Page 86 - Delaware Business Times - DE222
P. 86
TOURISM
Pete Bradley
Kent County Tourism Corporation
Kent County brands itself as the quaint village getaway, designed to appeal to people who want a quiet
trip to historic Dover and small towns nestled in wetlands. As the president for the last four years, Pete Bradley has led a way in leveraging hidden gems
in central Delaware to residents in Delaware and outside the state. Before his tenure at Kent County Tourism, he previously served as vice president and general manager of casino operations for Dover Downs Hotel & Casino for
16 years. In his position, he directly oversaw all gaming-related operations, VIP services and security operations.
ALMA MATER:
Vince DiFonzo
TKo Hospitality Management
TKo Hospitality Management was launched in 2015 by three partners that had a vision of the hospitality industry seeing increased separation of ownership and franchised branding for marketing. Back then, TKo Hospitality started with 130 hotel rooms. As of late 2023, its portfolio has grown to seven Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels across the Mid-Atlantic, including those in Dewey Beach, Lewes, Rehoboth Beach and Ocean City as well as other boutique hotels. Other assets include restaurants and event centers in Delaware and Pennsylvania, including the Lighthouse Restaurant and Bar. When Vince DiFonzo was named partner in the firm, he brought more than 20 years of experience
with Meyer Jabara Hotels, including management roles in Delaware and Ohio hotels.
ALMA MATER:
BOARDS:
Q&A:
Tom Kramedas
Axia Hospitality Management
The Kramedas family has been in
the hotel business since the 1960s, developing eight hotels in that time. When Tom Kramedas took over as president in 2000, he helped grow
the firm’s portfolio and added more development projects into the family business. In 2006, Axia brought the first branded hotel to Middletown. In the past few years, Axia has added Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Middletown, and the company has plans to open a shopping center across the highway. Today, Kramedas oversees around nine hotels in Delaware and Maryland.
Scott Thomas
Southern Delaware Tourism
Every year, Delaware’s beaches draw scores of visitors and the season
grows. For the past 16 years, Southern Delaware Tourism Executive Director Scott Thomas has worked to lift the image not only of Delaware’s coastal towns, but also attractions in Western Sussex County like the Nanticoke River and the Delaware Botanic Gardens. During his tenure, Thomas has worked with several advertising campaigns, notably the “Welcome Back” campaign to draw people back to the beach in 2020. Tourism is a $2.7 billion industry in Sussex County and supports 23,000 jobs, and Thomas collaborates with several businesses and hoteliers to continue to keep the industry strong. Right now, he is working to develop the “Culinary Coast” reputation that shines a light on farm-to-table and rock star chefs in the county.
ALMA MATER:
BOARDS:
Q&A:
84 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
