Ann Cvelich with Salt River Marriott and Travis Gepson with Rocky Mountain Restoration E27
These culturally rich hotels (Salt River Marriott’s – Courtyard & Residence Inn), located on the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community in the Talking Stick Entertainment District, offer unique décor and a culture that embodies the spirit of gathering – perfect for your next meeting or networking event. 
Featuring 8,200 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space with complimentary Wi-Fi and state of the art audio visual equipment available. Seasoned event professionals partner with you to ensure productive meetings and memorable celebrations with delicious food and refreshing beverage options created by their Chef.
After a wonderful night’s sleep guests can start the morning with a Starbucks and delicious breakfast sandwich in the Bistro, then relax at our resort style pool and courtyard area. When it’s time for dinner and Happy Hour the Bistro and Agave Lounge offer live music for a wonderful evening experience.
This central location offers attendees a convenient commute with easy access off of the Loop 101 within reach of Scottsdale’s finest attractions, shopping and dining.
Ann Cvelich began her career with Marriott in 1981 at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn as a Good Morning Girl in the Navajo Room. She moved to the Scottsdale Marriott Suites in 1990 before crossing brands into SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites and Courtyard.
Ann landed her first General Manager position at the SpringHill Suites Tempe and then promoted to Dual General Manager for the SpringHill and TownePlace Suites in Tempe. In 2002, Ann accepted the General Manager at the Scottsdale Old Town Courtyard where she worked for 12 years.
In 2014 Ann moved to the beautiful Scottsdale Salt River Courtyard where she has led the hotel to Platinum Guest Satisfaction (top 5% of the brand worldwide) for the past 4 years. In 2019 Ann accepted the position of Dual General Manager of the Award winning Scottsdale Salt River Courtyard and the soon to be opened Residence Inn Salt River.
Over the years Ann has accumulated several inspiring achievements: Owner Relations Awards, GM Sales Excellence Awards, Western Region General Manager of the Year and most recently she was honored with teh iconic Craig Lambert Culture award for the entire Courtyard brand worldwide.
Ann and her husband, Tom, have been married for 29 years and have three beautiful daughters – Brittany who lives in Colorado, Caitlyn who has followed in her Marriott footsteps and is a Chief Engineer at the Scottsdale Old Town Courtyard and Danielle who is an RN. They all love spending time together along with Ann’s Dad (Bob) and brother (Rob) vacationing in Hawaii. Ann is a native New Yorker and a die-hard NY Giants and NY Yankees fan.
Connect with Ann on LinkedIn.
Travis Gepson
Business Development Director
Rocky Mountain Restoration.
The Leadership Lowdown was created to share the REAL story behind valley leaders’ rise to the top, and the truth about what it takes to TRULY succeed in life and business. Hear the raw stories of these leaders’ journeys…the pitfalls, the victories, and all of the heartaches and triumphs in between.
ABOUT YOUR HOST
Jodi Low is an accomplished corporate trainer, inspirational speaker, and the Founder and CEO of U & Improved. Jodi has trained thousands of entrepreneurs and executives on how to build a booming business, master a mindset for success, and achieve the lifestyle they desire through heart-fueled leadership.
Through U & Improved—an award-winning personal and professional leadership development company based in Scottsdale—Jodi has redefined traditional leadership training by creating a sustainable and actionable model that is personal, challenging and meaningful to each and every individual who enrolls in any of the two-and-a-half-day experiential training classes. She and her elite training team have advanced the charge in heart-based leadership
development and empower U & Improved graduates with knowledge, tools and awareness to immediately be more effective and responsive leaders at work, home and within their communities. 
Among her many accomplishments as a Valley leader, Jodi launched a teen leadership program in 2014 to empower young adults to become more confident, motivated and focused stewards of our future. In 2016, she founded a non-profit arm of the company—the U & Improved Leadership Foundation—that makes the program more accessible to deserving teens.
Jodi has been recognized by industry publications and organizations for her work in leadership development and serves as a source of inspiration within the community. In 2015, she was honored as an “Outstanding Women in Business” by the Phoenix Business Journal and by the Phoenix Suns and National Bank of Arizona with the “Amazing Women” award. She has received both the prestigious “Diversity Leader of the Year” and the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce’s “Sterling Award.” She was also awarded a Silver Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 and was a finalist for the Junior League of Phoenix’s Valley Impact Award. Jodi is a devoted single parent who volunteers her time at her daughters’ school programs and with organizations such as Angel Mamas, where she’s served on the board for three years.
