by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Two weeks ago, Bob White — the new general manager of the Omni Hotel — was sloshing through the slush of a Chicago winter wishing he had eyes in the back of his head to watch for skidding cars.
Today, he is in Jacksonville in the dead of winter where the temperatures hit the mid-70s Wednesday under sunny skies and a refreshing breeze. White said if he never sees snow again, that will be OK with him.
Last week the Pittsburgh native took over the second-largest hotel downtown. With 354 rooms and 14,000 square feet of meeting space, the Omni is about one-third the size of the Adam’s Mark Hotel. What the 15-year-old hotel lacks in size compared to the one-year-old Adam’s Mark it makes up for in experience and name recognition.
In White, the Omni has a general manger with the hotel experience necessary to keep business steady and a sales background that assures growth is on the agenda. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in sales and marketing and has been putting it to use ever since. After a 24-year career with Interstate Hotels, where he worked in several cities across the nation, White is back in the one state where he really wanted to work.
“This is my second time in Florida,” said White. “I was in Ft. Lauderdale from 1986 until 1997.”
During his years with Interstate — which is a hotel management firm — White managed several different hotels, but never an Omni. He ran Hiltons, Radissons and Marriotts, making contacts all over the United States. In fact, industry contacts and hometown buddies helped persuade him to come to Jacksonville.
“I know a lot of people here from Pittsburgh,” said White. “Joe Hawkinberry, the general manager at the Radisson, and I were roommates in Ft. Lauderdale. I wanted to get back to Florida. After a 24-year career with Interstate, it was a big decision to make the change. But the Omni is a big name and a good brand.”
Unlike most major relocations, White had only seen Jacksonville once. It was years ago and consisted of little more than a drive through. The decision to take the Omni job was based almost solely on recommendations from friends and industry associates in the area.
“I came here sight unseen,” said White. “I went on the City’s website and made a few phone calls. I had heard a lot of positive things about Jacksonville. I had been through Jacksonville, but hadn’t stayed. But, I knew the city was very friendly. And you can get sweetened tea.”
White has been living in the hotel but recently bought a condo at the Villas at St. Johns on Riverside Avenue. “I have a four and a half minute commute to work and I’m living in a place that’s never been lived in,” he said.
Business-wise, White says the Omni is in good shape. Obviously, the economy and terrorist attacks have put a damper on the entire hotel industry, but the Omni is still doing well. With nice facilities, a good restaurant and close proximity to the T-U Center, White says the Omni will remain an attractive downtown destination for tourists and locals alike.
White said he doesn’t have any major changes in mind and will spend the first few months getting to know his staff and the city.
“The Omni fits my skills and we have great employees. We have a lot of long time employees,” said White. “We will refocus the staff, but mostly it will be business as usual. Our guest scores are pretty good and we will try to keep them high.”
Because of the hotel management industry tends toward an itinerant nature, it’s not likely that the Omni will host White’s retirement party. But he would like to stick around Jacksonville. White took over for David Shepherd, who ran the hotel on an interim basis while on loan from the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta. Shepherd managed the hotel after John Remmers left the Omni last year for a hotel in Texas.
“My goal is to take care of the guests and the employees,” said White. “I’m here permanently and I want to make a difference.”
And the idea of never putting on a heavy coat again is very appealing. On Monday when it was chilly and the tourists rolled in looking like Eskimos, White found himself amused.
“It’s funny to see people come in with big winter coats,” he said.