Meet the Team

CEO Beechwood Pinnacle Management

Blair Allen has been in the hospitality business for more than two decades as a developer, owner, and manager of hotels across the nation. He graduated from Washington & Lee University and he earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He began his career in commercial lending with Regions Bank, and at Worthen Bank (Bank of America).

Blair is a director on the board of Centennial Bank, Central Arkansas Region, a committee member of the InterContinental Hotels Group, IHG Technology Task Force and the Crowne Plaza Committee. He served on the Board of the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau as Chair of the Real Estate Committee. He was also a Board Member of Lodgian, a publicly traded hotel company with hotel assets across the United States. He currently serves as President and Chairman of the Board for the Arkansas Lodging Association.

With an extensive background in banking and finance, and his years of community and industry board service, Blair is uniquely equipped to bring immense value to the sales and marketing interests of Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels. His background, combined with an acute understanding of revenue management, experience in branded, independent, select service and full-service hotels, and his ability to train support staff in the successful selling of every aspect of the company’s hotel interests, has helped him make Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels a financial success.

Chief Principal

Matthew Allen’s expertise ranges from hotel design and construction to real estate management. He is also a partner in Majestic Group, which owns and manages numerous investment properties and rental units. At Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels, he serves in management for all operating and capital expenditures, including maintenance and Property Improvement Plans within the portfolio. In addition, Matthew is also responsible for the maintenance and occupancy of all investment properties.

Matthew oversees day-to-day operations for Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels’ active assets, including site resources, sales efforts, revenue management, customer service and the maximization of guest satisfaction. He is intensely focused on increasing operating cash flows by leveraging his team to capitalize on local market conditions to meet optimal occupancy indexes.

Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels takes great pride in the condition and appearance of their properties, and it’s all thanks to Matthew’s oversight. Under his leadership, the Company has been honored to receive awards such as the Remodel of the Year Award, Modernization Award, and the Priority Club Members Choice Award, following the conversion of a case-study property from a Holiday Inn-Select to a Crowne Plaza hotel.

Chief Principal

Wally Allen has owned, managed and developed hotels and restaurants across the nation. He has worked alongside well-known franchises like Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental Hotels Group, Choice, Ramada, Denny’s, Backyard Burgers, Sporting News Grill and others.

Wally’s extensive knowledge and expertise in hospitality began in his college years, as a front desk attendant. Throughout his extensive career, he has worked in virtually every facet of the hospitality industry. With his hands-on approach to management, he has played an integral role in the success of properties owned and managed by Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels.

During his career, he has served on a number of local, national and international boards and committees such as Chairman of the IAHI and Chairman of the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau. His accomplishments during his tenure have been so significant that the Little Rock Convention Center’s Ballroom was named in his honor.

Chief Asset Infrastructure Officer

Rocky, a founding principal of Pinnacle Hotel Group (now Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels), has been in the industry for nearly two decades and has in-depth knowledge and experience in construction management, new product development, and repositioning of distressed assets through renovations and rebrandings.

Rocky graduated from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville with a degree in Computer Science. However, his interest and passion for construction led him to obtain his General Contractor’s license for commercial development in 2009.

Recently, Rocky has overseen notable projects such as a $26M urban-development project in Little Rock, which he successfully brought to completion at cost and ahead of scheduled delivery. He also has extensive expertise in creatively positioning assets in order to value-engineer costs that produce the highest optimal ROI and maximize future potential cash flows.

Chief Real Estate & Development Officer

Shawn Govind is a principal at Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels, where he oversees matters ranging from investor relations to real estate management.

Shawn is focused on market analysis, site selection, brand selection and entitlements for new hotel acquisition and development, culminating in the completion of over 15 hotels. Before his time with Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels (formerly Pinnacle Hotel Group) he was the Real Estate Manager at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., where he was the leading project executive in the planning of 38 stores in the New England States.

Shawn is a graduate from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville, with a BSBA in Finance and Real Estate. In addition to Real Estate, Shawn also has experience in implementing risk management practices for the growing portfolio.  Most recently, Shawn was appointed to be on the Little Rock Task Force Commission for Opportunity Zone Developments within the City of Little Rock.

Procurement & Purchasing Officer

Nick has been with Pinnacle Hotel Group (now Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels) since the company’s inception. Beginning his career with a franchising opportunity with Promus Hotels (now Hilton Worldwide) for a Hampton Inn, his career has successfully spanned over 20+ years. Nick has added over a dozen new builds during his tenure and continues to contribute to a growing portfolio.

Nick has worked within advisory committees for some of the largest brands including Hampton Inn, Best Western, and Comfort Inns. With a focus on brand mandates, Nick worked with the brands ensuring the franchisees received the best-product and best-value options whether through a single-source supplier or multi-distribution vendors. Nick spent a lot of time with Choice Hotel’s Technology board which helped implement the first ever 100% web-based PMS system. In addition, Nick sat on the forefront of the EMV technology which has now evolved to today’s Chip & PIN Enabled devices.

As the Director of Procurement, Nick serves as a key associate in managing all furniture, fixtures, and operating supplies and equipment for all new and existing properties. He also manages design and purchasing decisions to achieve an efficient overall operation and has final approval on quantity, quality, price, and source of supply in keeping with BPH’s policy and purchase specifications. He directly manages the relationships with hotel suppliers and vendors for the growing portfolio.

In addition to Nick’s hospitality experience, he has also diversified investments into their own chain of bowling entertainment centers called Pin Strike within the Southeast and expanding.

Chief Development Officer

With nearly two decades in the industry, Chet has developed, owned, & managed a healthy portfolio of properties throughout Arkansas. After graduating from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville Walton College of Business with a double major in Accounting & Finance, he began his career with Choice Hotels International and went off to start Pinnacle Hotel Group in 2007.

At Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels, Chet is responsible for leading the business development team and overall growth in both the property management services division, as well as the construction and renovation division. He has created a highly synergistic and collaborative team approach which is passionately sales-driven and profit-focused. He instills the company’s mantra in striving for excellence in customer service, delivering a consistent & quality product, and ensuring company assets earn the highest return for our investors.

He has served on various hospitality and brand associations including the Choice Hotels Owners Council as a National Delegate and later went on to become Regional Director for Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas, where he was influential in working with the brands’ Fair Franchising groups to better assist licensees. His committee helped launch the Impact Tool Kit that is still being used by licensees today when facing brand impact challenges. Chet currently serves as the Past-President to the Arkansas Hospitality Association. In addition, Chet has been increasing his efforts in Governmental Affairs & Advocacy Programs through industry leaders AAHOA & AH&LA.

Our Director of Accounting, Stacy Bradford, CPA, leads the accounting department at the corporate office as the controller.  Stacy brings over 25  years of accounting experience in the hospitality industry and an additional experience from previously working with the IRS.  Stacy oversees our accounting personnel, is responsible for developing accounting policies and procedures, and reviews and analyzes finances, ensuring accurate compliance on all documentation.

Director of Operations Ryan Reynolds serves on the management team and brings over 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including several years as a General Manager.  Along with Company executives, Ryan helps align the operations at the corporate office with those at the hotels.  Managing and evaluating hotel performance and meeting industry standards are among some of the responsibilities Ryan covers for Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels.

Beth Boyd currently serves as our Director of Revenue Management and Sales.  Beth has over 28 years in the Hospitality Industry.  She spent 19 years leading a successful sales and catering team for the Crowne Plaza and Hampton Inn & Suites in Little Rock.  In 2014, Beth transitioned into Revenue Management for Hilton brands and eventually built a strong revenue management team for multiple brands.  With years of sales and marketing experience, she now successfully oversees Sales & Revenue Management for all Beechwood Hospitality properties.  Our Brand experience includes Courtyard Marriott, Crowne Plaza IHG, Holiday Inn IHG, Staybridge Suites IHG, Hilton Garden Inn, DoubleTree Hilton, Hampton Inn & Suites Hilton, Tru by Hilton, and Baymont Wyndham.

Brittany Lackie possesses over 15 years of experience including operations, sales and marketing, including extended stay, and revenue management.  Her diverse background allows her to analyze data and share a unique perspective on revenue generation.  Brittany is also a research expert in locating and acquiring new business within the competitive hospitality market.  Her brand experience includes Marriott-Residence Inn, Courtyard Marriott, Holiday Inn IHG, Staybridge Suites IHG, Crowne Plaza IHG and Hampton Inn Hilton.

Ginny Moulton has over 25 years of hospitality proficiency in operations and sales and marketing.  Her hospitality career started at the Sheraton Hotel in Danvers, MA and Ginny’s Little Rock brand experience includes working for DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton, Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott, Holiday Inn by IHG, Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and the nationally recognized independent hotels, the Peabody Hotel and The Capital Hotel.  Ginny’s multi-faceted hospitality career includes working as a catering/convention services manager, corporate sales manager, regional/national sales manager, director of sales and corporate director of sales.   Her years of hospitality experience in Arkansas and Massachusetts has provided her with a unique perspective and expertise on capturing business within each market and nationally.

Director of Administration Lindsey Cupples has been with Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels for over 9 years.  Duties for Lindsey include managing the administrative corporate staff, corresponding with executive staff, and running the Corporate Office as the Office Manager. Lindsey also serves as executive assistant to Mr. Wally Allen.

Our HR team is led by Jean Heslip with support from the Partners.   She oversees all aspects of property level Human Resources including but not limited to handbook development, member benefits, record keeping, diversity management and risk management. Hiring is performed at the property level with oversight and documentation review performed by Mrs. Heslip.  Over the years, our HR department has successfully managed thousands of employees.

Karen Santiago serves as Beechwood Pinnacle Hotel’s Director of Corporate Accounting.  Karen has over 25 years of service in the hospitality industry and oversees the general ledger accounts at the corporate office.  Her duties include producing P&L statements for our properties, reconciling accounts, depreciation schedules and more.

Director of Operations Accounting, Jessica Wendel has over  13 years of experience in accounting and 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry specializing in general ledger accounting.  Jessica prepares journal entries for our properties and reconciles statements and accounts at the corporate office while ensuring data accuracy and entry is correct.

Jennifer Hines is a Beechwood Pinnacle Revenue Manager for properties in both Arkansas and Oklahoma. Jennifer has a background in higher education where she oversaw departmental budgets and expenditures in accordance with Higher Education state law, as well as a background in Corporate food industry in which she learned federal guidelines for production. She combines those two unique backgrounds to complete duties for our BP hotels that include generating profitable decisions for our properties.

Ashley joins Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels as a Revenue Manager.  With a background as a Director of Sales and Sales Manager for several hotels, she brings knowledge and several years of experience to the team.

Becky has been with the company for 25 years and handles permits and licensing, assists with HR and benefits administration, purchasing, special projects, and serves as executive assistant to Matthew Allen.

Emily Coates recently joined the Administrative team at Beechwood Pinnacle Management.  Emily joins the team as the Support Office assistant.

Teresa Smith joined the Beechwood Pinnacle Management Team in 2022 as our Support Office Assistant.  Her clerical duties prepare the Support Office for daily assignments.

Lisa currently serves Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels as our  Accounting Specialist.  Lisa brings years of experience to our team and assists with the properties accounting needs focusing on  General Ledger.

Charles joined the Beechwood Pinnacle team in 2023 as an Accounting/Payroll Specialist.  He comes with over 8 years of experience in the field and brings his knowledge to the team by assisting with processing payrolls, garnishments, wage audits, and general ledger accounting.   Charles also served in the military for 12 years.

Kathy Cupples brings over 35 years of accounts payable experience to our team with over 20 of those years in the hospitality industry.  Being responsible for accounts payable for our properties, Kathy receives, processes, and reconciles invoices to ensure and maintain accurate accounting transactions.

Amanda Long works with our accounting department bringing over 20 years of experience to the team.  Amanda oversees the Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels cash management accounts and supervises our team regarding taxes and tax payments.

Aaron Waddell joined the Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels staff in 2021 and is serving as the Revenue Analyst for our company.    Aaron is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Finance.  He joins our staff with over 13 years of hospitality experience with both full and limited service hotels including IHG and Wyndham.  His experience also includes playing key roles in hotel acquisitions and rebranding.

Christy Gillespie is a Area Director of Sales for Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels in Fayetteville, Arkansas.  She brings over 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry to the Sales team.  Christy’s experiences helps find the right fit for our customers no matter what the accommodations are needed for.

Jonesboro, Arkansas

El Dorado, Arkansas

Brittany Turner works as the Director of Sales in Hot Springs.  Brittany is responsible for group bookings and functions requiring space in meeting rooms.  This includes but is not limited to business meetings, trainings and social events.  She comes to to the team bringing hospitality experience in the areas of Front Desk Agent, Front Desk Supervisor, and Sales Manager.  Her passion for customer service provides the best experience for customers needing personal or professional experiences.  Brittany helps Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels by promoting our properties and engaging with business and transient clients.

John started his hotel career 40 years ago at a Best Western in Ontario, California next to the Ontario International Airport.  Starting as a Desk Clerk and being promoted to Night Audit was a rewarding opportunity as it led to opportunities working with Choice Hotels, Hilton, Best Western, Lexington Hotels, Trust House Forte (Travelodge), Hyatt Hotels and several independent hotels along the way.  Never stopping to realize that he was moving his way up over a period of years from Desk Clerk to Night Auditor, to a Regional Property Manager with five hotels in Southern California, to Sales Manager and ultimately to Director of Sales.  John was fortunate to have worked in Operations, Sales, and in Executive Management.  Most of his hotel career he worked and lived in Southern California and as well spent years in Arizona, Texas and now Arkansas.

Never realizing that when John separated from the Air Force and enrolled in college that a small add at the college jobs board that he responded to for a part time Van Driver position at a busy airport hotel would eventually lead to career that would provide him with the means to build his family, his homes, travel extensively, meet hundreds of people in a dozen countries and enjoy success in an industry that he grew to enjoy with endless possibilities.

Nathaniel is responsible for group bookings and setting up functions requiring meeting space for Comfort Inn & Suites, La Quinta Inn & Suites, and Sleep Inn Fayetteville.  This includes but is not limited to business meetings, trainings and social events.  Previous experience includes hotel General Management/Sales, Insurance Sales, Store Management, and Loss Prevention. I am passionate about customer service and providing a excellent guest experience.  My goal is to help Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels increase its market share in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri building business relationships throughout the hotel industry.

Amber Smith is the Sales Manager for the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Downtown.  With over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Amber brings a wealth of expertise spanning hotels, convention centers, restaurants – including Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse (YUM!!) – college campuses (Go Bulldogs!!), and the NBA (Let’s Go, Blazers!).

Throughout her career, Amber has had the opportunity to travel and support events such as the Kentucky Derby & NASCAR, honing her skills in creating, supporting and executing guest and client experiences.  With her extensive background, she possesses a deep understanding of every aspect of the hospitality journey, from the initial inquiry to the final departure.

Amber firmly believes that the key to successful guest experiences is rooted in strong communication, education, follow-through, active listening, humility, empathy, and relationship building.

With a decade of experience in the dynamic world of hospitality, Manuel brings a unique blend of expertise and dedication to his role at Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels. Since joining the company in November 2023, he has been instrumental in elevating guest experiences and fostering a culture of excellence.

Prior to his tenure in the hospitality industry, he served with honor in the United States Navy, where he honed his leadership skills and commitment to service. His military background instilled in me a deep sense of discipline, teamwork, and integrity, qualities that continue to define his approach to business.

At Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels, Manuel is passionate about creating memorable experiences for guests, ensuring that every stay is characterized by warmth, comfort, and unparalleled service. His dedication to excellence has earned the respect of both colleagues and guests alike.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Manuel is committed to giving back to his community and supporting causes close to his heart. Whether it’s through mentorship programs or charitable initiatives, he strive to make a positive impact wherever he goes.