As Women’s History Month dawns, The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, FL offers a timely leadership lens.
While women make up approximately 58% of the hospitality workforce, their representation declines markedly at the executive level—making The Vinoy’s female-led leadership team particularly notable as the resort celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026.
Hotel Manager Lindsey Barton and Director of Sales & Marketing Alice Land are central to the resort’s strategic momentum. Barton brings a wealth of experience leading service-oriented operations at luxury hotels within Marriott International, where she focused on guest experience excellence and cross-department collaboration and now oversees daily operations and service culture within the historic landmark.
Bringing more than 25 years of luxury sales and marketing experience at premier hotels and resorts, Land directs revenue strategy across group, corporate and leisure segments, aligning growth with elevated guest experience. Together, they guide operational performance and revenue strategy, ensuring a seamless journey from pre-arrival planning through ballroom execution.
Complementing executive leadership is a strong female culinary presence shaping the guest experience. At Elliott Aster, Chef de Cuisine Penny Tagliarina brings extensive fine-dining and hotel experience, including two invitations to cook at the James Beard House.
With more than 20 years of resort and club experience, including nearly a decade as Executive Pastry Chef at Innisbrook Golf & Spa, Head Pastry Chef Brandy Merola brings operational expertise in banquet, wedding and VIP programming to The Vinoy.
As the industry continues to examine leadership representation, The Vinoy stands as a real-time example of women driving operations, revenue growth and experiential programming at a historic waterfront resort entering its next century.
The 354-room Vinoy offers a variety of meeting and event spaces, including the restored Vinoy Grand Ballroom, which can host up to 1,000. With seven distinctive on-site restaurants, groups can savor a variety of exceptional dining experiences, while a wealth of team-building activities—from golf tournaments and lawn-game challenges to mixology classes and fishing excursions—ensure engagement and camaraderie.
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