PRESIDENT

Arkansas native and hotel veteran Matthew Newton is the President of Dallas, Texas-based Magnolia Lodging, LLC, a hospitality construction, development and management company.

After earning his BBA at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, he pursued his MBA at the nationally-ranked McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. Following his MBA, Matthew transitioned to Dallas in 1992 as a Staff Consultant for Andersen Consulting (currently Accenture), and during his tenure was promoted to Senior Consultant.

In 1996, he joined Shinn and Newton, Ltd., a hospitality company founded by his father, Wayne Newton, and uncle, G. J. "Jay" Shinn. The Shinn family has been active in the hotel industry since the 1940s with their inaugural property - a motor inn - in Magnolia, Arkansas. Matthew joined the group's hotel development team, a role he occupied for the next three years. In 1999, he transitioned to the property level as general manager at the AmeriSuites DFW North in Grapevine, Texas.

In 2001, Jay Shinn and Wayne Newton created Magnolia Lodging, LLC; that same year, Matthew joined the company's development team as the Director of Development. In 2003, he was promoted to President of Magnolia Lodging, a role he occupies today.

Active in the hospitality industry, Matthew has held various memberships and positions in industry organizations. He served on the AmeriSuites Franchise Advisory Council from 2004-2006, and has been an active member of the Board of Directors for the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association (THLA) since 2004. He is currently the THLA Chairman of the Board. Matthew began his tenure on the Homewood Suites Owners Advisory Council in 2010. He was also an inaugural member of the Home2 Suites Owners Advisory Council and served from 2012-2016.

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING

Julie joined the Magnolia Lodging sales team in June 2012 as Director of Sales of the award-winning Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas-Frisco. Her efforts led her team to record-breaking REVPAR in an aggressive market and helped cement the Homewood Suites as a comp-set leader. Through Julie’s leadership, guidance, and dedication to her clients’ satisfaction, the hotel has remained in the top spot on the STAR report and TripAdvisor.

Her success at the Homewood Suites made her the obvious choice to take on the role of Regional Director of Sales in late 2012, where she continued to oversee both the Homewood Suites and the Home2 Suites by Hilton Dallas-Frisco; at the time, the newest brand by Hilton, and the 13th hotel in the Home2 Suites brand portfolio. Under Julie’s direction, the hotel enjoyed a very quick and strong ramp-up, and won the inaugural Hotel of the Year Award for Home2 Suites as a brand.

When the time came for Magnolia Lodging to look for an individual to lead the company’s sales focus, Julie’s success and tenure in Frisco made her the leading candidate. Julie assumed the role of Corporate Director of Sales over the Magnolia Lodging portfolio in June, 2016. Her sales excellence has been recognized by the brand every year she has been eligible, and due to her efforts, she has received the highest recognition the Homewood Suites brand offers, being awarded Director of Sales of the Year in 2013.

Julie was promoted to Vice President of Sales in Marketing on January 2019. In this role, Julie leads the Sales and Marketing department as well as Revenue Management.

Prior to her roles with Magnolia Lodging, Julie was instrumental on the sales teams with Prime Hospitality, John Q. Hammons Hotels, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and Hilton Worldwide.

Julie graduated with a B.B.A. in Meetings Management and Destination Development from Northeastern State University.

REGIONAL ENGINEER

Frank specializes in efficiently managing supply costs for in-house maintenance repairs on equipment and parts. Collaborating seamlessly with contractors, Frank oversees repair projects and associated expenditures. His responsibilities extend to conducting quarterly maintenance meetings, bringing together Chief Engineers from diverse properties for training, work projects, and the strategic scheduling of preventive maintenance tasks. Offering on-site support, Frank addresses maintenance issues beyond the capacity of onsite staff, whether due to manpower constraints or specialized expertise requirements. Holding a Certified Pool Operator (CPO) license since 1988, Frank diligently pursues continued education every five years as mandated by the state. Additionally, his EPA certifications for A/C and refrigerants (Type 1, 2, 3 - Universal) earned from Ferris State University in 1993, along with plumbing certification in Texas, showcase his comprehensive skill set for maintenance repairs and fixture installations.

CORPORATE ANALYST

Ella-Kate has been with Magnolia Lodging for over four years, beginning her Magnolia Lodging career as Corporate Administrator and then transitioning to her current role as Corporate Analyst. As Corporate Analyst, Ella-Kate works closely with our general managers, corporate executives, and vendors to evaluate the efficiency and profitability of each property. She focuses her concentration on analyzing rates, fees, terms, and contracts to ensure our properties are operating as fiscally healthy as possible. She also is instrumental in the success of developments by analyzing the profitability and risk of proposed hotel purchases, sales, and builds.

Ella-Kate has over fifteen years of experience in the administrative and financial support fields which have set the foundation for her current position. Her background includes roles managing the billing practices of medical offices and providing executive-level administrative support to a chain of 80+ convenience stores along the East Coast.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Kelly has been a part of the Magnolia Lodging team for over ten years, having started as a front desk agent at the award-winning TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Lewisville, TX. Kelly was instrumental with opening this hotel in June of 2009, and stayed on at the front desk for the following year. Her time at the hotel gave her valuable experience in the hospitality industry, including making reservations, guest check-ins and departures, and providing quality customer care.