Hospitality executive and UCLA alumna Rona Kay is the new general manager of the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge. Leveraging more than three decades of experience, Kay leads a team of more than 200 hospitality and recreation professionals and provides direction and oversight of all aspects of asset management, operations, guest services, food/beverage, special events, human resources, sales/marketing and strategic partnership development.
Kay’s extensive career spans more than 20 years with Disney operations, where she held multiple leadership roles spanning entertainment, hospitality, guest services, attractions, and food/beverage. This includes 12 years as a hotel general manager in the hospitality division at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. In addition, she is a former general manager of guest experience at Dallas Fort Worth Airport and held transformative roles with Carter Hospitality and Canyon Ranch Wellness Resorts.
Kay, who holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA, is also affiliated with several professional hospitality marketing organizations, including the California Hotel & Lodging Association, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association, Women in Lodging Association and American Culinary Federation. In 2014, she was named Hotel Manager of the Year by the California Hotel & Lodging Association.
With roots dating back more than a century, the Lake Arrowhead Lodge is a 50-acre conference center and family resort located 90 miles east of UCLA in the San Bernardino Mountains. The Lodge, which served as a conference center for more than 60 years under the direction of various University of California campuses, is a popular location for hosting meetings, conferences, retreats, team-building activities, special events and other gatherings. It is also an idyllic destination for families, couples and solo travelers. No UCLA or UC affiliation is required.
