Bruce Thompson is a visionary who saw the promising future of the hospitality industry and understood the importance that Virginia Beach and the surrounding region would play in its explosive growth. Beginning his travel industry career as a ski tour operator, he formed Professional Hospitality Resources in the early 80s and entered the vacation ownership industry in 1989 with the formation of Gold Key Resorts. He has built Gold Key | PHR into a highly successful group of hotels, resorts, restaurants and mixed use developments. He has an enviable record of successfully building public-private partnerships for the development and improvement of Virginia Beach.

For many years he has been an advocate of the travel industry and has served on numerous travel and tourism boards and committees. He was chairman of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s Transition Team for Film and Tourism and serves on the Governor’s Economic Development and Jobs Creation Commission. He is a vocal proponent of all aspects of community service, and in 2009 he organized the largest Walk to Defeat ALS in that organization’s history. He received the 2009 ARDA Ace Philanthropic Award, the 2009 Outstanding Community Visionary Award from Amerigroup, and the Virginia Center of Inclusive Committee’s 2010 Tidewater Humanitarian Award. He was crowned King Neptune in 2010 by the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival.

Role

Mr. Houser began his career with Gold Key Resorts in 1991 as a Sales Associate. He advanced to Sales Manager, General Sales Manager, Director of Sales, Vice President of Sales and ultimately to his current position of President. During this same time period, Gold Key Resorts revenues increased from $2 million to $50 million. Mr. Houser's responsibilities include all facets of Sales, Marketing and Finance, strategic planning, regulatory compliance and quality assurance. Active in the community, Mr. Houser has sponsored numerous charity events including the United Way, Christian Children’s Fund and the ALS Walk to Defeat. He has served on the Executive Committee for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and is a Chairman’s League Member with the American Resort Development Association.

Education

Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Tennessee.

Role

Provide GoldKey/PHR management with the financial tools to measure performance, cash flow planning and budgets at an extraordinary level of detail.

Experience
Partner with Goodman & Company for more than a decade, specializing in Corporate financial audits, financial reporting, income tax reporting and financial forecasting. Focused primarily on the timeshare, hospitality, hotel management commercial real estate and construction industries. Also worked in the firm’s merger and acquisitions area.

Education
Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Virginia Tech.

Professional and Extracurricular
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Member of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, Leadership Hampton Roads, Tidewater Chapter of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants and many other industry and trade associations.

Role
To manage professionally Gold Key Resorts most vital financial functions: cash flow projections, unit inventory control, financial reporting, new project and property feasibility projections, development division management, financing projections, loan negotiations, loan closings, sales and marketing efficiency analysis, portfolio management, collections department management, tax planning, business development management, strategic planning and banking relations.

Experience
More than 18 years in accounting. Joined Gold Key as Controller prior to being promoted to Executive Vice President of Finance.
Former Senior Accountant and Supervisor at the CPA firm of Goodman & Company.
Former Senior Accountant at the Washington, D.C. CPA firm Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell.

Education
Graduate of Frostburg State University with majors in both accounting and economics.

Role
To manage the company’s financial processes, including oversight of all internal financial and operating audits, quality assurance administration and the management of company assets. Also to manage the company’s internal and external reporting.

Experience
With PHR since 2000, serving in a variety of critical financial positions as well as overseeing process management within the entire organization.

Education
CPA and MBA degrees from William & Mary University.

Professional and Extracurricular
Adjunct Instructor in accounting at Old Dominion University
Director, Virginia Beach Hotel/Motel Association
Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Children’s Health Systems

Role
To optimize all sales activities within the companies, including all sales departments and all administrative, quantitative and qualitative areas for the Sales Division. Also to assure professional execution of the sales process within in-house sales, in-house marketing, guest registration department and recruiting and training.

Experience
A veteran of the time share sales industry, she has achieved top sales honors throughout her career.
Top sales representative at Fairfield Communities/Williamsburg (Wyndham)
Named Top “On Site” Sales Representative in North America by American Resort Developers Association.
Front Line Sales Manager at Fairfield Resorts and subsequently Regional Vice President.
Oversaw Fairfield Atlantic City, the most successful opening in the company’s history.
Joined Gold Key | PHR in 2003 and was named Vice President of Sales in 2009.

Role
To evaluate and manage the company’s various assets and their contributions to the financial performance and return on the Company’s investments and to seek out and evaluate new growth opportunities that will enhance the company’s return on investment across its portfolio.

Experience
Joined Gold Key | PHR in 1990 as Controller and subsequently promoted to Executive Vice President of Finance and Accounting in 1994, Chief Financial Officer in 2000, and Chief Investment Officer in 2010. For several years was with Ernst and Whinney in the corporate audit practice and with a regional accounting firm where he provided audit, tax and consulting services.

Education
B.A. in accounting from Washington Jefferson College.

Professional and Extracurricular
Member of the Virginia and Tidewater Chapters of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Recognized by Virginia Business among its “Super CPA” and “CFO of the Year.”
Served on the Fund Distribution Panel for United Way and the Tidewater Community College’s Accounting Advisory Committee.
Past member of the Executive Advisory Council to the Dean of Business and Public Administration, Old Dominion University.
Board of Directors of a regional community bank.

Role
Leads the Professional Hospitality Resources team in planning and delivering exceptional experiences to guests and owners, and revenue and profits to ownership.

Experience
Paul joined PHR in 2011 as President, and brings with him extensive experience in resort destination operations, development, and investment. Most recently, Paul was with the Reynolds Group in Atlanta Georgia serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the Reynolds Capital Group managing a $175 million private equity fund, and then as Executive Vice President of the Reynolds Hotel Group which asset-managed the Ritz-Carlton at Reynolds Plantation along with other third-party owned resort assets. He led the team which secured the private partner role with the State of Georgia to revitalize Jekyll Island, a 5,000 acre state-owned barrier island. Paul spent the majority of his career with the Walt Disney Company with roles at Walt Disney World (Florida), Disneyland (California), and Euro Disney (Paris, France). Paul led the team that secured the approval and initiated implementation for the $2 billion Disneyland expansion establishing it as a multi-park destination with Disney’s California Adventure theme park, the 750 room Grand California Hotel, and 300,000 square foot retail dining and entertainment district; and served on the opening team for the $4 billion Euro Disney Resort.

Education
MBA, Harvard Business School
BS Industrial Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Professional & Extracurricular
Board Member, Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce
Member, CEO Netweavers
Adult Leader, Boy Scouts of America
Coach, Youth Baseball

Role
To direct the development of all new construction projects for Gold Key | PHR.

Experience
More than 16 years of real estate development experience with Gold Key | PHR. Has developed more than $200 million in real estate assets and currently has more than $150 million under development today. Construction management experience includes hotels, resorts, office buildings, restaurants, retail, parking garages and public/private sector ventures.

Education
Bachelor of Science, Norfolk State University; Master of Business Administration, Old Dominion University; Construction Management Certificate, Old Dominion University.

Professional and Extracurricular
Member Virginia Beach Development Authority; Virginia Beach Resort Advisory Committee; Virginia Beach Planning Design & Review Committee; Tidewater Builders Association; National Association of Home Builders. Treasurer, Norfolk Middle Town Lions Club. Advisor, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Charter Member, United Way African-American Leadership Giving Initiative. 2006 Manager of the Year, Gold Key | PHR Hotels & Resorts.

Role
To assure that our guests have an excellent experience by servicing them with a motivated and trained staff and assuring that all properties are clean and maintained to our highest standards through excellent management and regular updating through our Reserves For Replacement program.

Experience
Over 25 years of experience at the executive level in the hospitality industry. Experience includes Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Hilton Hotels and Resorts franchise properties, General Manager of the Hilton Norfolk Airport Hotel and Vice President of the Garlin Hotels Corporation, a hotel management and consulting company.

Education
University of Nebraska at Kearney, majoring in Business Adminstration-Accounting.

Professional and Extracurricular
Served on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Beach Hotel Motel Association. President of the Norfolk Hotel Motel Association.
Serves on the Advertising Advisory Committee for the City of Virginia Beach.
Served on the Board of Directors for the Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Adjunct Professor, Hampton Roads Hospitality and Training Initiative.
Advisory Board for the Norfolk State University HRIM Program.

Role
To provide guests at the company’s flagship hotel, Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, with a true luxury hotel experience.

Experience
Joined PHR in 2009 as Vice President of Operations. Formerly General Manager of the internationally renowned Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C., and the Mansion on Forsyth Park, one of the 100 best hotels in the U.S. More than 15 years at Westin Hotels in a variety of positions including Food & Beverage Director and General Manager of hotels in the U.S. and abroad. Vice President at Colonial Williamsburg Hotel Properties with primary responsibility for the famed Williamsburg Inn.

Education
Hospitality Degree from Hospitality College in Wanne-Eickel, Germany.

Role
To operate our restaurants as successful profit centers by providing every guest with an excellent culinary and service experience.

Experience
A 25-year food and beverage professional with experience in classical French cooking, high volume catering and hotel and restaurant management.
Joined PHR in 1994 where he gained national recognition for Mahi Mah’s Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Saloon.

Education
A graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America.

Professional and Extracurricular
Earned a Mobil 4-Star rating at the Ship’s Cabin Restaurant
Named a Certified Food and Beverage Executive by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
Has overseen the launch many highly acclaimed restaurants including Salacia, Virginia’s only AAA 4-Diamond Steakhouse.