Kerry Bennett

Age: 52

Place of birth: Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Where you live: Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Name of Company you work for: Highgate Hotels – Milford.

City you work in: New York.

Profession: Hotel Sales Director.

Why I chose this career: I came into this field purely by chance. An employment agency assigned me to a convention bureau on a temporary assignment and I thought it was great fun. You just have to be a good host and enjoy working with all kinds of people, who all have different needs.

Status: Single.

Family: Children are Brian, Jennifer and Christine.

The proudest moment of my career: There is no way to pick one. Hosting a special conference that President Clinton initiated to foster cooperation with the U.S. and former Baltic States was significant. Hosting guests for the NASA shuttle launches while working in Florida was a privilege.

Biography: As a former military wife, with much traveling around the country, Kerry Bennett started in hospitality with a temporary job at a North Carolina convention bureau. The position involved working closely with hotels to promote North Carolina to associations for city wide conventions.

When a hotel director needed an assistant for catering coordination, Kerry started in the sales office. The next step was Director of Catering for high level military and government conferences, including events with heads of state and presidents.

Exposure to a variety of organizations and causes resulted in volunteer commitments to Hospice of Cumberland County, Boys and Girls Club of Brevard County, Association of the U.S. Army and Secretary of the Patrick AFB Chapter of the Air Force Association.

Now working for Highgate Hotels, with fifteen NYC hotels, Kerry is Director of National Sales at the newly renovated Milford, formerly the Milford Plaza.