oversee planning, organization, security and execution of all IT functions for JQH. Prior to joining the company in 2015, Blache served as director of technical services for Catholic Health Initiatives in Denver. His career also includes work as a systems engineer for Acxiom Corporation in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“I look forward to continuing to ensure our guests can feel confident that they can safely experience the breadth of technology available at home when staying at a JQH-operated hotel, while also having access to even greater bandwidth at the company’s convention spaces,” Blache said.