ASHA Hires Terri Dolan as new Executive Director
Monday, June 11, 2018
The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) announces the hiring of veteran businesswoman and American Saddlebred enthusiast Terri Dolan as its Executive Director effective today.
Dolan comes to the ASHA position from a successful 35-year business career with one of the leading hospitality corporations in the world, Marriott International, where her career was marked by rapid advancement, effective business results, and numerous awards and recognition. Additionally, Dolan has also been an American Saddlebred owner and exhibitor for over 40 years.
A native of Tennessee and graduate of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with High Honors, Dolan began her career with Marriott in 1981 in Atlanta. From there her career took her through a series of sales, marketing, operations, and management jobs with the company in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and the Washington, DC area. At the time of her retirement in 2017, Dolan held the title of Area Vice President for 23 full service properties representing $700$-800 million in revenue for managed hotels, resorts and suites, and conference centers in Texas and Oklahoma. She managed all key business drivers, including profit and loss performance, strategic planning, guest service delivery, associate satisfaction, asset maintenance, brand standard conformance, and owner relations. All General Managers and key regional department leaders in the Area reported to her in this role. She also oversaw conversions and pre-opening efforts, pro forma /market feasibility reviews for this territory, and managed capital projects ranging annually from $60-$80 million in spending. Among other awards, Dolan was awarded the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award.
“We are thrilled to have Terri joining the ASHA as Executive Director,” said ASHA President David Mount. “When we set about looking for a qualified person to lead the professional staff of our organization and take our breed forward, we could not have imagined that someone with Terri’s qualifications and love for the breed would have stepped up. She checked every box on our wish list and then some. She is a strong advocate for the breed as well as being an accomplished businessperson with a long history of meeting and exceeding objectives.”
Added the co-chairs of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee, Martin Schaffel and Tandy Patrick, who also were members of the Executive Director Search Committee, “We are confident Terri is the right person for the job. We had over 90 applicants demonstrating the desirability of working with this organization and this breed. Terri stood out. Her business success and experience working toward specific goals with outstanding marketing experience in the hospitality industry were unparalleled. She is a compelling personality and strong spokesperson for our breed.”
Schaffel stated that Dolan will receive a base compensation package but will also have quarterly incentives tied into specific benchmarks as enumerated by the ASHA’s strategic plan which is being crafted currently by the Strategic Planning Committee.
“When I retired from Marriott, I didn’t really envision something this exciting would be available to me in my new chapter in life,” said Dolan. “I love this breed and the great friends I’ve made in this industry. Plus I love a great challenge and opportunity. My husband and I can’t wait to relocate to Lexington and be in the middle of it all. I’m beyond excited.”
For more information on Dolan, her LinkedIn profile can be found here.
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