Ambassador Spotlight: Melanie Cieslinski

Ambassador Spotlight: Melanie Cieslinski

Director of Sales, Hampton Inn & Suites and Hyatt Place.

 

For this Ambassador Spotlight, we speak with Melanie Cieslinski, who has served as a Chamber Ambassador for over ten years. Let’s learn a little bit about Melanie.

 

What made you want to be an ambassador?

I wanted to be more engaged with the community and meet people from other businesses in the area. As an ambassador, you're one of the first people to meet new members, welcome them, and see how we can help with all the different entities the Genesee Group offers, and just kind of educate people on why and how we can best help them.

 

What do you like most about being an ambassador?

The social, the networking, meeting new people, and really just helping others out. I'm even involved with the SLRT (Sales Lead Round Table). And to me, that's just having another set of eyes out in the community, because I'm always out looking for new companies that are coming into the area. If somebody knows that something's coming in, then they shout that out in the leads group. And that's pretty much the same with the ambassadors. I mean, I do it to get leads, and to help others find leads and make connections. That's awesome.

 

Can you tell me about what you do at Hyatt?

I'm the director of sales for the Hyatt Place in the Hampton Inn and Suites. I do all of the business travel negotiations. So, for example, last year, we opened Costco. So I go after Costco, and then we negotiate a rate to offer it to anybody who's moving. I do all the negotiating, whether it's on a national level with General Motors or the universities, or on a local level with Miller Industries or Fessler Bowman. I'm always out looking for ways I can help and offer discounted rates to companies that are new to the area or relocating.

 

Why do you think being a member of the Chamber is so important for businesses?

It’s the connections. It's knowing your neighbors, helping each other, and keeping the community strong through the partnerships you build, whether at a luncheon, an after-hours wind-down, or over coffee. You get to know people on a more personal level, and you just build rapport so they're more apt to call and say, “Hey, Mel, I've got somebody for you.” So that's what I strive for. I just love the connection.