Meet the Team - Hilton Columbus Downtown

Julia Hansen

DIRECTOR OF SALES

Julia Hansen

ABOUT ME:

I have been in the hospitality industry for 38 years and I can hardly believe it has been that long! I was born in Germany. My father was in the Air Force and was stationed there for 2 years. I have two siblings and we moved 7 times during my childhood pretty much from coast to coast. When it was time to think about college, I opened the Barons Book of Colleges and thought I wanted to be an oceanographer and so I went to the University of Central Florida in Orlando. The oceanographer thing didn’t work out and chemistry was a major downfall! Ultimately, I graduated with a Business/Marketing degree and ultimately got into hospitality. Orlando was a good place to choose that career path! As it goes in the hotel business…I worked in Orlando for a few years and then I began the nomadic life of hospitality. I have moved 9 times in my years in the industry – 32 of those years have been with Hilton. And they have been very good years! I have been fortunate enough to open two Hilton Hotel properties – one in Omaha, Nebraska and our current property here in Columbus, Ohio! This is my second time to be living in Columbus and now am delighted to be part of opening our new tower!

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS:

Animals are a passion for me. I have two dogs and a cat at this time, and I also volunteer at a shelter. My husband worries I may bring another cuddly pet home! I enjoy hiking (ideally in the mountains of Colorado with my sister), vacationing in a beach location and kayaking in the Adirondacks!

COLUMBUS FAVORITES:

There is a lot to do in Columbus; from great art galleries to beautiful hiking opportunities, and yes, there are places to kayak here as well.

I look forward sharing more about the wonders of Columbus with you…in person!

Stacey Dillon

DIRECTOR OF GROUP 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 Assistant Director of Sales to Director of Group 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. I also love to dance!

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!

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 that’s now open.

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