Who we are
A little about us.
Established in Kalamazoo in 1999 and built by people who live here, work here, and grow here.
Our mission
Empower each other to ignite a story through memorable experiences in Kalamazoo.
Our vision
Be the Host of Kalamazoo through inspired hospitality, dining, sports, and entertainment.
Core values
Our culture is designed to bring out the best in you.
Have Integrity
Uphold the highest ethical standards by making honest and honorable decisions.
Be Guest Obsessed
Take personal ownership to build relationship-centered experiences around our guests’ wants, needs, and desires.
Collaborate
Actively listen, support, and work with your team, colleagues, and guests.
Stay Curious
Take pride in finding a better way every day.
Celebrate
Find joy in the wins of your guests, team, and community.
William D. JohnstonOwnership
Locally owned and operated since 1999.
Greenleaf Hospitality Group was founded in 1999 by William D. Johnston, Chairman of Greenleaf Companies. The company has been locally owned and operated ever since. It is held here, run here, and every brand it operates is in Kalamazoo.
A Western Michigan University graduate, Johnston has been a lifelong supporter of the university and of the city GHG set out to host.
Leadership
One shared belief: hospitality is about putting people first.
Tim Rayman
Joined the organization as a Corporate Sales Manager 21 years ago. In early 2018, he was appointed to the CEO seat where he sets the vision for the organization, shapes its future, and leads a team of more than 1,000 employees.
More about Tim
- Career and Education: WMU, Sales & Business Marketing. Joined as Corporate Sales Manager; five roles in 21 years; CEO since 2018.
- Being the Host of Kalamazoo: Everyone feeling welcomed, whether fans, members, guests or employees.
- Fun and Relaxation: His son Gavin’s soccer and basketball, WMU sport, K-Wings games, dinner downtown. And golf.
- Recommended Reading: Good to Great, Jim Collins
- Around Kalamazoo: Golf. Some tremendous courses here.
Stephanie Farrell
Stephanie leads Human Resources and Finance, focusing on talent strategy, financial planning, and organizational change management.
More about Stephanie
- Career and Education: Michigan State, Hospitality Business. Hotels and country clubs across Michigan before GHG.
- Being the Host of Kalamazoo: Welcoming all with genuine care, and anticipating needs before they’re spoken.
- Fun and Relaxation: Friends, family, and a competitive streak on the sand volleyball court.
- Recommended Reading: The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins
- Around Kalamazoo: The sports scene, from three colleges to the Wings and the Growlers.
Sarah Olszowy
Brings brand, marketing, technology, reputation, and guest experience together to shape how people see, feel, and experience the organization.
More about Sarah
- Career and Education: A decade at a Chicago marketing agency, then GHG in 2017. Now leads technology services. B.A., Hope College.
- Being the Host of Kalamazoo: Anticipating needs, building genuine connections, leaving every interaction better.
- Fun and Relaxation: Family, new recipes, the next trip, and time outdoors.
- Recommended Reading: Atomic Habits
- Around Kalamazoo: The Asylum Lake trails, the Kalamazoo Mall, or a drink at Bell’s.
Tracey Browne
Tracey leads hospitality operations across the Radisson and Kalamazoo Country Club, ensuring exceptional guest and member experiences while setting and upholding the standards that drive operational excellence.
More about Tracey
- Career and Education: Operations, sales and human resources. MBA, Spring Arbor University.
- Being the Host of Kalamazoo: People feeling genuinely welcomed, cared for and valued, down to the details.
- Fun and Relaxation: Travel, good food, and hiking somewhere she has not been before.
- Recommended Reading: Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara
- Around Kalamazoo: The food scene, or the trails with her dogs.
Dannie Alexander
Heads the Kalamazoo Event Center: venue operations, booking and scheduling, event-day staffing, and what a guest meets once the doors open.
More about Dannie
- Career and Education: Consumer goods, higher education, athletics, sports and entertainment, banking. WMU graduate, doctorate under way at Ferris State.
- Being the Host of Kalamazoo: Bringing people together, and showing what makes Kalamazoo special.
- Fun and Relaxation: Family, weekend getaways, fishing, the trails, and trying new recipes.
- Recommended Reading: Primal Leadership, Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee
- Around Kalamazoo: A live show. The arts scene here is a real one.
Craig Davies
Takes care of the buildings themselves: maintenance, infrastructure, and the capital projects that keep a fourteen-brand portfolio standing up.
More about Craig
- Career and Education: WMU, Sales & Business Marketing. Apparel procurement, then toy and game distribution, then hotel and retail operations at GHG before facilities.
- Being the Host of Kalamazoo: Putting others before yourself, and leading with a servant’s heart.
- Fun and Relaxation: His wife and two boys, cooking, coaching, robotics, tennis and golf. Boards: Big Brothers Big Sisters, the AHA Heart Walk, Discover Kalamazoo.
- Recommended Reading: Focused As A Bee, Jones and Sydney Loflin
- Around Kalamazoo: The food and drink here, a K-Wings game, WMU sport, or a round of golf.
Ryan Cunningham
Started as a grill cook 21 years ago. Now runs food and beverage across the group: the restaurants, the menus, service standards and food safety.
More about Ryan
- Career and Education: Grill cook at Zazios to COO in 21 years, by way of Old Burdick’s and eight years as Executive Director of Food & Beverage. Opened Brick + Brine; relaunched Burdick’s.
- Being the Host of Kalamazoo: Treating every person like a guest in our own home.
- Fun and Relaxation: On the water in summer, the ski slopes in winter, and coaching his sons’ teams.
- Recommended Reading: The One Minute Manager
- Around Kalamazoo: K-Wings games with the family.
Robin Dempsey
Drives revenue across the portfolio: pricing, sales, partnerships and the commercial strategy underneath them.
More about Robin
- Career and Education: Sales, marketing and revenue leadership. Market President and CRO for Townsquare Media in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. Michigan State, MBA from Ferris State.
- Being the Host of Kalamazoo: People feeling welcomed and glad to be here, whether they live here or are visiting.
- Fun and Relaxation: Her husband and the kids, the lake, sport, travel, reading and live music.
- Recommended Reading: Never Split the Difference
- Around Kalamazoo: Trying the restaurants, new ones and old favorites alike.
Dave Schulz
Leads Greenleaf’s financial strategy, from budgets, cash flow and capital to the investment decisions that shape what GHG builds next.
More about Dave
- Career and Education: 25 years in finance across hospitality, healthcare, medical devices and manufacturing, 16 of them at Stryker, most recently CFO at Centrica Care Navigators. WMU Haworth, Accountancy.
- Being the Host of Kalamazoo: A host to the hosts, so every team member can create the experience.
- Fun and Relaxation: His wife and their five children, WMU games, golf, the water, live music and cooking.
- Recommended Reading: Financial Intelligence, Berman and Knight
- Around Kalamazoo: Dinner at Brick + Brine, then a game or a show.
“Our team is dedicated to creating experiences and an environment where everyone feels welcome — whether it’s our fans, members, guests, or employees.”
Our history
Twenty-five years of hosting Kalamazoo.
Greenleaf Hospitality Group is established
A locally owned company built to host its own city.
The Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites is acquired
Downtown Kalamazoo’s largest hotel, and the block around it.
GHG takes full ownership of Wings Event Center
Live entertainment and a room big enough for it enter the portfolio.
600 employees strong
The GHG family grows past six hundred people.
Kalamazoo Country Club comes under the GHG umbrella
A private club, and the clubhouse that would be rebuilt three years later.
The Kalamazoo Event Center breaks ground
The largest project in company history begins downtown.
The new Kalamazoo Country Club opens
The reimagined clubhouse reopens as the second largest in the United States.
1,000 employees strong
The GHG family passes one thousand people.
Recognition
Our work has many rewards.
Ready to be part of the story?
Explore open positions across our fourteen brands and find where you fit.