John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc.

With more than 30 years of multi-unit hotel sales, marketing, operations and development experience, award-winning Scott Tarwater has a history of conducting profitable sales initiatives and implementing innovative ideas and marketing concepts that impact the hotel industry. As executive vice president of development for John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, the nation's leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale full-service hotels, resorts and suites, Tarwater is responsible for overall strategic direction of the company's hotel developments. With more than $500 million of new construction in the ground and $1.5 billion in the pipeline, Tarwater directs a strategic hotel and convention center development strategy in tertiary markets with significant demand generators. Ensuring the highest standards continue to be met, Tarwater's expertise has contributed greatly to the success of the $700 million annual volume of the company's 76-hotel portfolio. The growing portfolio spans 40 states, includes 4 million in meeting space, and dominates awards from hotel brands represented (e.g. Embassy Suites Hotels, Holiday Inn, Marriott). Prior, he served as senior vice president of development and senior vice president of sales and marketing for the company.

Over the course of the past 19 years, Christopher Smith has worked his way from the entry-level position of internal auditor to his current role as Sr. Vice President of Administration & Control. A graduate of Missouri State University, Christopher is a Certified Public Accountant whose current role with John Q. Hammons Hotels is to assist the company in maximizing profits through expense control while ensuring that all of the company's assets are properly protected. Christopher's experience and knowledge of accounting help to ensure the current and future financial success of the company.

As the Senior Vice President of Operations for John Q. Hammons Hotels, Joe Morrissey is responsible for improving both the guest and employee experience at each hotel while ensuring a steady growth in revenue. Joe manages change within the company as new properties are added and as the company once again became privately owned. With his new infrastructure in place to eliminate unnecessary tasks and refocus effort on what's truly important, Joe has ensured that John Q. Hammons Hotels will remain a profitable company well into the future. With extensive experience in the hospitality industry, Joe is a valuable resource to the company. Joe received an Associate of Occupational Science degree from the Culinary Institute of America and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Massachusetts. Before joining the company in 1999, Joe worked in a variety of positions with other upscale hotel companies, including as a general manager with Ocean Properties, Davidson Hotels, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Joe began his tenure with John Q. Hammons Hotels as a regional vice president and was promoted to his current role in the fall of 2005.

Steve Minton is in charge of overseeing the design and development of each new John Q. Hammons property, from initial feasibility studies through construction and post-occupancy. Steve is a driving force within the company and has been responsible for the completion of more than 70 projects during his 21-year tenure. After receiving his bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas' School of Architecture and Urban Design in 1975, Steve worked for several architectural and engineering firms. He became a licensed architect in 1980 and has served as the corporate architect for John Q. Hammons Hotels since 1985. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and serves on the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.

With 14 years of experience with Winegardner & Hammons, Inc., and another 16 years of experience with John Q. Hammons Hotels, Bob Niehaus has played an integral role in building John Q. Hammons' reputation into what it is today. An industry veteran, Bob is skilled at balancing the expectations of owners, guests and associates. He helps to keep the company ahead of the curve, anticipating market trends and making adjustments at the hotel level to maximize profits and ensure quality throughout each of the properties he manages.

Daniel joined JQH as Vice President of Sales and Marketing in July of 2006. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing Daniel oversees the development and execution of our Corporate, Regional and Property Direct Sales, Revenue Management, Revenue Development and Marketing strategies. He works directly with the Regional and Field Operations Team to implement and execute individual property growth strategies, recruit and retain top sales professionals and develop new sales and revenue resources to maximize our revenue growth. He works closely with the JQH Development Team in supporting the opening of new properties and is a member of the Marriott and Renaissance Brand Marketing Committees.

John Pasley brings a wealth of ingenuity, vision and motivation to his role as regional vice president. Having served as a general manager for Westin, Doubletree and Red Lion Hotels, John has received numerous distinctions, including General Manager of the Year by the Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association and the Presidential Award of Excellence from Red Lion Hotels. He looks for measurable achievement from each of his hotels, creating a unique, high-performance culture that cultivates success for the hotel, its associates and its guests.

A graduate of Missouri State University, Kent Foster brings more than 20 years of experience in human resources management to John Q Hammons Hotels. Kent is responsible for acquiring and retaining associates while managing the company's policies, benefits and compensation. He is committed to ensuring that every current and future employee receives prompt responses to HR inquiries and has positive interaction with the company. A leader in his field, Kent holds a seat on the National HR Committee of the American Hospitality and Lodging Association.

Working in information technology since 1982, Matt Bortniker is an experienced veteran of all aspects of the industry. An author and co-author of several IT books, Matt is skilled in network architecture design, the implementation of enterprise-wide solutions, network security, database design and application programming, making him an incredibly valuable asset to the company's management team. He has learned the details of the hospitality industry through Winston Hotels and his current role at John Q. Hammons Hotels, allowing him to recognize the IT needs of both the hotel ownership and each individual hotel.

For the past 36 years, Bill Mead has worked in a wide range of positions within the hospitality industry, from general manager of Crowne Plaza Hotels to a partner in an independent New England hotel chain. Bill now serves as a regional vice president for John Q. Hammons Hotels, and has supervised the opening of 12 of the company's properties. Bill currently manages 16 hotels and resorts and is committed to balancing the financial future of each property with the need for outstanding customer service and human relations.