Past Chairs
Marcie holds decades of experience in the restaurant industry as owner of the famous Belford’s Savannah Seafood and Steaks in City Market. Marcie has served on the Board and Executive Committee of several organizations, including the Tourism Leadership Council, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, and Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (now Visit Savannah).
Marcie served as Director of Savannah City Market for over two decades and is a member of the Rotary Club of Savannah and the Savannah Development and Renewal Authority. She was born and reared in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and graduated from the University of Tulsa, studying Speech Therapy and Audiology.
After a career in the petroleum exploration business, Michael Plummer chose to return to his family home in Savannah. Giving back to his community is paramount in his everyday life. He is an avid supporter and volunteer for the Taste of Savannah, TLC annual Golf tourney, the 200 club, Kairos prison ministry, Buy Local Savannah, the Savannah World War II monument.
Mark moved to Savannah with his wife Frances in 1995 and they have two grown sons. Mark is The CEO of The 200 Club and partner in Savannah Hotel Investors LLC. Mark is the past chairman of the Savannah Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, past two-time Chairman of the Tourism Leadership Council, and is a Director on many local non-profit Boards.
Mark has received The Tourism Council’s Community Champion Award, Member of The Year Award, Herb and Franklin Traub Visionary Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award. Mark has received the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Civilian Merritt Award, received the rank of Honorary Captain with the Savannah Fire and Emergency Services Department, and was inducted into the 1st Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment as an Honorary Ranger.
Charlie Brazil is Chief Operating Officer of Historic Tours of America® (HTA), an entertainment company providing historically oriented vacation experiences through the operation of trolleys, street trains, a high-speed ferry, themed retail stores, festival marketplaces and other historic tourist attractions in eight US cities. In Savannah, HTA operates Old Town Trolley Tours®, Ghosts & Gravestones®, Ghost Town Trolley®, Ghost Hunters of Savannah® Paranormal Investigation, the American Prohibition Museum®, Congress Street Up®, the Simply Savannah and Trolley Stop retail gift stores, a 17-acre Louisville Road Commercial Park, a luxury vacation rental property at 2 E Perry Street, and a dock and parking lot on River Street.
Charlie began his career with HTA in 1997 in the company’s management training program in San Diego. In 2003 Brazil was promoted to General Manager of Old Town Trolley Tours® of Savannah, a position he held until 2019 when he was promoted to Regional Manager. He most recently was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2024.
Along with his professional endeavors, Charlie is deeply engaged in leadership roles within organizations dedicated to serving and supporting Savannah’s hospitality and tourism industry. He finds immense satisfaction in the diversity of experiences his position offers, relishing the opportunity to welcome guests from around the globe daily as well as stewarding the success of his fellow CASTmembers.
A native of New York, Brazil has a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in Literature from Hofstra University and a JD (Law) from California Western School of Law in San Diego, CA. With his wife Tammy and son Holden, Charlie enjoys exercise, travel, nature and the outdoors, gardening, and music.
Whip Morrison Triplett serves as Chief Operating Officer for North Point Hospitality and joined the company in August 2001. In that capacity, Whip oversees the daily operation of the company, which includes operations for all North Point owned and managed hotels, construction of current projects, and due diligence of potential hotel development opportunities.
A 1992 graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Whip has more than 35 years of hospitality experience.
With a commitment to community, he served as the 2006 chairman of Visit Savannah, the 2011 and 2019 Chairman of Savannah Tourism and Leadership Council, and chairman of the 2016 Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he has served as president of Leadership Savannah, and he currently holds a position on the Hilton Product Advisory Council. In 2014, he and his wife, Stephanie, established an endowed scholarship in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Auburn University, where he currently serves as Chair of that program’s advisory board. Mr. Triplett also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Dean of the School of Human Sciences at Auburn University.
Whip prefers to spend his free time with his wife and their two college-aged children: his son, Tristan and daughter, Brooks.
With nearly three decades of hospitality and hotel management experience, Mitch Linder has helped set the standard and pave the way for the guest experience throughout the Lowcountry.
Mitch Linder has an incredible track record and reputation amongst his colleagues and within the industry. Most recently having served as General Manager for HLC Hotels, he managed hotel operations for the Kehoe House and Marshall House in Savannah. Prior to that, Linder was the Director of Operations South for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants; and he spearheaded a multi-million-dollar transformation as a General Manager at Savannah’s Kimpton Brice Hotel.
Since 2022, Mitch Linder has served as the Managing Director of The DeSoto Savannah.
Kal Patel is president and CEO of Image Hotels, Inc., which owns and operates multiple hotels throughout the Southeast and is a Starwood, Hilton, IHG, and Marriott brands licensee. Patel began his career at Merril Lynch, learning finance and investments, which he was later able to apply this knowledge to the lodging business. Patel’s family immigrated to the United States in 1979. He graduated from Savannah State University in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Patel is heavily involved in AH&LA, AAHOA, Savannah Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association, and participation in national events and conferences. He was the Young Professional Hotelier serving as a Board of Directors for AAHOA. Patel has previously served as Board of Director for the Savannah CVB and the Tourism and Leadership Council. He has received several awards and recognitions for lodging accomplishments from industry leaders, franchisors, and municipalities.
Mr. Stevenson is the Director of Program Management at the Savannah Airport Commission. In this role, he oversees the Airport’s IT, Parking, Ground Transportation, Procurement, and Legal Departments. Additionally, he serves as the Commission’s DBE Liaison Officer, managing the Airport’s DBE and ACDBE programs.
Born in Illinois and raised in Michigan, Mr. Stevenson served eight years in the United States Army as a Communications Systems Specialist. After his military service, he earned an Associate of Science in Information Technology from ECPI College of Technology. He later graduated from Savannah State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Technology (2014) and a Master of Business Administration (2020).
Since joining the Airport in 2010, Mr. Stevenson has played a pivotal role in identifying and implementing new technologies to advance the Airport’s long-term operational and strategic objectives. He holds certifications as a Certified Member and an Airport Certified Employee in Operations and Security from the American Association of Airport Executives.
Mr. Stevenson is also an active member of several professional organizations, including the Airports Council International-North America, the Georgia Airports Association, the Technology Association of Georgia, The Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island, and the Tourism Leadership Council.
