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.