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"Our team members are the foundation of our company's commitment to excellence. We pledge to provide team members with appreciation, recognition and a nurturing environment. Our team members will learn, grow and have confidence and courage to provide exceptional service." This Pledge to Our Team Members demonstrates the value we place on each and every person within our organization.
View other photos of The North Central Group and our hotel team members.
The North Central Group Leadership Team
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David A. Lenz, CHA Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
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David Lenz founded The North Central Group in 1981. The company is now comprised of three entities, North Central Management, Inc., North Central Mortgage Company, Inc., and North Central Group Hotel Investors, LLC. The Group was formed for the purpose of engaging in mortgage brokerage and real estate activities, including developing and managing hotels. Dave is responsible for the company's long-term growth strategy and dynamic positioning in the hospitality industry.
Dave is a member of Hilton Worldwide Hampton Inn & Suites Franchise Advisory Council and Courtyard by Marriott Frachise Advisory Council. He is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) by the american Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), past founding board member of PROMAC (Promus Acceptance Corporation), past member of the Super 8 Motels Inc. Presidents Advisory Council, and a board member of the University of Wisconsin James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate. Dave is also allied with a number of civic and community activities. He was a past founding member of the Board of Directors for the Ronald McDonald House of Madison, is a member of the University of Wisconsin Bascom Hill Society, the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association, and the United Way Alexis de Tocqueville Society.
Dave began his energetic career as a commercial loan officer and appraiser. He has also had a challenging role as a fighter pilot with the Wisconsin Air National Guard. He held the rank of major in the 176th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Today he continues his aviation interest by acting as chief pilot for North Central Management's corporate aircraft. Dave holds a BBA in Real Estate and Finance from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
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Jonathan D. Bogatay, CHA President & Chief Operating Officer
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Jonathan Bogatay serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer of The North Central Group. He is a key stakeholder in setting the strategic and tactical direction for the company's long-term growth. In addition, he is responsible for overseeing the successful performance of the management company, and growing portfolio of hotels.
Prior to joining The North Central Group, Jonathan held several senior management positions with various lodging operators, as well as having worked as a Regional Director with the Promus Hotel Corporation, now a part of the Hilton Hotels Corporation. He holds a BS in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing from Christopher Newport College. Jonathan brings with him over 25 years of hospitality experience and a unique insight into the world of hotel operations and organizational growth and development.
Jonathan is currently serving on the Board of Directors for both the Spirit of Greater Madison and the Hilton Garden Inn Franchise Advisory Council. He is also a past board member of the Greater Madison Convention and Visitor's Bureau and the AH & LA Council of Inn & Suites, and a former ad hoc member of Hampton Inn Hotels' "Make it Hampton" Brand Strategy and Operations Committee.
His philosophies on life and business are shared not only by his NCG family, but also by his wife, Lonnie, of 20 years and his two teenage children, Jacob and Rachel.
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Jeffrey S. Lenz Vice President, Chief Development Officer |
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Jeff Lenz is Vice President, Chief Development Officer for North Central Group Hotel Investors, LLC. He is responsible for the overall development, construction and renovation of all new hotels within the North Central Group portfolio. His duties include conducting site selections, contract negotiations, land entitlement and franchise selection, in addition to acting as the owner's representative with regard to hotel design and construction. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Jeff went on to earn his Master of Science degree in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He began his career at The North Central Group as a Real Estate Analyst in 1995, and before moving into his current position, he also worked as an Associate for the mortgage banking firm Eberhardt Company in Denver, Colorado and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Jeff is very active in real estate and the local community as a member of the Urban Land Institute and the University of Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association in addition to being a Key Club Member of the United Way of Dane County. Jeff is also a licensed pilot and acts as co-pilot for The North Central Group's corporate aircraft.
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Jane F. Braatz, CPA Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Real Estate Asset Management
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Jane Braatz is Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Real Estate Asset Management for The North Central Group. She is responsible for long-and short-range planning, asset management, coordinating and financing real estate transactions, identifying financial information trends and maintaining lender relations. Before joining The North Central Group in 1988, Jane worked in the public accounting field with Ernst & Whinney and Morton, Nehls & Tierney. She holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Jane is actively involved in the team recruitment committee for the Bike for Boys and Girls Club, and serves on the Board for Waunakee Hoops Club, Waunakee Touchdown Club and the Waunakee Scholarship Committee.
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Catherine M. Gillman Vice President, General Counsel
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Cathy Gillman is Vice President, General Counsel for the North Central Group. Her duties include legal counseling related to real estate transactions, general business matters, the hotel design and construction process, financing, and issues affecting operating hotels; conducting contract negotiations and due diligence; and overseeing outside legal counsel.
After earning a BS degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, Cathy worked in the tax department of KPMG LLP in Minnesota. She received a Masters in Business Taxation from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and a JD from the University of Minnesota Law School. She clerked for Judge John T. Noonan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit before joining the Business Law Department of Foley & Lardner LLP in 1997. While employed at Foley & Lardner LLP, Cathy also taught Business Law I at Madison Area Technical College. She joined The North Central Group in 2006.
Cathy is admitted to practice law in Wisconsin and Minnesota, holds an inactive CPA license in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and is a member of the Wisconsin State Bar Association. In her spare time, Cathy is an active volunteer for her children's schools and sports teams.
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Laura L. Jaggi, SPHR Vice President, Human Resources
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Laura Jaggi serves as the Vice President of Human Resources for The North Central Group. Laura has oversight of all human resources activities for the corporate staff and our portfolio of hotels, including organizational development, employee relations, training and development, employment law, benefits and compensation, and recruitment and selection. She has over 16 years of human resources experience, 14 years with The North Central Group.
Laura is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a BBA degree and an emphasis in human resources. She has been an active local chapter member of the Greater Madison Area Society for Human Resources Management (GMA SHRM) and national SHRM member since 1992. Laura enjoys traveling, reading and gardening.
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Douglas L. Kinney Director of Technology
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Doug Kinney leads the development and execution of technology initiatives, including strategic planning and project management as Director of Technology for The North Central Group. He manages the implementation, installation and operation of information and functional systems for the company. These systems include computers, servers, networking equipment, software, television, and telephone systems for the corporate office, and each of our hotels.
Doug has been in the technology field for 15 years, 10 of which have been with The North Central Group. He graduated from Concordia University with a BS in Business Administration. Doug is a big music fan and enjoys playing guitar, weight training and biking, and avoids camping and cooking whenever possible.
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Mark E. Lenerz Controller
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As Controller of The North Central Group, Mark Lenerz is responsible for the financial and fiscal management aspects of the company operations. Mark also provides leadership and coordination in the financial reporting, accounting, administrative, budgeting, and purchasing areas within The North Central Group and our hotels.
Mark earned a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. He began his career in public accounting and eventually transitioned into accounting positions in various industries. Most recently, he was Chief Financial Officer for a commercial real estate development company. With fifteen years of accounting experience, Mark joined The North Central Group in 2008.
Mark is a Certified Public Accountant and member of the WICPA and AICPA. He enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, as well as participating in, coaching, and watching sports.
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Eric A. Rottier, CHA Regional Manager
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As Regional Manager of the Eastern Region, Eric currently oversees the nine Madison/Middleton, WI area properties for The North Central Group. These properties span six different brands within the Hilton and Marriott families. Eric also oversees the Regional Director of Sales and the Regional Revenue Analyst for the Eastern Region. Eric's role is to work in unison with the property teams to ensure and cultivate high levels of team member satisfaction, guest satisfaction and ownership satisfaction with those properties.
Eric joined The North Central Group in 2004 as a Revenue Analyst, has since been promoted to Revenue Manager, Director of Revenue and now Regional Manager. He currently serves as a Board Member for Madison Festivals, Inc., and as a committee member on the Middleton Tourism Commission. Previously, Eric served as President of the Greater Madison Chapter of the Wisconsin Innkeepers Association and as a Board Member of the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau. For seven years, Eric proudly took time out of his schedule to teach Room Division Operation at the Madison Area Technical College. Prior to joining The North Central Group, Eric was a hotel General Manager in the Madison Area for several years.
Eric is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) and received his education at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in Mechanical Engineering before choosing a career in hospitality.
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Amy K. Simchak, CHA Regional Manager
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As a Regional General Manager for The North Central Group, Amy oversees 10 hotels located in IA, IL, MN, and NE and also works closely with Spencer's Steak and Chops fine dining restaurant in Omaha, NE.
Amy joined The North Central Group in 1996 as a Guest Service Representative on a referral from her grandmother who was a Breakfast Hostess for one of our hotels within our portfolio at the time. Amy was convinced that this position would be temporary until she found something else, as she never envisioned herself in the hospitality industry.
13 years later, Amy has worked as an Executive Housekeeper, Assistant General Manager, Sales Manager, and General Manager for two of our hotels. Amy is an example of the dedication The North Central Group makes to each of its team members, as it relates to career pathing and promoting within. Amy's current responsibilities in her Regional Manager role include: achieving Excellence in Operations through and with her people by executing well thought out Sales and Marketing plans; ultimately driving market performance, achieving premier service scores by focusing on ways to build guest loyalty and encouraging her General Managers to foster an environment that promotes worthwhile work for all team members.
Amy attended both UW Parkside and UW Milwaukee where she majored in Business Management. She obtained her CHA Certificate through American Hotel & Lodging Association in December of 2002. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Brookfield Convention and Visitor Bureau as a board member and President Elect from 2004 to 2007.
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Scott R. Biggar, Regional Manager
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As Regional Manager for the Western Region of The North Central Group portfolio, Scott oversees the Arizona hotels, in addition to our Appleton, WI and Brookfield, WI properties. Scott works closely with each properties operations teams in developing and executing Sales and Marketing plans; ensuring revenue strategies are effective for each market; ensuring exemplary guest service and quality assurance measures are in place; assisting in the budgeting process and provides overall leadership, support and direction as needed. Scott also oversees the Regional Director of Sales and the Regional Revenue Analyst.
Scott joined The North Central Group in 2006 as a General Manager and was promoted to regional duties in 2008. He currently serves as member of our Culture Committee and Green Team. Previously, Scott served as Secretary/Treasurer for the Fox Cities Lodging Association (Appleton, WI). Scott joined Rotary International in 2005 and has been a member of Business Network International. Prior to joining The North Central Group, Scott had prior experience as a General Manager and District Manager in WI, IA, and MN.
Scott earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh and has a Journalism degree. Scott followed his family history into the hospitality industry as his career choice.
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