Kimpton The Forum Hotel Announces Executive Appointments to Lead Hotel Sales, Marketing and Catering Teams

February 23, 2023

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Kimpton The Forum Hotel has announced the appointments of Darby Gyscek as Director of Sales and Marketing and Ricky de Jesus as Director of Catering. These individuals, each boasting backgrounds in hospitality and the local market, will helm the leadership team and guide the hotel in its sales, marketing and catering strategies towards its April 2023 opening.

The Forum Hotel, bringing 198 rooms including 10 suites to the Darden School of Business on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville, VA, is intentionally interwoven into the local community and features an upscale farm-to-table steakhouse, Birch & Bloom, and a craft beer bar, The Good Sport. The indoor and outdoor meeting and event spaces at The Forum are inclusive of state-of-the-art boardrooms, classrooms, ballrooms and an outdoor five-acre arboretum with an amphitheater and gardens.

“We are thrilled with the dynamic leadership in place to lead The Forum and its dining concepts towards a successful opening and beyond,” says Kelly Brown, General Manager of The Forum. “We are confident that our talented team will foster an environment on property and off that will honor our namesake and warmly welcome neighbors, friends, family and visitors to an exciting new place to connect in Charlottesville.”

Darby Gyscek, Director of Sales and Marketing

Gyscek brings 25 years of hospitality sales experience to The Forum’s sales team, including the past 15 years specializing in university-affiliated properties at the University of North Carolina, Duke University and the University of Virginia. Gyscek has experience working for many household names in hospitality, including Disney, Hyatt, Fairmont, Starwood and Aramark. She obtained a bachelor of science degree in hotel, restaurant & tourism management from Western Kentucky University.

Ricky de Jesus, Director of Catering

Originally a Florida native, de Jesus joins The Forum’s opening team offering over 15 years of hospitality experience with a focus in boutique hotel management. He cut his teeth in restaurant operations and event management with three years at Imperium Food & Wine in Celebration, FL, and has since served as a food & beverage director while implementing his passion for service through various business models. His attention to detail and customer service coupled with his passion for hospitality have primed him for his role as director of catering at The Forum. de Jesus will be tasked with catering sales and operations for The Forum’s 22,000-square-foot meetings and event spaces, offering unique ways to gather and celebrate in Charlottesville.