HSMAI Puerto Rico Chapter - Advisory Board Members
Jessica Banchs
2025 Chair
President, Tierra Adentro Bed & Breakfast
Vice President, E-Vacations Travel
Jessica Banchs is currently the President of Tierra Adentro Bed & Breakfast and the Vice President of E-Vacations Travel (Receptive Tour Operator). With more than 16 years of experience in the travel industry, she has held various roles representing different important tourism companies in Florida and Virginia, such as Visit Orlando, Prime Retail, JetBlue Airways, Arlington Convention and Visitors Services and Hotelbeds.
In her current roles, Jessica and her husband created the first hotel built with shipping containers in Puerto Rico, while selling the island as a destination, showcasing experiences as a local.
Jessica holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications with a Minor in Travel and Tourism from Florida International University.
She currently resides at Tierra Adentro Bed & Breakfast with her husband Ruben, their dog Yunque and cat Ali. She is looking forward to growing the Bed and Breakfast and the Receptive Tour Operator business by showing what Puerto Rico has to offer island-wide.
Rafael Sánchez
2025 Vice Chair
Director of Local & International Markets
Wyndham Resorts, Puerto Rico Collection
José Rafael Sánchez Pagán, better known within his peers, clients, and friends as Rafy Sánchez, is native from Manatí, but raised in Vega Baja Puerto Rico. He’s the third of four working generations in the Hotel Industry in his family. Rafy studied TV and Radio Production in UPR Arecibo, has a BA in Advertising and completed studies in Marketing at the Sacred Heart University in Santurce.
Rafy started in the Hotel Industry by accident in 1989. He started in operations and worked his way up to Sales & Marketing. He has worked with great iconic properties in Puerto Rico such as Dorado Beach, Cerromar, El San Juan Hotel, Condado Plaza, Caribe Hilton and currently with the Wyndham Resorts, Puerto Rico Collection; Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf & Beach Resort and Wyndham Palmas Beach & Golf Resorts.
Rafy is known for being storyteller when it comes to show the hotels he has worked for and a passionate ambassador of Puerto Rico in every aspect of its rich culture and traditions. He also collects classic and antique cars and is known as “The King of the Chinchorreos” since he has been doing the famous and institutionalized “Chinchorranda” (Chinchorreo con Parranda) for more than 10 years, where over 200 friends gather every year and do countryside typical restaurant and bar hoping, while sponsoring a different charity in each edition.
Jomarie Arturet
2025 VP of Membership
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
BluHost
Hospitality Leading Light! A future lawyer who became a leader in the Hospitality Industry was recognized in 2016 as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Business Leaders and Women Who Lead in Puerto Rico. A dynamic, passionate strategic leader with over two decades of experience in hospitality sales and marketing with an excellent track record of developing and implementing successful strategies in the hotel's owners, customers, and employees' best interest. She has held leadership positions at many of Puerto Rico's top hotels, including El San Juan Hotel, El Conquistador, Caribe Hilton, and was also part of the opening team of the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve in Rio Grande, PR.
Jomarie runs for BluHost all sales and marketing functions as well as the revenue management process. She holds a bachelor's degree in Hospitality from the University of Puerto Rico.
Having an entrepreneurship mindset, during the pandemic, she founded Bubbly Candles & Co., a women-owned business made in Puerto Rico that focuses on upcycling champagne bottles into aromatic candles. She's also a fur mama, cycling enthusiast, chef in disguise, and travel guru.
Life Motto: "Only the one with true passion will be tenacious enough to execute the ideas of what they believe in. Always remember never to settle, to strive."
Ramon Corrada
2025 VP of Sponsorship
Professor
Ana G. Mendez University
Ramón Corrada is a Professor at the Jose A. (Tony) Santana International School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (ISHCA) at the Ana G. Mendez University – Carolina Campus since 2011, one of the leading hospitality and culinary industry schools in the USA and Caribbean. Prof. Corrada has an extensive background in events organization, marketing, management, and promotions in both, private and public sectors. During his professional career he has been responsible for successful sponsorship and marketing programs and production and logistics planning, especially in the sporting events industry. He has also worked as a consultant, analyzing, designing and implementing systems to improve customer satisfaction for a number of private international corporations. He currently teaches courses in sales and marketing, hospitality, events, strategic tourism among others, both in the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Over the past 21 years, Prof. Ramón Corrada has honed his abilities in the marketing industry leading the teams responsible for a variety of programs of prestigious international and local organizations such as the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, 7 Sports Productions, RCMG Sports Marketing & Events, Accenture, The Washington Football Team, and FedEx. From 2011 to 2019, Prof. Corrada served as Associate Dean at ISHCA, where he was responsible for the academic programs and student affairs, event management, and overseeing the day-to-day academic administration of the school.
Prior to his work at the Ana G. Mendez University, Prof. Corrada established and negotiated sponsorship deals for several events of international renown. As a former Marketing Director and Special Events Director at the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, he managed deals for events such as the 2010 & 2011 PGA Tour PR Open; 2011 Rip Curl Pro Search ASP world tour event; the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, the 2010 NY Mets vs Florida Marlins MLB San Juan Series; the 2009 FIBA World Qualifying Basketball Tournament; 2009 & 2010 ESPN NCAA PR Tip Off; 2009 NORCECA Indoor Volleyball Championships; 2013 Rip Curl Pro, and the 2012 Miss Reef Calendar, among others. His expertise led to the successful realization of these events and increased awareness of Puerto Rico as a host destination in the global market.
Prof. Corrada holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a Marketing Major from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master in Tourism Administration with an Event and Sports Management Major from The George Washington University. In addition to his work as a professor and consultant, he enjoys sports on his personal time particularly cycling, beach volleyball, and golf. Mr. Corrada resides in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico with his wife Marieli and his boys, Sebastian and Gabriel
Evy Garcia
Area Director of Sales and Marketing,
Wyndham Resorts, Puerto Rico Collection
A native of Puerto Rico, Evy is a results-oriented sales and marketing professional with over 25 years of experience in the communications, financial and hospitality industries. Within her current role of Area Director of Sales & Marketing, she is responsible for driving revenues and positioning the two LionGrove Hospitality LLC assets, Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf & Beach Resort and Wyndham Palmas Beach & Golf Resort.
Evy lead the repositioning of Wyndham Grand Rio Mar and the community post-hurricane Maria, garnering many accolades including TIME’s 100 Greatest Places in the World in 2018. The resort has become a premier choice for meetings and events in Puerto Rico.
Prior to joining Rio Mar, she lead sales and marketing for El Conquistador and Las Casitas Village, A Waldorf Astoria Resort and the former Gran Melia Golf Resort Puerto. Evy has also had executive roles for prestigious hotels for Fairmont, Tishman and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.
Before returning to Puerto Rico she was Vice President of Corporate Marketing for Pan-American Life Insurance based in New Orleans where she directed brand management, marketing, conference planning and communications for the multinational financial services company, becoming the first Latin American woman to be named an executive of the corporation.
She started her career in New Orleans working in the advertising industry at the city’s premier agency, Peter Mayer Advertising, Popeye’s, and radio stations. She also presided the Advertising Club of the city along with involvement in many community organizations such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s Hispanic programs.
Evy graduated from Colegio del Espiritu Santo in San Juan and Marquette University in Milwaukee.
During her personal time, Evy likes to travel, volunteer with animal rescue organizations, and spend time with her two rescues Polo and Cooper.
Joaquin Cruz
Director of Sales & Marketing
San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
Marilyn Hernandez
2025 VP of Marketing & Communications
Sales Manager
Fogo de Chao San Juan
Marilyn has been immersed in the hospitality industry since 2005. She pursued her passion by obtaining a degree in Hospitality & Culinary Arts from the University of Puerto Rico. Although her initial aspiration was to become a chef, Marilyn's career began as a catering coordinator, where she unearthed a fervor for sales and event management. Over the years, she has garnered experience in various hotels and a leading DMC in Puerto Rico, orchestrating and promoting events ranging from intimate gatherings to comprehensive programs for large corporations.
Presently, Marilyn holds the role of Sales Manager at Fogo de Chao in San Juan. Her tenure has witnessed a notable surge in restaurant group sales and heightened awareness of the restaurant's offerings.
Emma Rosado
2025 VP of Marketing & Communications
Marketing Manager
Discover Puerto Rico
Meet Emma Rosado, Marketing Manager at Discover Puerto Rico, and passionate about transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary! With a proven track record in retail and marketing, Emma has crafted strategies for the retail, technology, and tourism sectors.
Emma holds two master’s degrees—one in Integrated Communications from Sacred Heart University and another in Marketing and Advertising Accounts Management from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She’s a digital marketing expert with accolades like the CHDM Certification, Digital Content Marketing Certification, and PDM Certificate.
Beyond work, she’s a black belt in Taekwondo, a jazz music lover, and a gastronomic enthusiast, passionate about connecting people and making every moment count.
Chagrin Olivo
Director of Sales & Marketing
The Royal Sonesta San Juan
Xavier Ramirez
2025 VP of Education
General Manager
Combate Beach Resort
Xavier A. Ramirez has a 23-year career in the Hospitality and Tourism industry. Xavier possesses a BA in Hotel & Restaurant Management, and an MS in Hospitality & Tourism Management. He is certified as a Hospitality Digital Marketer (CHDM), and as a Social Media Coach. He has worked in academia and for prestigious global hospitality companies such as Walt Disney Company and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and for the past 14 years he has been managing his own hotel, Combate Beach Resort. Xavier also produces and directs the Puerto Rico HotelierCon, the island’s most complete educational convention for hospitality entrepreneurs.
Throughout his career, he has developed managerial and marketing skills along with extensive knowledge in the hospitality industry. One of his great passions is education. During his master's studies, he worked as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the top-ranked university in the U.S. for Hospitality and Tourism. He has since taught at the University of Puerto Rico at Carolina, and Universidad Ana G. Mendez Cabo Rojo campus. In all these institutions, he belonged to their respective Schools of Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Xavier has taught university-level courses both in-person, online, and in hybrid formats. These courses have covered various subjects within Hotel and Restaurant Management, including Rooms Division, Clubs and Resorts, Food and Beverage, Conventions, Information Systems, Tourism, Sales and Marketing, Digital Marketing, and Crisis Management.
Over the past 14 years, Xavier has overseen several construction projects, expansions, and renovations, and implemented new systems and technologies. He has successfully managed multiple crises, including droughts, extended power outages, category 4 and 5 hurricanes, earthquakes, hundreds of aftershocks, a pandemic, and provided shelter for refugees and first responders. Additionally, he has recruited, trained, and supervised dozens of employees from diverse generations, religious beliefs, and cultures.
During his career, Xavier has been awarded many times for his contributions to the industry, including Top Management Award by the Sales & Marketing Executives Association of Puerto Rico (SMEPR), Person of the Year by the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA), Distinguished Alumni by the University of Puerto Rico Alumni Association, and General Manager to Watch by the Hotel Management Magazine. Under his management, his hotel has been awarded multiple times for the quality of its service, including been included in TripAdvisor’s Hall of Fame.