HAMILTON, N.Y. — Kendra L. Young has been named general manager of the historic Colgate Inn, Colgate University announced on Thursday.
Young, originally from nearby Homer, is now leading staff at the inn “as they embark on sweeping improvements to the location’s tavern, dining, and lodging experience,” according to a university news release.
“This is like coming home,” Young said in the release. “I come from a family of dairy farmers, so the farm-to-table movement is really important to me, and I’m so excited to be back in a small community that is so much like where I grew up.”
Young studied hospitality management at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, and took part in an internship at Walt Disney World before becoming the assistant private dining manager at Per Se Restaurant in New York City.
At the three-star Per Se, Young managed the front-of-house staff and helped coordinate special events. Young later spent time working at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, before returning to the Northeast. She eventually worked for the Colgate Inn’s management group, Charlestowne Hotels, as general manager of the Stowehof Hotel in Stowe, Vermont.
At the Stowehof, Young helped transition a family-owned inn into a “professionally managed boutique hotel, elevating service standards throughout the guest experience and overseeing all operations, including food and beverage, maintenance, rooms, human resources, and accounting,” the release stated.
“It didn’t take long for us to recognize Ms. Young’s talent, and we are thrilled to offer a position worthy of her ability,” said Michael Tall, president and COO of Charlestowne Hotels. “Her effectiveness as a leader and her natural ability to intuit guest needs makes her the ideal candidate to take on this opportunity. We’re looking forward to what her addition will bring to the hotel, campus, and Hamilton community.”
The Colgate Inn, started in 1925, has 40 rooms and suites, a restaurant, and an array of event spaces and services.
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Photo credit: Colgate Inn website
