Hospitality Pro Joins Wanderlust

Event planner and hospitality professional Susan H. Baker has joined travel marketing and destination branding agency Wanderlust. She will be responsible for the Troy-based agency’s new business team; promoting the firm to the travel and tourism industry and qualifying prospective clients in need of marketing, branding and business development activities.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Susan to our team,” commented Wanderlust President Mark Shipley. “Her experience in the hospitality field helps her understand the day-to-day business concerns of destination, resort and attraction marketers. This perspective is a perfect complement to the agency’s travel and tourism expertise and knowledge base.”

Susan brings more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including event planning, sales development, and strategic business management. Prior to joining Wanderlust, she was employed by some of the region’s top event destinations and catering firms. As Director of Sales for Mazzone Management and Glen Sanders Mansion, Susan helped grow the business from $1 million in 1999 to over $7 million in 2006, and managed event planning for Saratoga National Golf Club, Hall of Springs and Mansion Catering.

In her role as Corporate Sales Manager at The Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, New York, Susan was responsible for cultivating corporate, state association and social event markets and driving group room bookings. She administered a dynamic multi million dollar-catering department at The Desmond, developing marketing programs to increase revenue, customer confidence and loyalty.

“Susan’s successes are easily attributed to her entrepreneurial spirit and creative ‘out of the box’ thinking style,” said Mark Shipley, “But you can’t overlook her ability to build relationships, manage countless details and multi-task; these are the professional skills that make her so effective in business. She possesses a unique balance of creativity and organizational management expertise that will be an asset to Wanderlust and our clients.”

Susan earned a Masters in Public Administration from Marist College and a B.S. for Organizational Management from Nyack College. Her community involvement includes a seat on the board of Schenectady County Community College Foundation, and work for the Regional Food Bank of the Capital District, Double H Hole in the Woods Ranch, Proctors Theatre, Animal Protective Foundation, Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce and Saratoga Chamber of Commerce. She has also been a member of the Empire State Society of Association Executives (ESSAE) and the International Special Event Society (ISES).