

by timbers_ug1m7f | Dec 6, 2018 | Uncategorized
DeparturesAs Chief Financial Officer, John Starr oversees and manages business development and financial operations across the Timbers portfolio, including external capital raising efforts for future projects, managing Timbers’ investments, investor relations and management of the Company’s accounting, acquisitions, asset management and information technology departments.
Prior to joining Timbers, John served as chief operating officer of CNL Financial Group, specifically in REIT fund management where his principal area of focus included developing and implementing strategies to maximize the financial performance of CNL’s real estate portfolios. Before serving as COO, John also served CNL as CNL Private Equity Corp’s senior vice president of asset management, chief operating officer of CNL Healthcare Properties II and chief portfolio officer of both Global Income Trust and Global Growth Trust.
John began his career at First Union Bank as a commercial lender after receiving his Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida with a dual major in Economics and Management. He currently resides in Winter Park with his wife and three children.
Andrew has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Colorado Boulder. He resides in Orlando, Florida with his family.
As Senior Managing Director – Hospitality, Jesse Geremia oversees all operational aspects of the brand’s portfolio, with a primary focus on Owner and guest experience, as well as the Timbers Reciprocity Program. He is also involved with new Timbers business development opportunities and acquisitions.
Jesse has been overseeing properties within Timbers Resorts for more than seven years, previously serving as the General Manager of both Timbers Kiawah and Timbers Jupiter after being promoted from Residence Club Manager at Timbers Bachelor Gulch and The Residences at Kapalua Bay, where he managed the transition process as they were rebranded from the Ritz-Carlton flag to Timbers. Prior to joining Timbers, Jesse worked for nine years at The Carneros Inn in Napa Valley, where he acquired an appreciation for luxury fractional real estate by holding several positions including Front Office Manager as well as Residence Club Manager.
Jesse has a bachelor’s degree in history from California State University, Sacramento. He resides in Winter Park, Florida with his wife and two daughters.
As Corporate Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, Paulene Kawasjee provides corporate support to resort leadership, oversees portfolio performance and manages the planning and execution of capital improvements. Paulene brings years of experience in the resort and recreation industry to Timbers, helping maintain the portfolio’s world-class stature.
Prior to joining Timbers, Paulene served as the Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Analytics at Xenia Hotels & Resorts, where she was responsible for portfolio and corporate financial analysis and reporting, forecasting, and strategic planning. Before Xenia, she began her career in the hospitality industry at Visit Orlando and Marriott International.
Paulene has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. She currently lives in Orlando, Florida.
As Director of Architecture, Gary Ross is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the architectural work of each project and often developing the initial design concepts of Timbers’ developments.
Gary started working with Timbers Resorts as a consultant in 2000 before transitioning into the Director of Architecture role in 2004. Prior to joining Timbers, he had a private architectural practice in Aspen, Colorado and served as Principal at a well-established architectural practice. Before moving to Colorado, he taught architecture and engineering at the University of Oklahoma.
Gary has bachelor’s degrees in architecture and engineering in addition to a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Oklahoma. He resides in Carbondale, Colorado with his family.
As Director of Business Development, Nick Hall is responsible for hotel acquisition initiatives, such as identifying acquisition targets and management opportunities for Timbers Resorts, underwriting, due diligence and supporting the company’s overall expansion objectives.
Prior to joining Timbers, Nick worked in a similar capacity at The Kessler Collection, where he was responsible for real estate acquisitions and oversaw budgeting, financial projections and the construction draw process for ground-up hotel developments in excess of $600MM. Prior to his time at The Kessler Collection, Nick worked with Inland American Lodging, now Xenia Hotels & Resorts on $2B in total transactions.
Nick has a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Florida International University and an MBA from Rollins College. He currently resides in Maitland with his wife and three sons.
Julie has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry spanning operations, finance and human resources in hotels as well as restaurant groups and wine and food companies.
She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cal State Chico and resides in Winter Park, Florida with her husband and dogs.
As Chief Financial Officer, Sean oversees and manages the Timbers Resorts portfolio. He is charged with leading Timbers’ external capital raising efforts for future projects, managing investor relations and overseeing the company’s accounting, acquisitions, asset management, human resources and information technology departments.
Prior to joining Timbers Resorts, Sean served as Chief Investment Officer for SunGate Capital, LLC, a single-family private equity and investment office where he was responsible for developing and implementing investment strategy. Before this role, he held prestigious positions with several prominent firms including CNL Financial Group, where he served for ten years as the Chief Investment Officer and was responsible for developing and implementing the investment strategy as well as providing strategic insight into the markets in which the company operated.
Sean is very involved with philanthropic organizations, serving as the nominating chair for the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, and advisory board member for FORGE (Family Office Regional Group Executives), a national, non-commercial network of regional family office groups.
Sean graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School with a Bachelor of Science in economics. He earned his MBA from the University of Chicago where he was elected to Beta Gamma Sigma honor society and graduated in the top 5% of his class. He currently resides in Winter Park, Florida with his wife and two children.
As Chief Development Officer, Chris Burden oversees the development process from initial due diligence through planning, design, construction, marketing, rental and sales for Timbers Resorts. He is also responsible for the ongoing operations of the company’s developed properties.
Prior to his role as Chief Development Officer, Chris held multiple leadership roles at Timbers, most recently serving as Managing Director of Development for the East Coast of U.S. and the Caribbean. He was lead developer of Timbers Kiawah Ocean Club & Residences, the first new residential development on Kiawah Island’s oceanfront in over 30 years, which debuted in November 2018. Before this role, Chris served as the Project Director for One Steamboat Place, a 465,000 square-foot slopeside development comprised of 80 luxury residences in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Before joining Timbers Resorts, Chris was a Senior Manager with Exclusive Resorts in Denver, Colorado where he oversaw business development and sales and helped the company achieve its largest year over year growth in sales.
Chris graduated from the College of Charleston with a bachelor’s degree in economics and lives in Bluffton, South Carolina with his wife and four children.
As Chief Executive Officer for Timbers Resorts, Greg Spencer actively drives the company’s overall strategy and growth while ensuring employee, guest and Owner experience aptly represents the prestigious Timbers brand. Under Greg’s leadership, Timbers has evolved into one of the most esteemed companies in the industry with 16 properties located in the most sought-after destinations.
Greg’s passion for crafting unmatched lifestyle experiences stems from the pure joy he felt when spending time by the ocean in his childhood; a feeling that has propelled his vision for Timbers since joining the company in 2007. Throughout his 13-year tenure at Timbers, Greg held several prominent positions including Chief Operating Officer, Director of Corporate Finance, Director of New Development and Project Director for several Timbers Resorts properties.
Prior to joining Timbers Resorts, Greg developed high-end properties in the southeastern U.S. for his firm, Mont Ventoux Capital, and was a Senior Manager with Accenture where he specialized in financial services mergers and acquisitions with an emphasis on real estate related integration. Before joining the civilian workforce, he was a Captain in the United States Air Force and deployed in support of numerous operations around the world.
Greg has a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University, an MBA from Webster University, and a Master of Science in real estate development from Columbia University. Greg received his commission as an Air Force Officer from ROTC, where he was the Corps Commander at Florida State University, a Distinguished Graduate, and recipient of the President’s Award. He resides in Winter Park, Florida with his wife and two daughters.
As Founder and Executive Chairman of Timbers Resorts, David Burden’s vision and diverse background have been the driving force behind the creation of Timbers’ well-known and highly regarded portfolio of resort properties. Now having grown to 16 properties worldwide, each and every destination within The Timbers Collection continues to reflect David’s original mission to be a special place for families to return to time and time again to get back to what is most important… spending time with those you love.
Prior to founding Timbers Resorts, David developed several master-planned private golf communities including Aspen Glen, a 900-acre private Jack Nicklaus golf community in the Aspen Colorado area, and Indigo Run Plantation, a 1,700-acre private Jack Nicklaus golf community on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Before community development, David developed retail and commercial projects in Atlanta following an early international career with Citibank at several locations in Europe and the Middle East.
David is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran. He resides on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and is a proud father to four children and grandfather to six grandchildren.