Cortez brings 30 years of executive experience in aviation, commercial banking, municipal finance, and real estate development.  A highly respected member of the airport community, Cortez has held senior roles at O’Hare, Midway and Hartsfield-Jackson International airports. He has been responsible for all non-aeronautical revenue including concessions, international cargo, hotel/office, CONRAC, FBO and consolidated distribution.  As a senior officer at the multi-national food & beverage conglomerate SSP America, he procured and developed deals in Houston, Tampa, Cedar Rapids and Winnipeg airports.  In his role at Hyde Park Hospitality, Cortez leads our growing airport practice with a particular focus on the domestic growth of our food & beverage, retail and lounge portfolios.  A Chicago native, he is a graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts and the John Molson School of Business, Airport Executive Leadership Program (AELP). He also holds an International Airport Professional (IAP) designation and is an experienced pilot with multiple ratings.

Lydia Barnes has over 10 years of experience in public accounting with a focus on income tax. She has previously worked for large accounting firms, including RSM US LLP and Plante Moran, with clients predominantly in the hospitality and real estate industries, where she serviced many high-net-worth individuals and multi-generational families. Lydia’s experience in public accounting consisted of working closely with her clients’ CFOs, business owners, and families. By gaining an intimate understanding of their short and long-term financial goals, Lydia was able to better advise them and keep them abreast of all new and upcoming tax legislation.

As our Director of Finance, Lydia oversees the company’s fiscal matters, including all internal financial statements and income tax returns. She also enforces internal procedures and processes to safeguard company assets and ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulatory bodies.

Jesus, our director of contract food services, has over 20 years of experience in hotels, freestanding restaurants, and contract food service. Although he studied mathematics at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, his passion for food and relationships quickly led him to the hospitality industry.

He previously served as Director of Sales for Carnivale Restaurant, directing events such as the Obama fundraiser and Batman wrap party. He was the senior district manager at Food for Thought, overseeing accounts including BP, School of the Art Institute, and the Adler Planetarium. Most recently, he was at Quest FMS, with an extensive K-12 portfolio, overseeing 70+ schools via 16 direct reports.

Jesus cultivates his relationships with both his clients and his team. He learns about his clients to exceed their expectations and enjoys teaching his team how to do the same.

As director of contract food services, Jesus manages our B&I, K-12, Hotel, and Triple B portfolios. He is responsible for all food service contracts and provides direction and leadership to the directors and managers.

Elishea has over a decade of experience in operations and as a Human Resource professional; in Healthcare, Facility Management, and Food Service making, employee engagement and understanding the intricacies of people management are her primary focus.

Elishea uses her expertise to continue seeking the best hospitality professionals and championing her hardworking team while focusing on creating a culture of premier hospitality. She lives through her belief that the best decisions are those made by the people most impacted.

In Elishea’s spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

Civic Activities:

McGaw YMCA Steering Committee, Achievers College Tour Ambassador, and E-Ban/Parent Ambassador.

Matt has a plethora of experience in the food industry, including Airport Concessions, QSR, and consulting. Matt joined Hyde Park Hospitality when the company was first founded in 2012 and was responsible for partnering with key clients to support the opening of their operations.  He currently oversees Hyde Park Hospitality’s operations in airports including Dallas / Fort Worth, Denver, Newark, and Los Angeles.  In addition, Matt manages the operational and staffing responsibilities in 13 airport lounges, employing over 200 hourly associates, in 11 different states throughout the country.  Matt earned his BA in Management from the University of Northern Iowa.  After graduation, Matt attended law school at the University of Iowa, before shifting into the hospitality industry. 

Angila has 25+ years of experience in community and government relations, marketing, communications, and event planning in the corporate, non-profit, and academic arenas. Currently she is the Director of Community Engagement for Hyde Park Hospitality (HPH), assigned to the Aramark/ Chicago Public Schools (CPS) account. Angila is responsible for the cultivation and implementation of strategic community partnership and serves as government relations liaison with city, county, and state officials.  Angila has the reputation of being a collaborative servant leader and is recognized for her innovative and creative solution skills.  She is a resident of Chicago, IL, serves on the board of Hood 2 Hire, and is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago.

Sid Higgins has extensive experience in the hospitality and entertainment industries, now specializing in high-end airport lounge operations. Before joining HPH, Sid played a leading role in developing two premium lounge brands in the U.K. and North America, notably the award-winning No.1 Lounges in the U.K. and the Escape Lounges in the USA.

Sid joined MAG USA in 2017 and grew the network of Escape lounges across the U.S. from 3 to 15 over 5 years.

Sid’s background in hospitality was preceded by his management career in the theatre industry, working on many productions in London’s West End, culminating in being appointed Executive Director of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. His passion for hospitality, entertainment, and aviation comes together by joining the vibrant team at Hyde Park Hospitality, focusing on the new U.S. based Sapphire Lounges by The Club.

Vanessa Rodriguez worked at Meta as an Operation Manager for over 4 years and has experience in the Hospitality world for over 20 years. She has always been focused on customer service and satisfaction, building teams and culture, and maintaining outstanding relationships with clients. Originally from Venezuela, Vanessa fell in love with Chicago when she came over as an exchange student during high school.

She is fluent in both English and Spanish. Vanessa is a hardworking individual with a strong desire to learn and grow, regardless of the field.

Kiran Ahmad is a skilled, strategic operator with 13+ years in the food industry. She currently oversees and supports Airport Lounge Operations and Staffing at 6 lounges across the country.  She works seamlessly with our client partner to provide excellent service to guests who visit “The Club” lounges.  Kiran has a 7-year background in food manufacturing, where she held various positions in engineering, project management, and supervision.  She also has 6 years of Food-Service operations and management experience and specializes in the oversight of both union and non-union workforces along with salaried and hourly staff in centralized kitchen sites. She attended Ohio State University, where she obtained a B.S in Chemical Engineering.  She went onto receive her M.S in Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.  

Demetrius has 16+ years of experience in hotel operations as it relates to Front Desk, Concierge, Account Management, Catering and Event Planning. Currently the Assistant General F&B Manager, Demetrius is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations for the Food and Beverage Outlets at the Chicago Hilton O’Hare Hotel. Prior to working at Hyde Park Hospitality, he was the Senior Catering and Events Manager at The Historical Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Downtown Chicago, Illinois.  Demetrius has a reputation for being keen on the details, professional, and possessing strong leadership skills to work with diverse teams and create an atmosphere of world class hospitality service.   He graduated from North Park University in Chicago, IL.

Sheree graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University with a degree in liberal arts. Post graduation, she opted to pursue a career in healthcare when she became the Manager of Patient Transportation and Call Center. She oversaw a team of 6 Center Representatives and over 100 employees in various positions in healthcare.

In 2018, Sheree started with Aramark Facilities, leading teams in training, coaching, and mentoring. In October 2021, Sheree joined Aramark’s partner Hyde Park Hospitality as Senior Custodial Manager of the South District. In 5 months, she was promoted to District Manager, solely responsible for a team of 21 managers and oversight of the custodial program at 200 schools. Sheree’s constant goal is the Pursuit of Excellence through leading the management team and implementing processes to improve standards at every school location.

Dave oversees 10 corporate account partnerships with Aramark for the Triple B portfolio. Dave started his journey partnering with Aramark in 2014, serving as the Director of Operations for Aramark/Bridgeman in St. Louis, Missouri. He then served for a year as the Director of Operations for Aramark/Bridgeman for the same client nationally.

In 2018, he took the role of managing all Aramark/Bridgeman partnerships. When Triple B Hospitality was created in early 2023, he was appointed as the District Manager responsible for all accounts under the new partnership.

David’s 23-year history in the food services industry has been marked by steadily increasing managerial responsibilities. He began his career as a shift manager for a Steak ‘n Shake, moving up to District Manager of several stores before taking on the job as District Manager of six stores for Bandanas Missouri LLC. From there, he ascended to District Manager for Bridgeman Foods in 2012, where he soon began working with Aramark. Throughout his tenure, he has taken a particular interest in building strong client relationships, maintaining service-level excellence, and focusing on hiring and retaining excellent people in his supervised operations. He also put a strong emphasis on finding and developing new managerial talent. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree, with concentrations in International Business and Economics, from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

Mandy Norman studied graphic design and marketing at the University of Central Missouri and began her career in merchandising and store design. She won various design awards with Guess Jeans and Urban Outfitters, where she managed their design departments.

Her love of building relationships and helping others led her into the field of learning and development. She began working as a Sales Trainer for Pandora Jewelry. After just two years, she grew to manage learning and development leaders in 18 different countries, including the United States, Latin America, and Canada. She transitioned from sales to technology training to round out her portfolio, including working with companies such as Navex Global and Oracle. She was responsible for managing federal contracts at Oracle and collaborated with military officials to oversee training programs for medical staff. She was eventually awarded a “Civilian Pin”, on two separate occasions, due to her rigorous work ethic and overall success level in training.

As Training Manager, she oversees the development, project planning and training execution at our Chase Sapphire Lounges across the country.

David is a passionate, skilled operator with 12+ years of multifaceted food & beverage and hospitality management experience.  David currently oversees and provides operational and staffing support to 4 Airport Lounge locations across the country.  He is responsible for hiring and supervising over 75 employees between all 4 locations.  He works seamlessly with our client partner to provide excellent service to guests who visit the “The Club” lounges. David specializes in the oversight, coaching, and development of both union and non-union workforces along with salaried and hourly staff in front of house and back of house settings.  He received an A.S in Culinary Arts and B.S. in Hospitality Management from Kendall College. 

Sheree’ holds the position of HR/Payroll Manager at Hyde Park Hospitality, bringing to the role her extensive experience of over 12 years in Human Resources. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management with a focus on HR and went on to acquire a Masters of Business Administration.

She embarked on her journey with Hyde Park Hospitality in 2019, initially serving as the Payroll Manager for the Airport Dimensions Core Lounge division. In this role, she meticulously managed and processed payroll for approximately 300 employees. As the company experienced growth, Sheree’ seamlessly embraced additional responsibilities and now oversees HR support and payroll management for various sectors within the company including K-12 Aramark Food, Aramark Custodial, K-12 Open Kitchens, Meta Business Dining, and the core Management team.

Beyond her pivotal role at Hyde Park Hospitality, Sheree’ additionally manages the payroll for Triple B Hospitality, a burgeoning entity with 102 employees. Her profound understanding of Human Resources and Payroll Management and her dedication to operational excellence significantly contribute to the seamless functioning of the diverse sectors within the organization, making her an invaluable asset to both Hyde Park and Triple B Hospitality.

Kevin Sotto has almost 10 years of quick-serve restaurant and retail operations in the airport environment. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management in the Philippines and earned his diploma in October 2012.

After accepting a position with Hyde Park Hospitality in 2016, Kevin started as an Assistant Manager for their World Bean Coffee locations in Terminal C at Newark International Airport. Within one year of accepting the position, Kevin was promoted to Operations Manager, directly responsible for overseeing more than 40 employees in the World Bean portfolio. In his first year as Operations Manager, Kevin increased sales by over 7% compared to the previous year, along with a significant drop in employee turnover. Today, Kevin is the General Manager at our joint venture, O’Hare Ventures II LLC. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of our six food and beverage concepts at Chicago O’Hare Airport, where he manages close to 70 employees.