Executive Team

"Wherever you are, be there."

Fred "Coach" Cerrone serves as Founder and Chairman of Hotel Equities. His hospitality career spans a five-decade progression from desk clerk at the Sheraton Boston hotel, to managing hotels across the country and ultimately launching Hotel Equities in 1989.

A general manager at age 21 and twice recognized as "General Manager of the Year" by national hotel franchises, Fred has hospitality in his blood. After many years in key positions with top hotels, he founded Hotel Equities and became one of Marriott’s first franchise partners. Other major franchise partnerships soon followed. With over 240 hotels in its present portfolio, Hotel Equities continues its successful growth.

HotelWorld Network named Fred "Hotelier of the Year” in 2009. He sits on Marriott’s Fairfield Inn Franchise Advisory Board, Marriott's Homes and Villas Advisory Board. He also sits on the Advisory Board for. Georgia State University's Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality. He is a member of the Alumni Advisory Board and received the Alumni Entrepreneurship Award from Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business. Additionally, Fred is a member of the Board of Directors for the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau in Alpharetta, GA. He is also the 2023 recipient of the Hunter Conference’s Industry Award for Excellence and Inspiration.

Hospitality is a people-centered business and people are Fred’s passion. He enjoys seeing Hotel Equities' associates thrive and is often referred to as Coach of the hospitality firm’s team. Before embarking on a hospitality career, he served in the United States Marine Corps. 

Fred is a graduate of Georgia State University (MBA in Business) and Miami Dade College (A.S. degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management). He holds a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) designation through the American Lodging Association.

He is married to Christine, his high school sweetheart, and resides in Dunwoody, Georgia.

"The greatest leaders are the greatest servants."

Brad Rahinsky serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Hotel Equities, a full-scale hotel ownership, management and development firm.  He develops the long-term vision for Hotel Equites and supports all aspects of the firm’s various disciplines.  In late 2018, Mr. Rahinsky guided Hotel Equities through a historic joint venture and strategic partnership with Virtua Holdings International that has accelerated the firm’s growth through a comprehensive acquisition and alliance platform.

Mr. Rahinsky joined Hotel Equities as Vice President of Operations in early 2012 and quickly moved into senior leadership where he has powered the firm’s explosive growth taking the firm to over 250 hotels in over 35 states and multiple provinces in Canada.  To handle the rapid and unprecedented expansion, Mr. Rahinsky has internally developed and externally recruited some of the industry’s brightest leaders.  Prior to joining Hotel Equities, Mr. Rahinsky co-owned a successful portfolio of Hilton and Hyatt branded hotels in the Southeast.  He spent his early years learning the business through progressive executive level positions with Sheraton, Hyatt, Wyndham and various independent resorts.

Mr. Rahinsky serves as a member of Hilton’s Hampton Inn and Suites Owners Advisory Council and the Element by Westin Franchise Advisory Board.  He earned a B.S. degree in Communication Arts with a minor in marketing from the University of West Florida.  He and his beautiful wife, Tricia, have five children and reside in Fulton County, north of Atlanta, GA.

"Learn from your mistakes."

Joe Reardon serves as Chief Development Officer for Hotel Equities, an Atlanta-based, full-scale hotel ownership, management and development firm.

With 25 years of hospitality experience, he oversees the development and growth strategies for the Hotel Equities organization. Mr. Reardon has built a highly successful business development team to negotiate management contracts and evaluate the financial feasibility of the firm’s acquisition opportunities. He utilizes the existing portfolio of hotel assets as a platform for smart growth with current and potential owners.  

Mr. Reardon orchestrated Hotel Equities’ growth to over 160 properties in 27 states from Connecticut to California and 4 providences in Canada.  The firm recently expanded its leadership team by hiring additional key personnel at executive and regional levels and opened a regional office in Ohio, Arizona and Edmonton Canada.

Mr. Reardon came to HE from Noble Investment Group where he served five years as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He previously served five years with Shamin hotels as VP Sales and Marketing.  

Mr. Reardon began his career with Marriott International in Sales and Marketing before being promoted to a Regional Director of Sales and Marketing.  Over a 17-year span, he earned prestigious awards for work in select service, full service and resort hotels. With a proven track record of transforming sales cultures and systems to drive top line revenue, he develops and leads strong teams to make a positive impact on market share and profitability.

Mr. Reardon holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration & Tourism Management from North Carolina State University. 

"The greatest leaders are the greatest servants."

Team Member Since: 2017

Bryan DeCort serves as Chief Operating Officer for Hotel Equities. He is responsible for the enterprise-wide growth, performance, profitability and corporate strategy for the firm. Since joining HE in 2017, Mr. DeCort has constructed an industry-leading team and implemented cutting edge technology to support the firm’s growing portfolio of 210+ hotels and resorts throughout the United States and Canada.  Mr. DeCort was the architect for a comprehensive internal re-organization while the firm has simultaneously added over 150 hotels, 5000 associates and opened multiple regional offices. He plays a critical role in all M&A, strategic partner, owner, investor and brand relationship. With over 30 years of diverse hospitality experience, he has held progressive executive leadership positions with Marriott, Renaissance, Sheraton & Omni Hotels.

"Wherever you are, be there."

Team Member Since: 2022

David comes to Hotel Equities with over 15+ years of progressive leadership experience across a wide range of industries. He has a proven record of leading highly productive and diverse teams, driving complex business transformations, translating raw data into actionable insights, and garnishing alignment for meaningful enterprise-wide initiatives. In his most recent role, David served as Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis and later Vice President of M&A Integration & Enterprise Initiatives for EmployBridge, America’s largest industrial staffing firm.

David holds a B.B.A. in Economics from Georgia Southern University and a M.B.A. from the University of Georgia. He is also a CFA charterholder. David lives in Alpharetta with his wife and three daughters. In his spare time, he enjoys running as well as supporting UGA football and Atlanta United. 

Al Smith serves as President, Hotel Operations, leading enterprise-wide performance across HE’s growing U.S & Canadian Hotel portfolio.

Al most recently served as Senior Vice President, Lifestyle Hotels, with Highgate Hotels. Prior to that role, he served as Senior Vice President at Pivot Hotels & Resorts for Davidson Hospitality where he created and successfully grew their lifestyle division to a hotel portfolio of twenty-five during his five-year tenure. A 20-year luxury hospitality veteran, Al has held key leadership roles in ground-breaking hospitality companies including Viceroy Hotel Group, SBE, and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.

Al was named “General Manager of the Year” and recipient of the CH&LA Stars of the Industry Award in 2012 during his tenure with Hotel Palomar – Beverly Hills. 

Team Member Since: 2022

Over the course of his 20+ year hotel career, James has led hotels, management companies and ownership groups in top line sales, operations and asset/portfolio growth across Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Marriott-franchised hotels.  In his previous role as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Kolter Hospitality, James was responsible for the oversight of Kolter Hospitality’s sales and marketing efforts, all top line revenues which currently exceed $125 million, and assisting with the company’s overall growth platform which includes over $600 million in hotel real estate transactions.  James’ hotel career spans various roles in hotel sales and operations leadership including Director of Sales and Regional Director with organizations like Interstate Hotels and Resorts, Noble Investment Group, Charter One Hotels & Resorts and Crestline Hotels & Resorts.

James is an active hospitality leader in educational and travel industry associations as well as an executive board member of DMO’s (Discover the Palm Beaches) and city/municipality boards (City of West Palm Beach DDA and City of Delray Beach Chamber Board Member) along with franchise brand advisory council/committees for Hyatt Hotels and others.

James studied his Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Florida and completed his Master’s in Business Administration at Northwood University (Michigan/FL).

James currently resides in Palm Beach County, FL with his wife Lucia and his children Emma and James, III.  In his free time, James enjoys time at the beach with is family, coaching his son’s baseball team and is an avid runner who is passionate about his church, baseball and rooting for all Philadelphia sports teams.

Team Member Since: 2010

"If it were my money, would I spend it?"

With more than 10 years of industry financial analytics experience, Carlos maintains oversight of the accounting and finance departments, especially the integrity of all reporting, budgeting and cash management activities for the company and its properties. Before joining Hotel Equities, he served six years as SVP, Controller and Asset Manager for the Atlanta-based Premier Hotel Corporation.

Carlos earned a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Arizona. In his free time, he helps people lead fuller and happier lives through fitness as an instructor and coach. A weekend trumpet player, he enjoys playing in a big band throughout metro Atlanta. His favorite vacation is visiting San Diego, California with his family.

Toi Brown joined Hotel Equities from Jackson Pierce Public Affairs where she spent the last 11 years leading a diverse Human Resources team. Prior to Jackson Pierce, she served as the Training and Development Manager for Jamestown Properties. Toi is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and she is a current member of both SHRM and ATD.

In her role, Toi leads, develops and elevates all Human Resources services, policies and programs.  She proactively collaborates and partners with Hotel Equities' internal and external stakeholders to ensure we are delivering best-in-class support throughout the Human Resources discipline.

Toi is a South Florida native and loves the water. She lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, two sons and their Yorkie.

In his role, Kevin leads the Sales and Revenue Generation teams for Hotel Equities’ portfolio of hotels. He works closely with HE's VP's of Sales, Regional Directors of Sales and VP/Regional Revenue Managers to ensure best-in-class results are achieved through the team’s strategic coordinated efforts.

Kevin has close to 25 years of hospitality industry experience at the property level and in above-property leadership positions. Prior to coming to HE, he served as Director of Extended Stay - Commercial Performance for Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG). There, he oversaw the strategy of all sales and marketing initiatives and delivered high performance results for more than 650 of IHG’s Extended Stay hotels. 

Kevin began his hospitality career with Marriott International. Over a 12 year span, he held multiple positions, culminating in leading one of Marriott's largest Regional Sales Offices. Under his leadership, Kevin orchestrated the growth of the Atlanta Regional Sales Office by doubling its original number of Marriott-managed and franchised properties. From there, Kevin held positions with Noble Investment Group as a Regional Director of Sales, and later served as Vice-President of Sales at Interstate Hotels and Resorts.

Kevin has been recognized with numerous accolades during his career for team accomplishments as well as individual achievements. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kentucky and resides in Acworth, GA.

"Having integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking."

Eric brings over two decades of experience in both hotel and corporate roles and has worked for premier hospitality companies including: The Hotel Group, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Wyndham Worldwide and Walt Disney World Resorts.  

Eric joined the team from The Hotel Group, an affiliate partner with Hotel Equities, where he led the hotel accounting team with a focus on accounting functions, internal controls and strategic planning. As an innovator, he’s always looking to streamline processes to produce efficiencies and create a sense of order.  

Eric’s role goes beyond typical accounting practices: he works directly with partner, clients, lenders and investors and peers providing support in compliance, centralized finance environments, hotel operations, project management, and strategic analysis. 

He is a graduate from West Texas A&M University with a degree in Business Administration and holds certifications as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) & Certified Hospitality Finance Professional (CHAE) from Hospitality Finance and Technical Professionals.

Eric enjoys spending time with his children in their family vegetable garden. He is also passionate about supporting children in the foster care system.

"Having integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking."

David comes to Hotel Equities with 25+ years of hotel operations experience. He serves as the Senior Vice President of Operations for HE’s east vertical of hotels and reports directly to the firm’s SVP of Operations. David has experience in both Full Service and Select Service hotels in multiple U.S. markets.

In his most recent role as Vice President of Operations, David worked closely with the firm’s executive team, as well as the regional operations teams to ensure exceptional results across the portfolio. Prior to that, he served as the Vice President of Operations for HP Hotels, where he was responsible for driving results across a balanced scorecard to include top-line revenue, market share, profitability, GSS and team member engagement. 

David graduated from both the Culinary Institute of America and Florida International University with his degree in Hotel Management. He resides in Johns Creek, Georgia with his family and when he is not working, he enjoys playing golf, watching New Orleans Saints football and cheering on the UGA Bulldogs.

"Hire an attitude and teach them the business."

Peter joins Hotel Equities with over 25 years of progressive hotel operations and corporate leadership experience. In his new role, Peter will serve as Senior Vice President of Operations, with responsibility for key lifestyle and owned assets through our portfolio. Peter will work closely with our internal and external stakeholders to drive operational excellence and profitability while enhancing guest and employee engagement.

Prior to joining Hotel Equities, Peter has served in a variety of multi-unit roles with several notable management groups. Peter comes to us most recently from Davidson Hospitality Group where he was the Regional Vice President for Pivot Hotels, and successfully led their lifestyle operating vertical.

Martin oversees operations for HE’s portfolio of hotels in Canada, provides support to the firm’s regional directors in-market and serves as a valuable resource for our hotel owners. He leads the Canadian regional team based in Edmonton, Alberta which provides corporate support in all areas including operations, food and beverage, sales and marketing, revenue generation, accounting and human resources for the firm’s managed hotels in market. 

Martin brings 30+ years of industry experience and a track record of success to his role with HE, as well as broad experience in all market segments from select service and extended stay, to resort, full-service and luxury. Prior to joining HE, he served as Area VP, Canada with Marriott International from 2015 to 2020 where he successfully led the integration of Delta Hotels and Starwood Hotels for Western Canada growing the portfolio from 5 to 26 managed properties with over 5,000 Associates and $600 million in annual sales.

Martin received his MBA and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph. In 2014, he received the University of Guelph George D. Bedell Alumni Award for Industry and Community Leadership. He continues to contribute to the development of leaders as Chair of the Policy Advisory Board for the School of Hospitality, Food, and Tourism Management. In addition, he provides Customer Experience advisory services to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Martin has actively served in the community participating on numerous boards in Canada including the Hotel Association of Canada, the Vancouver Hotel Association, the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, Tourism Calgary, and the Greater Toronto Hotel Association.

Team Member Since: 2021

Before joining Hotel Equities, Joe served as CEO and Managing Partner for HOSDI, LLC, a hospitality services firm. Prior to devoting his efforts to HOSDI, Joe served as Chief Operating Officer for Vista Host, a company he dutifully served for more than 20 years. As COO of Vista Host, he oversaw all operations and sales functions for a portfolio of more than 40 hotels, the vast majority of which were Hilton and Marriott flags. During his career Joe has created a number of new initiatives aimed at improving service and financial results for the company, as these initiatives include the Manager In Training (MIT) college recruiting program, a ground-breaking partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the property level development of Service Coaches, writing and publishing the company’s Manual of Operating Standards, and a number of new tools aimed at driving sales and service levels. Based out of his home office in Indianapolis, Joe is usually on-site at one of the hotels he oversees. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and holds a B.A. in Marketing.

"All People Matter to God."

A long-time team member with more than 30 years in the industry, Jeff brings a depth of experience in hotel development, construction, renovations, operations, finance, information technology and management to his current role. In addition to working with the Operations team to ensure accountability, he also serves as a strong value add to owners and investors through his strong relationships with brand partners and expertise in Asset Management.

After earning a degree from the University of Georgia, Jeff continued his career as a Sales Manager for Marriott International. He transitioned to Assistant GM with Hotel Equities and, moving up quickly, Marriott twice named him "GM of the Year" for the Fairfield Inn brand. A sports enthusiast, he enjoys tennis, golf and snow skiing. The mountains of Utah are a favorite vacation spot for the active Shockley family.

Based in Vancouver, BC, in his current role as HE's Sr. VP of Business Development, Ryan focuses on continuing to grow Hotel Equities portfolio throughout Canada, the US Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Prior to joining HE, Ryan most recently served as Area Vice President of Lodging Development with Marriott International.  Prior to joining Marriott in 2014, Ryan was Vice President, Acquisitions and Development for SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts, where he was responsible for hotel development and acquisition activities across Canada. He also served as chairman of the company's investment committee. Prior to his role with SilverBirch, Ryan was a Development Director with Hilton where he focused on corporate growth both in Canadian and global markets.

He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from INSEAD and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Urban Land Economics from The University of British Columbia.

"All people matter to God"

Since 1998, Dr. Greg Smith has served as the Corporate Chaplain and Relationship Coach for Hotel Equities.  Dr. Smith has a unique blend of experience serving as a local church pastor and a global community leader. With a calling for the business community, he provides spiritual encouragement and team support for Hotel Equities.  The firm offers a 24-hour confidential prayer line, an associate prayer team, and a monthly Men’s RoundTable for HE leaders.  

Dr. Smith is the Founder and President of InStep International, an Atlanta-based nonprofit with a focus on local and international missionary projects. He serves on various boards and partners with EQUIP as an Associate Trainer, the Global Church Network, BICF Global, Truett-McConnell University, Hotel Equities, and other nation impacting organizations.  Greg enjoys life coaching, a purpose driven focus, and helping people reach their full potential.