Gwen Byrd Vickers oversees two franchised limited-service corporate properties, an RV Resort and Marina, and is the director of purchasing for Innisfree Hotels. Her background includes more than 19 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

Since joining Innisfree hotels in 1989, Ms. Vickers has held both sales and operations positions. She has overseen the opening of new hotels, the closing of hotels that had been sold and the renovations of several Innisfree properties.

Ms. Vickers is a Certified Hospitality Administrator who has attended numerous training for Choice Hotels International, Days Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Best Western International. She has a proven history of substantially increasing profitability by implementing tight controls and lowering costs, while utilizing yield management strategies to increase ADR and occupancy in her region. She is involved in the design of company paperwork and tracking devices to ensure consistent company-wide accountability.

As director of purchasing, Ms. Vickers works closely with the hotel managers in the selection of products and places orders, tracks shipping, and follows up on delivery of orders. She attends numerous trade shows throughout the year to shop for quality products at competitive pricing. 

Ms. Vickers is a Certified Hotel Administrator, member-at-large American Business Women’s Association, member of the National Recreation & Park Association and member of the NEWH – The Hospitality Industry Network.