A dedicated hospitality industry professional, Dean Lee McKinney recently owned and managed a hotel and restaurant operation in Gold Beach, Oregon. He was responsible for overseeing personnel, including office employees, housekeeping, kitchen staff, and the receptionist. His duties included welcoming and registering hotel guests to improve the guest experience. He also handled budgeting, marketing, health and safety compliance, and relations with external suppliers and conference planners. Thanks to his leadership and attention to detail, Dean Lee McKinney increased revenue by 27 percent.

He prepared for this work by putting in nearly a decade as assistant general manager of another Gold Beach hotel, supervising personnel, handling expenses, and dealing with maintenance issues, among other responsibilities. For part of this time, he separately served as manager of McKinney Properties, a real estate trust, ultimately increasing the company’s value by 100 percent.

A graduate of the University of Oregon, Mr. McKinney holds a bachelor of arts with a concentration in economics and accounting. While in college, he served as a volunteer firefighter.