The Management of the Downtown Conference Center
Mr. Tom Murray
Conference Center Manager
212-618-6992
Tom began his career with Benchmark Hospitality International in 1996 as the Director of Restaurants at the Forrestal Conference Center in Princeton, NJ. In April 2000 he was promoted to Director of Operations at the World Trade Institute Conference Center and served in that capacity until the events of September 11, 2001. Following a brief hiatus from Benchmark serving in a sales and marketing role, Tom rejoined the company in October 2003 as the Conference Center Manager at a private conference center in New York, NY. Tom joined the Downtown Conference Center team in September 2005. Tom and his wife have two children and reside in NJ.
The roots of true achievement lie in the will to become the best that you can become. - Harold Taylor
Ms.Ginger Mahmoud, C.H.S.P.
Director of Sales
Ginger was raised near the Detroit area of Michigan and left in 1996 when she took a position as General Manager with a Central Pennsylvania Hospitality Company. After a succesful 4 years in operations management, she found that sales was her true passion and transitioned into an Area Sales Manager position, and from 2000 to 2002 began overseeing and exucting the sales efforts of 3 Central Pennsylvania hotels. In the spring of 2002 she decided to move to New York City to expand her career. Ginger joined the Benchmark Hospitality international team in 2006. In total, Ginger brings to the Downtown conference center 10 years of hospitality management experience. Ginger and her husband have one child and reside in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought.
-Buddha
Ms. Aquaria Harley
Sales Manager
212-618-6997
Aquaria was born and raised in Parsippany, New Jersey. She left New Jersey and went to college to pursue a career in Hotel and Restaurant Management shortly after she received her degree in Hospitality Administration from Clark Atlanta University, in Atlanta, Georgia. She then moved to Philadelphia where she began her career in the hotel sales industry. Aquaria remained in Philadelphia for about 2 years until moving to South Florida where she spent 6 more years in the hotel sales field. In total, Aquaria brings over 8 years of hospitality sales experience to the Downtown Conference Center. She currently resides in New Jersey.
Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.
-Oprah Winfrey
Ms. Carolina Salazar
Conference Planning Manager
Carolina was born in Chile and has since lived in Astoria, Queens since the age of two. While Carolina has a degree in Graphic Design from The School for The Media Arts, she also has six years experience in the Hospitality Industry. Most of thsoe six years cosists of her position as Senior Conference Planning Manager for Benchmark Hospitality International at Glen Cove Mansion in Glen Cove, Long Island. Additionally Carolina boasts well rounded experience in Catering, Front Desk, Reservations, and Food & Beverage. In 2007, Carolina joined her second Benchmark property at the Downtown Conference Center. Carolina has 2 children, Camila and Nelson and travels to visit her family as often as possible.
To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to go there.
-Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General, United Nations
Ms. Andrene Thompson
Conference Planning Manager
212-618-6994
Andrene began her hospitality career three years ago as a Business Administrative Assistant at the Tarrytownhouse Estate, N.Y. Two years ago she moved on to Merrill Lynch as a Conference Coordinator. With all the relative experience in planning and executing corporate meetings, Andrene joined the Benchmark Hospitality International team in 2006 with a strong desire to grow in hospitality management. Andrene enjoys traveling home to her native country, Jamaica.
There is no force like success, and that is why the individual makes all effort to surround himself throughout life with the evidence of it; as of the individual, so should it be of the nation. - Marcus Garvey
Ms. Roxan Joseph
Office Manager
212-618-6993
Roxan Joseph oversees Human Resources and the Accounting department here at the Downtown Conference Center. Roxan began her career with Benchmark Hospitality International in 1996 working for Lansdowne Resort in Virginia, and worked her way up the ranks from a desk agent to the position as Accounts Receivable Manager. With a strong desire to continue working with Benchmark and move to New York City, Roxan transferred to the Downtown Conference Center and was promoted as the Office Manager in June 2005.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at time of challenge and controversy. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
