Meet the Team - Hilton Columbus Downtown

Stacey Dillon

DIRECTOR OF SALES

I have been in Hospitality since college; an industry I accidently found myself in and fell in love with too much to ever leave. I am originally from Ames, Iowa and an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan. I went to school at…

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Stacey Dillon

ABOUT ME:

My name is Stacey Dillon, and I have been in Hospitality since college; an industry I accidently found myself in and fell in love with too much to ever leave. I am originally from Ames, Iowa and an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan. I went to school at Missouri State University as part of their Swimming & Diving Team as a DI Diver. While my aspirations were to become an athletic trainer, I quickly learned that would not be possible with my busy athletic schedule so I followed a teammate to class (which turned out to be in the Hospitality program) and 4 years later graduated with a Hospitality Major and Marketing minor (along with 4 Conference Championships for our Swim team!).

My introduction to the Hospitality workforce was as a wedding coordinator during school and my first Hotel position was a Security Intern for the Hyatt Regency Kansas City. Upon graduating, I realized I aspired to find a career that would continue to foster my competitive spirit and love of being part of a team, so I began my journey as a Sales Corporate Management Trainee, spending time in each department of a Hotel and ultimately focusing on Sales. 16 years later, I have worked in 6 Hotels, 4 cities and nearly every market. Once I joined our Hilton Columbus Downtown family in pre-opening (2011), I knew I had found home and I have enjoyed my career growth from Senior Sales Manager to Sales Leadership and ultimately, Commercial Services Leadership as Director of Sales. Working with our team, building our Hotel and introducing so many new customers to Columbus has been an exciting and awarding experience.

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS:

A good glass of wine, friends, family and the beach are some of my favorite things.

COLUMBUS FAVORITES:

While one of my favorite work hobbies is traveling – visiting Customers in their own cities, experiencing their favorite local restaurants and attractions and learning about their organizations – I also love traveling with my own family and friends. My happy place is anywhere on the water (pool / beach / lake / anything!) with sunglasses and a refreshing beverage in hand. I enjoy all things wine and cheese and would love to return to Napa for another winery trip (something I’ve only done once and clearly have much more to conquer).

My favorite things to enjoy in Columbus are the variety of locally owned businesses and professional sporting events. You can find my family at the Columbus Clippers Baseball stadium or the Columbus Crew Lower.com stadium all summer, or enjoying any of our favorite Cameron Mitchell restaurants or local coffee shops. The snickerdoodle pour over coffee at Stauf’s Coffee Roasters is my absolute fav.

I look forward to sharing my local favorites with all of our Customers and Columbus visitors!

Melissa King

DIRECTOR OF GROUP SALES

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Melissa King

ABOUT ME:

I’ve been working in hospitality for 17 years after switching career direction a few years after college! I did not know anything about hospitality sales but once I started in the industry, I was hooked and couldn’t imagine doing any other job. I love talking to people and getting to know their stories. It’s great to have a huge network of friends and customers that spread all over the country.

I grew up in Central Pennsylvania and moved to the Baltimore area to attend Towson University with the plan of working in radio as a DJ. I quickly learned that was not the career for me and after floating around and trying various other career opportunities, my interest in event planning and catering landed me a job in a Hotel as a catering sales manager. I didn’t even know these positions existed so I had a lot to learn right away but the energy, the pace and the constantly evolving demands of the day drew me in.

I only expected my stay in the Baltimore area to last the four years of college, but close to 30 years later, I was still in Baltimore and enjoying great life with my husband, our dog and our wonderful friends we’ve developed over the years. The role of Director of Group Sales gave us our first opportunity to experience a new area with a move to Columbus to be on property with the team! We are excited to begin learning this new city and be on the ground floor of the massive growth that Columbus is experiencing right now!

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS:

I love how much I am able to travel in the course of my job and discovering so many places in the US that I would never have gone before. When I’m home again, I’m happiest when surrounded by friends and family! We love heading to local breweries or discovering a new locally owned restaurant. I’m an avid reader of fiction and can be found snuggled on the couch with our dog binge watching any of my favorite comedies to wind down.

COLUMBUS FAVORITES:

Being brand-new to Columbus, I am excited to start learning my favorites! Columbus has a great variety of local coffee roasters, breweries and distilleries to keep all of the weekends busy! I’ve had a lot of time to explore the Short North area surrounding the hotel while working remote for a year and a half and am usually found getting lunch at the North Market which offers so many great options (the Banh Mi and Ramen offerings are the best)! A trip to German Village and the Book Loft are always great ways to enjoy the city when I have some free time on my visits!

I’m excited to explore and experience the city with our Customers and visitors!

Lexie Boldish

DIRECTOR OF CATERING & EVENTS

My name is Lexie Boldish and I have been in the Events and Hotel industry for over 15 years! Originally from the Cayman Islands…

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Lexie Boldish

ABOUT ME:

My name is Lexie Boldish and I have been in the Events and Hotel industry for over 15 years! Originally from the Cayman Islands, I began my hotel career whilst still in High School when The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman opened. I then went on to college in Charlotte, NC at the Johnson & Wales University. After University, I returned home as a Manager in Training within the events department then shortly after that becoming and Event Manager. I then started relocating to various hotels from Grand Cayman to New York, Toronto, Half Moon Bay, and San Francisco. Prior to beginning at the Hilton Columbus my most recent position was the Associate Director of Meetings & Special Events at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. When I relocated to Columbus I was instantly drawn to the Hilton Downtown. It is a remarkable property and I could tell it was a special place. I feel lucky to be a part of such an incredible group of ladies and gentlemen. We continue to grow and evolve as a team, always keeping both our team members and clients top of mind!

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS:

I enjoy spending time with my family including my husband Kerry, my two stepchildren Juliana and Luke. However, I could never forget our fur baby and mini golden doodle, Bella. I love relaxing, reading, enjoying wine and working out.

COLUMBUS FAVORITES:

I have loved traveling and living in different countries and states over the past 10 years but now calling Columbus home has been the sweetest gifts. I love the restaurants and great variety of food offerings that the city has. Being from an island, getting to experience all seasons is always a highlight and something to look forward to.

Alison Brown

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS

I’ve been in the events industry for almost 20 years! I was born in raised in small-town Granville, Ohio, about 25 miles outside of Columbus. I attended Miami University (Go Redhawks!) where I studied Psychology and Family…

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Alison Brown

ABOUT ME:

My name is Alison Brown, and I’ve been in the Events Industry for almost 20 years! I was born in raised in small-town Granville, Ohio, about 25 miles outside of Columbus. I attended Miami University (Go Redhawks!) where I studied Psychology and Family Studies and upon graduation, I returned to Central Ohio to begin my career in Hospitality / Events (go figure!). I started as an intern at a small boutique hotel, and eventually moved onto planning weddings and events at larger hotel properties. I was fortunate to join the Hilton team during pre-opening in June of 2012, and loved being a part of such a special and rewarding process of opening a brand new hotel. As time has moved on, I have found my niche in the Large Group market, and I love tackling the challenge of managing the many moving parts of a large convention, as well as managing an amazing team of Event Managers!

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS:

When I am not planning fabulous Hilton events, I love spending time with my family and friends. On the weekends, you can find me hanging with my husband and four kids at their various activities or brunching with girlfriends.

COLUMBUS FAVORITES:

Some of my favorite things to do in Columbus are to explore the amazing Columbus Metro Parks (my favorite is Innis Woods Metro Park in Westerville!), check out Festivals downtown (they are making a comeback in 2022!) and to dine out at the numerous unique restaurants Columbus has to offer. I have a sweet tooth and a few of my weaknesses are brandied banana brule at Jeni’s Ice Cream in the Short North, buckeyes at Winan’s Chocolates and macarons at Pistacia Vera, both in German Village.

I look forward to connecting with you and planning an amazing experience at the Hilton Columbus Downtown!

Jody Unger

SENIOR CATERING SALES MANAGER

I have enjoyed 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and have played an imperative role in the execution of over 400 weddings. I graduated from The Ohio State University…

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Jody Unger

ABOUT ME:

I have enjoyed 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and have played an imperative role in the execution of over 400 weddings. I graduated from The Ohio State University with a major in Hospitality Management and have been in the private club environment for most of my career. I am excited to be on the Hilton team!

Welcome to 402

The newest addition to the Columbus skyline is here. Hilton Columbus Downtown is the largest hotel in Ohio, following the completion of our second tower in fall 2022. We feature 1,000 guest rooms and 75,000 square feet of meeting space. Included in the new tower are four food and beverage concepts, including FYR, a full-service live fire restaurant and Spark, which features a Midwest-driven menu with classic cocktails and local brews. Stories on High, a rooftop lounge sitting 28 stories over High Street and The Market, a grab & go concept.

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