The Boulders Resort & Spa appointed Sally Shaffer as GM of the property. In her new role, Shaffer will oversee all operations at the resort destination.
“Sally is a seasoned hospitality leader with extensive operational and management capabilities. We are confident that her leadership and professionalism will provide the highest level of guest experiences,” Hakan Saracoglu, regional VP at the Columbia Sussex Corporation, said in a statement.
With 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Shaffer joins the Boulders Resort from the Hilton Phoenix Airport where she served as GM. Previously, she held the GM position at the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country Hotel. She was also the president of the Santa Rosa Convention & Visitors Board and served as an executive board member for the Sonoma County Tourism Authority.
Earlier, she held the position of area GM at the Hilton Garden Inn Scottsdale and the Mesa Marriott Residence Inn for nine years. There she was recognized as “General Manager of the Year” for "demonstrating outstanding leadership, professionalism and memorable contributions to the community and the hospitality industry.” Prior to that, she was the director of rooms operations at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa and the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, in Phoenix, for five years.
Shaffer began her career in 1982 with a variety of hospitality positions ranging from revenue manager to director of services for Marriott Hotels in South Bend Indiana, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Her managerial qualities were further acknowledged by Marriott International and she was later appointed GM of the Residence Inn in downtown Chicago. She also served as the multiproperty GM for two Marriott Courtyard hotels in Chicago.
Shaffer has been an active board member for the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau; on the board of directors for the Scottsdale Downtown Partnership Group and she was an elected official for enhanced municipal service district of Scottsdale and the tourism development commission of Scottsdale. She has also been lauded for her knowledge of downtown, suburban and airport hotel locations, and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities throughout the country.
Shaffer holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Florida State University. She and her husband, Mitch Miller, reside in North Scottsdale.