EXECUTIVE TEAM

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PRESIDENT & MANAGING PARTNER

Stephen has over thirty-five years of experience in all aspects of the hospitality and development, twenty of those years being specifically dedicated to the management, acquisition, and development of hotels & resorts. Acknowledging hospitality to be his career path, and with his undergraduate studies in business administration, Mr. Allgood has served in a myriad of positions for both domestic and international hotel corporations, including Vice President of Operations for Luxe Worldwide Hotels and Chief Operating Officer for Personality Hotels. The combination of his innate talents with such diverse work experience affords Mr. Allgood a significant edge in this extremely competitive market and forms the basis for his continued successes.

Mr. Allgood’s career has allowed him the privilege of operating a variety of three and four diamond hotel and resort properties in Arizona along with the Southern, Central, and Northern California markets. These locations range from intimate boutique hotels to luxury resorts and spas to expansive corporate and convention hotels. 

After opening his first hotel in 1984 as an operations manager for Marriott Hotels, Mr. Allgood went on to play a crucial role in the opening of another seven hotels. He has additionally been involved in the renovation, development, repositioning, and rebranding of a myriad of hotels. He has personally consulted on over fifty due diligence projects for potential acquisition or development. 

In 2005, realizing it was an opportune time, Mr. Allgood formed AB Hospitality in conjunction with long time industry colleague and friend James Deskus, and soon thereafter, Joe DiStefano joined the team. AB Hospitality provides its clients with a broad range of services, which focus on revenue enhancement and cost efficiency, along with project acquisition, development, and management. All of this, in addition to the numerous other facets crucial to ensuring a successful operation.

   EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & PARTNER

Joe brings over thirty years of senior corporate management in electronics, procurement, construction, administration and sales. After achieving a Bachelor of Science Degree from Norte Dame De Namur University, he began his career at a startup Electronics Firm in Silicon Valley, California. Mr. DiStefano’s went on to play many key roles during his 30-year tenure, but none more enjoyable than managing the sales revenue for the entire company.

Mr. DiStefano’s entrepreneurial spirit afforded him the drive, in his spare time, to acquire real estate holdings throughout the Northern California market, thus obtaining experience with renovating, managing, legal rights and development.

Joe and Stephen met in 2002 and became close friends and together collaborated on several projects. In 2013 Mr. DiStefano joined AB Hospitality as Executive VP and Partner, strengthening the Executive Team.

Mr. DiStefano initially focused his efforts on AB’s $50,000,000 award winning residential development. With responsibilities to manage procurement, develop site infrastructure, oversee the construction division, create the sales team initiatives, be a senior executive member on the good neighbor committee, and be a large voice on the architectural review committee. 

The past couple of years Joe and Stephen have focused on the Westin Sapphire Beach Development and have accomplished many objectives.  Acquiring the Westin Brand, convincing the city to build a new bridge to the development site, gaining city approval of a 3-mile road improvement budget, and being a major participant in the design of the stunning Westin Resort & Residences.

 VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE

James CHA, possesses over forty years of experience in the construction, development, and management of a variety of hotel projects. Although he achieved a Bachelor of Science Degree in accounting, Mr. Deskus decided against establishing a career within the normal parameters of the accounting field after serving as a financial analyst for a Fortune 500 company in New York City until 1979.  Instead, he chose to explore a different path entirely and to utilize his skills for a future within the hospitality industry by accepting a position as the Corporate Controller with American Hotel Management based in Tucson, Arizona.

In 1982, he co-founded American Inns Management, Inc. (AIM) to provide prospective clients both financial and operational management services for their full-service hotels and select service properties. Over the next ten years, AIM successfully developed and operated approximately twelve hotels in Arizona and California. 

Mr. Deskus’ background in accounting, finance and computer operations allows him to provide clients with a vast assortment of financial services that are crucial to the continued success of any operation. These services include, but are not limited to, financial planning and reporting; departmental and overall budgeting; control of payroll, product, administrative and other costs; property tax appeals and negotiations; property and liability insurance specifications and negotiation; capital expenditure analysis; and franchise relations and negotiations. In addition, his most recent projects include a 100-unit ocean front condominium project, an upscale 70-unit town home community and oversite of the Riverside California Light Rail system.