Philadelphia, Pa – May 15, 2025 – More than 30 female leaders of Towne Park proudly attended the 2025 American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) ForWard Conference, held May 6–7 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, joining nearly 900 leaders across the hospitality industry to celebrate and advance the power of women in the hospitality industry.
As a proud conference sponsor, Towne Park was represented by a powerhouse delegation of leaders from across the organization, reinforcing our company’s commitment to championing equity, empowerment, and innovation in hospitality.
Towne Park Dedicated Pre-Conference Powerhouse Session: “Power in Practice”
On May 5, Towne Park hosted a dynamic pre-conference session for its team, aligning with ForWard’s 2025 theme of recognizing, owning, and amplifying power COO, Jackie DeChamps, opened the meeting and highlighted the meaningful progress Towne Park has made in just one year—expanding female representation in the industry, evolving beyond a “parking” identity to embrace true “hospitality,” and becoming more diverse than ever.
To start the conversation, we held a panel with a diverse group of leaders moderated by SVP of Marketing and Communications, Bev Dribin. The panel explored how women in leadership define, recognize, and reclaim their power—and how they use it to influence, support others, and drive change. The panelists included:
- Sherri Edwards, SVP Operations – Central Region
- Alex Hodge, Assistant General Counsel
- Laura Swinchock, VP Human Resources
- Erin Noss, Senior Director, Communications & PR
- Jackie O’Neill, District Manager, Milwaukee
- Danielle McLaughlin, Regional Finance Manager
Panelists reflected on the first time they recognized their power, how they navigated power dynamics, and times when they reclaimed their power. They also shared how they used their voices for impact, and how they amplify other women.
Next, the Towne Park group reflected on the theme of personal power. Gabriele Garner, VP of Talent & Development, facilitated a breakout session, guided by five thought-provoking prompts, where participants shared stories, insights, and challenges as they explored what power means to them and how it shows up in their lives.
We closed our afternoon together with special guest speaker, Julienne Smith, Chief Development Officer at IHG. In a Q&A moderated by Amanda Quillen, SVP of HR, Julienne shared her career trajectory in hospitality, trends and insights on the hospitality industry, and her personal leadership lessons and guidance for our team.
Immersive ForWard Highlights
As the conference kicked off, Towne Park team members immersed themselves in curated networking and development opportunities over the two days that includes some incredible speakers.
Jackie DeChamps, now a member of the ForWard Advisory committee, was one of the conference’s notable speakers. She joined a session on female leadership where she shared her experience finding and owning her power, including a story of when her power was challenged. Click here to watch her tell the story in her own words.
A Moment of Impact
Towne Park’s presence and partnership in the industry continues to grow, as evidenced by the strong showing at the conference. Our large delegation of attendees wasn’t just about attendance, it was about showing up for each other, our industry, and the future of hospitality. Thank you to everyone who made the journey to Atlanta and helped bring Towne Park’s values and impact on our industry to life on a national stage.
Together, we continue to elevate women’s voices, lead with authenticity, and shape the future of leadership in our industry.
Watch the highlights from ForWard here.