Ted Arps
Key Experience:
Senior Vice President of Strategic Operations, Davidson Hotels
Chief Development Officer, Spire Hospitality
Director of Hotel Investments, Crow Holdings
How does one measure “success”? It’s a question Ted has thought about often, since reading an Emerson poem of the same name on the side of a coffee cup at the hotel where he worked in his early twenties.
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
And the affection of children;
...
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
He found the words so resonant, he wrote them down and put the poem in his wallet. Weeks later his father presented him with a gift that further solidified its importance. A framed version of the poem, signed on the back with the following note: “This poem hung in my office until retirement. Since we share the same interest in it, I thought I would pass it along to you.”
Emerson’s words have become the principles and values that Ted strives to live by. They have become the core values that he carries forward in his leadership at Makeready as our Chief Investment Management and Development Officer.
In his day-to-day work Ted is focused on finding those acquisitions, management assignments and new developments that bring quality and value to Makeready. With each new project, he is committed to bringing about intentional operations, revenue enhancement, and long-term strategies to optimize returns and create value for owners, partners, and team members.
It is all about relationships. We create trust by performing, delivering on promises, being honest, and displaying humility. Development is a selling proposition, and we are selling best-in-class management services. We must be able to point to past performance, great people, and great support. It is a team effort and again that boils down to trust to develop strong, long-standing relationships.
This is where Ted sees his hard work come to fruition, with an eye on finding the opportunities that enhance the value of Makeready properties through new revenue generation and operating efficiencies.