Jean Smith

Jean joined White Lodging in September 2010, bringing with her more than 20 years of hospitality experience. Jean currently oversees a dozen select service hotels in Florida and in Michigan.

It was her experiences traveling the world while growing up overseas that led Jean to pursue the hospitality industry as a career. After graduating from high school in Amman, Jordan, she earned her hospitality degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. While in college, Jean studied at the Institute Hotelier Cesar Ritz in Le Bouveret, Switzerland and the University of Salamanca in Spain. She also participated in the Walt Disney World College Program.

After graduation in 1990, Jean joined Marriott International and worked in a variety of positions, ultimately becoming General Manager of a Courtyard property. In 1997, Jean was recruited as a key player for Colwen Hotels, a start up hospitality management company. Jean was the opening General Manager of Colwen’s first hotel, a Residence Inn. While leading a second hotel, Marriott honored Jean, naming her 2002 Residence Inn General Manager of the Year. With continued company growth, Jean was promoted to Vice President of Operations in 2006 and then Senior Vice President in 2008. In her expanding role, she oversaw the purchasing, design and development of numerous acquisitions and renovations, along with the construction of five new hotels including the award winning Renaissance Hotel and Spa at Patriot Place in Foxborough, MA.

In her current role with White Lodging, Jean is accountable for driving results by leading and directing her team of general managers to operate their hotels successfully in all key metrics. This includes guest and associate satisfaction, market share, and flow through.

In her spare time, Jean mentors a group of teens at her church who are participating in Student Leadership University, a premiere national leadership program. Jean lives in Palm Harbor, Florida with her husband and two children.