Mainsail Lodging & Development has expanded its executive leadership team with the appointment of Lisa Conner as chief financial officer alongside four other executives in pivotal roles. Ben Miele is the new director of accounting; Lori Nelson is the company’s paralegal; Bria Jones is corporate recruiter; and Netta Katz is reservation manager.
Conner spent more than 10 years working with the Big Four global accounting firms PwC and KPMG as senior manager of audit and more than 15 years in M&A with private equity, public and privately held companies. She also has managed financial operations and implemented business process improvements as an advisory consultant with RGP, Steven Douglas and Tampa Bay CPA Consulting. Conner will oversee Mainsail’s finances, project accounting and hotel operational accounting, working with senior leadership to identify opportunities to grow the company’s core domestic businesses.
Director of accounting Miele brings more than 30 years of accounting, tax and audit experience to the team. In his most recent role, Miele was director of accounting for clients of a large global accounting and consulting firm. A Florida CPA, Miele’s focus will be on reviewing and analyzing financial information, improving controls and establishing accounting policies and procedures across all of Mainsail's properties.
Certified senior paralegal Nelson brings nearly three decades of experience to Mainsail, specializing in corporate matters, intellectual property and complex litigation cases on both the state and federal level. Nelson joins Mainsail from Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, where she worked as a senior paralegal and most recently a litigation support specialist. She has managed more than 120 in-house litigation cases using Relativity over the past four years. She will help navigate legal complexities and ensure compliance across all Mainsail properties.
With nearly 10 years of experience in human resources, Jones has been appointed to corporate recruiter, joining Mainsail from Cross Creek Ranch and Nielsen Media. Jones presently os pursuing her master's degree in human resource management and plans to earn her SHRM certification upon completion. In addition to her academic pursuits, she holds a Medical Assistant diploma and is a Notary Public.
Katz has been appointed as reservation manager and will help manage reservations across Mainsail’s portfolio. Katz began her career with Mainsail in 2019, helping to open The Karol Hotel, where she worked as director of rooms. In her new role, Katz will help to grow reservation sales and support Mainsail properties at the corporate level.