Katie specializes in dispute resolution/mediation services for the hospitality industry. She is expert in facilitating collaborative and productive dialogue between disputants to achieve agreement.
Key Consulting Services
Mediation and Dispute Resolution Specialist
Resort Management and Operations
Independent Hotels and Restaurants
Expertise
Katie has decades of experience in luxury resort and condo-hotel management; family operated hotel, restaurant and retail ventures; and alternative dispute resolution and mediation for the hospitality and related industries. She offers multi-faceted guidance to owners, developers, real estate investors and operators.
In mediation and dispute resolution, Katie is known for facilitating peaceful, purposeful and productive dialogue between the disputants. Strong skills in creating a calm environment, ability to establish a relationship of understanding, empathy and trust, building an environment that encourages the parties to participate productively in reaching resolution and without the uncertainty, unpredictability and expense of litigation have served her well in more than 100 settlement conference/mediation sessions. Katie's experience in and knowledge of the unique dynamics of the hospitality industry make her the ideal mediator or advisor in a wide range of complex disputes.
Background
A notable career in luxury resort management, independent restaurant and retail operations, as well as serving in a variety of industry, civic and charitable board positions allowed Katie to develop strong communication skills and understanding of organizational behavior and management, and the ability to guide strategic solutions in an ever-fluid and unpredictable landscape.
With the added experience of working through a number of complex business disputes, she developed effective techniques to encourage adversaries to work collaboratively to satisfy their interests and resolve conflicts through mediation. Katie is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator.
Operations consulting services include assignments geared to improve operating efficiencies, profitability, hotel and restaurant development and concept planning, marketing and public relations, litigation mitigation and expert determination.
Professional & Other
Katie is a graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. She is a Partner and serves as the Executive Director for Cayuga Hospitality Consultants. Katie is a Founder and Member of the Board of Gateway Bank of Southwest Florida, sits on boards of a number of Sarasota's human services organizations and economic development groups, is the past chairman of the Florida Lodging Association and the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. She was awarded the prestigious Independent Hotelier of the World by Hotels magazine, named the Sarasota Tourism Leader of the Year, Sarasota Business Person of the Year, has been a Dean's Distinguished Lecturer at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, is asked to speak at a variety of conferences, forums and events, and contributes to industry publications and online blogs.
