EXECUTIVE TEAM

John Oppenheimer

CEO

John Oppenheimer is a travel and tourism visionary and entrepreneur with a passion for the hospitality industry. Over the past 25 years he has founded five successful, private hospitality-related businesses.

He founded Columbia Hospitality in 1995 to manage Bell Harbor International Conference Center for the Port of Seattle. Bringing the company to immediate success, John lead the acquisition of a premier portfolio of full service, independent, upscale boutique hotels, conference centers, and unique venues.

He also established the company's active consulting division, which has completed over 80 projects for hospitality developments in multiple US states and Canada.

He is the founder of CRG Events, one of the largest event planning companies on the West Coast. His first company, Columbia Institute also organized events and was established in 1980 in Washington, DC.

John is also a founding partner of Cruise Terminals of America, a premier operator of the two Seattle cruise ship terminals. CTA is a joint venture with SSA Marine, General Steamship Agencies, and Columbia Hospitality.

In 2004, John became a founding General Partner of the Seattle Hotel Group, the investment group that developed the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Seattle.

John is past chairman of the Woodland Park Zoo Board of Directors, and a past member of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees, the Junior Achievement Board of Directors, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Foundation Board, and the Washington Council on International Trade. He currently serves on the Virginia Mason Medical Center Board of Governors, the Western Region Advisory Board of Northern Trust, the board of the Downtown Seattle Association and co-chair of its Downtown Resident Advisory Council, and is a member of the World President's Organization.

John and his wife Deanna are past honorees of Seattle Hotel Association.s Evening of Hope Gala and have served as co-chairs of many civic events including the Woodland Park Zoo Jungle Party, Virginia Mason.s Dare to Dream Gala and the Junior Achievement Puget Sound Business Hall of Fame event.

John graduated from the University of Puget Sound with degrees in Urban Affairs and Political Science and with his wife Deanna of 27 years they have 2 children.

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