Mark Everton’s entry into the hospitality industry was through accounting and finance (personal communication, January 12, 2024). Shortly after graduating with degrees in accounting and finance from Humboldt State University in far northern California, Mark joined the Four Seasons hotel group as the Assistant Controller at the Four Seasons Clift Hotel in San Francisco. Mark describes what work was like decades ago:

The early 1980’s was a very different time in the hotel industry than it is today. There were no computers in use in the hotels. Catering bookings were kept in enormous books and the sales team would put clients on hold and tell them ‘let me check the book to see if that room is available’ and literally would go to the big book to look at dates and availability.

Mark had a diverse accounting tenure with Four Seasons, opening a Maui property and converting the Santa Barbara Biltmore from a Marriott to a Four Seasons. He left Four Seasons to open a new hotel, the Portman Hotel, in San Francisco. Mark believes that the experience of opening a hotel and the team building necessary to accomplish the myriad tasks and challenges helped him develop skills that serve him well today. As he explains,

One becomes a bit like Rube Goldberg in having to find creative solutions to unanticipated issues because at the end of the day the hotel has to open and guests need to be accommodated. This experience is applicable to problem solving and ‘thinking outside of the box’ for a DMO to be successful.

Mark’s love of operations and his ability to juggle multiple tasks led him to move from the accounting realm into hotel operations. During his time managing the 1,000-room Renaissance Parc 55 in San Francisco and the Oakland Marriott and Oakland Convention Center, Mark found his true passion for managing the day-to-day challenges of large big-city properties. He worked in management positions in inner-city luxury and convention properties as well as in Hawaiian and coastal resorts before joining Joie de Vivre, the largest manager of unique boutique hotels in the United States. Over many years with Joie de Vivre, he oversaw a dozen properties in Hawai’i, Southern California, Silicon Valley, and San Francisco while being based out of the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland’s Jack London Square.

As a long-term board member of Visit Oakland, Mark was a natural fit as CEO. He left the 24/7 life of an innkeeper after 30+ years and to join Visit Oakland. Mark reflects,

I was often asked if being the CEO of a DMO is different from being the GM of a hotel. They are surprisingly similar. The focus of marketing, sales, differentiation from your competition, managing owners vs. board members, team building, and goal setting are very similar. The primary difference is that the phone doesn’t ring at 2 a.m. because the night auditor has a stomach ache.

Mark’s fondest memories (so far) of working for DMOs include seeing Oakland selected by National Geographic as one of the 20 best places to visit in the world and having his organization Explore Seattle Southside chosen as one of the 100 best places to work in Washington State.

About Mark Everton

Mark’s proudest accomplishment is being married to his best friend and high school sweetheart for 43 years and successfully seeing all five of their children leave home, for now anyway. Mark’s professional experience includes management roles with Hilton, Marriott, Four Seasons, Joie de Vivre, and independent hotels, including the Claremont Resort & Spa in Oakland and the Portman Hotel in San Francisco. Mark has also had wonderful experiences with various community organizations, nonprofits, chambers of commerces, and philanthropic endeavors.