Meet the Staff at The Mendocino Hotel & Garden Suites

Customer Service starts with great staff members! Painting by Olaf Palm.Customer Service starts with great staff members! Painting by Olaf Palm.The Mendocino Hotel has over 70 employees attracted by a work environment which fosters and rewards impeccable and hospitable service to guests. The hotel offers a health, dental, vision and 401K employment package. The average manager’s tenure at the hotel is about 8 years, and some employees have worked at the hotel for over 20 years!

Proprietor

1Tom Kravis • Tom was a practicing  emergency medicine physician in San Diego for a number of years, and published three editions of "Emergency Medicine" in two languages. He was a consultant at Andersen and then United Health Group in Minneapolis. For the last 19 years, he has owned the Hotel. Since 2005, he has been actively engaged in the management of the Hotel, the assurance of a high-quality guest experience, and preserving the Old World charm and ambiance of the establishment.

“If you have to get sick, a good prescription is to do it while you are a guest of the historic Mendocino Hotel in Northern California. You can expect a house call from the owner, who is a medical doctor. I don’t regularly practice anymore but I happen to be a licensed doctor who used to run and operate ER’s (emergency clinics), says Tom Kravis, who bought the inn from an ailing relative in 1989.”   —from an article by David Wilkening of Hotel Interactive, Inc.

Managers

3Sarah Cavello • Morning Restaurant Manager • 11 years • An effervescent personality complements Sarah’s knowledge of local foods and wines and the special needs of guests.

5Jamie Buckner • Sales Manager • 6 years • Starting as a housekeeper, then working at the Front Desk, Jamie directs all group sales including weddings conferences, retreats and special events.

6Cynthia Jo Pennebaker • Executive Housekeeper • 17 years • Starting as a house keeper 18 years ago and now the executive housekeeper, she coordinates the careful attention provided to guest rooms and public areas by our Housekeeping staff.

Marie Keller • Controller • 10 years (no photo yet)

7Steve Davis • Chief Engineer • 2 years • The full time engineer assures a safe environment for employees and guests; maintains a sophisticated water and well system; ensures proper functioning of 51 guest rooms and public rooms, including restoration of fine antiques and a state-of-the-art movie theater.

Kathy McDonald • Grounds Manager • 3 years (no photo yet) • Kathy, an experienced horticulturist, is the gardener for Mendocino Hotel. She offers loving and thoughtful care and maintenance of over two acres of lush vegetation.

7Drew Ison • Executive Chef • Drew graduated from the highly regarded California School of Culinary Arts in 2002 at the top of his class. He served as a chef at Kodak Theater in Hollywood preparing “California Cuisine” at events for the celebrities including the “Tribute to Tom Hanks” and the Oscars. Drew has served at Temecula Creek and the Ponte Winery. Drew is proud of his local culinary roots in Little River and Mendocino where he has played a creative role as Sous Chef.