A nearly 20-year hospitality operations expert, Babst most recently oversaw a portfolio of Marriott and Hilton hotels as regional director of operations for InterMountain Management. Prior to that, he held property-level leadership positions with TownePlace Suites by Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts and InterContinental Hotel Group. Babst has received multiple awards for his leadership positions at numerous full- and select-service brands, including the TownePlace Suites Diamond General Manager of the Year Award, TownePlace Suites Diamond Circle Award and Marriott s Chairman s Award. He received his dual Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel & Restaurant Administration and Hospitality Administration/Management from Missouri State University.