general manager, The Olivia Collection
Third Quarter 2012
story by ANNE BROCKHOFF
photos by STEVEN HERTZOG
Standing with Nancy Longhurst on the ninth floor terrace of The Oread, taking in the nearly 360-degree view of Lawrence, you know this is exactly where she wants to be.
Longhurst’s spent much of her career in hospitality management, and she’s now general manager of The Olivia Collection. The group includes The Oread, The Eldridge and The Eldridge Extended, and allows her to do what she likes best—take care of guests.
“I enjoyed my other jobs, but my passion is the hotel industry,” says Longhurst, 55.
She discovered that passion early on, when she took an office job at the Holiday Inn Holidome while attending the University of Kansas. Longhurst eventually became its director of sales, before leaving to help renovate The Eldridge in the early 1980s.
The building was at the time an apartment complex. Longhurst helped transform it into an historic hotel and became its first general manager. But the work was demanding and the hours long, so when another opportunity came, she took it.
“I think at that point I just needed a break,” Longhurst says.
She worked in the computer industry for seven years, and then became executive director for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Lawrence program in 1999. Longhurst loved it, but she missed hospitality.
In 2005, The Eldridge’s new owners asked Longhurst to return as general manager. She then oversaw design of The Oread’s operations systems during its construction. Longhurst took her current position when that hotel opened in 2010.
Her schedule is still grueling—often 12-hour days, plus Saturday nights and catching up on emails during her off-hours—but Longhurst actually sees more of her family than ever.
David Longhurst, her husband, is assistant general manager of The Eldridge. Her son, Harrison, works at The Eldridge’s front desk and as a bellman. Her daughter, Natalie, recently began a job in the banquet department and spends one day a week in the office.
Longhurst sees their involvement as a way to impart her own work ethic to her kids. After all, it’s how she grew up.
“We were raised to work and work hard. It’s just what you did,” says Longhurst, who grew up in Shawnee, Kan., and spent weekends at her grandparents’ farm near Smithville, Mo., helping with the gardening, canning and other chores.
It’s still what Longhurst does. She arrives at her office—an open desk next to reception at The Oread—around 7 a.m., and then spends days meeting with staff from all three properties, booking entertainment, inspecting everything from ballrooms to store rooms and overseeing all other operations.
Together, the properties have 155 rooms, 320 employees and dozens of meeting rooms, event spaces and restaurants. The sheer scale means Longhurst can no longer handle every detail herself.
“Now we’re too big,” she says. “I’ve learned you can’t do everything yourself. Your team is vital to your success.”
Sundays are Longhurst’s home days, and she loves getting away to places near, like Missouri’s Grand Lake or Lake of the Ozarks, and far, such as St. Maarten in the Caribbean.
Longhurst continues her community involvement, although she tries to limit it to one board membership at a time. Currently, she’s on the Cottonwood Foundation Board of Trustees. Why? Because it’s just what you do, Longhurst says.
“Any good business person wants to give back to their community, because they’re the ones who make you thrive and grow,” she says.
69 Comments
slot siteleri slot tr online slot oyunlar?
https://slottr.top/# slot tr online
slot tr online: slot siteleri – slot oyunlar? puf noktalar?
http://pinup2025.com/# пин ап казино
casino site yurt dД±ЕџД± bahis sitesi eski oyunlarД± oynama sitesi
пинап казино: пин ап – пин ап зеркало
https://pinup2025.com/# pinup2025.com
http://pinup2025.com/# пин ап зеркало
mobil bahis siteleri tГјrkiye yasal bahis siteleri gazino isimleri
canlД± casino oyna: deneme bonus veren siteler – bonusu veren siteler
http://casinositeleri2025.pro/# hangi bahis siteleri bonus veriyor?
pinup 2025 пин ап пин ап казино официальный сайт
https://casinositeleri2025.pro/# casinonaxi
http://slottr.top/# slot oyunlar?
top online pharmacy india Best Indian pharmacy top online pharmacy india
https://canadianpharmi.com/# best drug for ed
http://indiapharmi.com/# world pharmacy india
anti fungal pills without prescription: canadian pharmi – erectial disfunction
mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa Legit online Mexican pharmacy buying prescription drugs in mexico online
http://indiapharmi.com/# Online medicine order
https://indiapharmi.com/# buy prescription drugs from india
https://mexicanpharmi.com/# mexico drug stores pharmacies
mexico drug stores pharmacies Mexican pharmacy ship to usa buying prescription drugs in mexico online
https://mexicanpharmi.com/# п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
indian pharmacy paypal: Pharmacies in India that ship to USA – top 10 pharmacies in india
viagra without doctor prescription Best Canadian pharmacy canadian pharmacy
https://indiapharmi.com/# pharmacy website india
https://canadianpharmi.com/# erectile dysfunction medications
http://canadianpharmi.com/# buy prescription drugs without doctor
mexico drug stores pharmacies: Online Mexican pharmacy – reputable mexican pharmacies online
generic ed drugs Canada pharmacy online ed pills that work
Online medicine home delivery Online medicine home delivery Online medicine order
https://indiapharmi.com/# Online medicine order
https://indiapharmi.com/# buy prescription drugs from india
http://indiapharmi.com/# best india pharmacy
best online pharmacies in mexico mexican pharmacy п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
https://canadianpharmi.com/# men with ed
http://canadianpharmi.com/# cheap drugs
can i order generic clomid price where buy clomid without insurance cost of generic clomid without prescription
https://amoxstar.com/# amoxicillin 500mg price in canada
http://prednibest.com/# prednisone 5mg cost
amoxicillin generic: where to buy amoxicillin pharmacy – generic amoxicillin online
buy cipro CiPharmDelivery buy cipro online usa
http://amoxstar.com/# amoxicillin 500 mg where to buy
https://cipharmdelivery.com/# п»їcipro generic
amoxicillin no prescription amoxicillin 500mg tablets price in india amoxicillin no prescription
https://amoxstar.com/# amoxicillin pills 500 mg
prednisone 20 mg tablet price: prednisone 20mg prices – can you buy prednisone over the counter
25 mg prednisone PredniBest prednisone 2.5 mg price
https://prednibest.com/# prednisone 30 mg
http://cipharmdelivery.com/# buy cipro
can i order generic clomid online: where buy generic clomid without rx – where can i buy clomid without rx
can i get generic clomid pills where buy cheap clomid without insurance buy generic clomid
https://prednibest.com/# 1 mg prednisone daily
can i get generic clomid without rx clomidonpharm where buy cheap clomid now
http://clomidonpharm.com/# where to buy generic clomid without a prescription
amoxicillin capsules 250mg: canadian pharmacy amoxicillin – generic amoxicillin over the counter
otc prednisone cream canadian online pharmacy prednisone can i buy prednisone over the counter in usa
http://prednibest.com/# prednisone tablets canada
amoxicillin for sale online Amox Star amoxicillin 500mg over the counter
https://clomidonpharm.com/# how can i get generic clomid without prescription
how to buy generic clomid can i order cheap clomid how to get generic clomid pills
http://prednibest.com/# prednisone without prescription
ciprofloxacin 500mg buy online: cipro online no prescription in the usa – buy cipro without rx
https://amoxstar.com/# amoxicillin 500mg no prescription
can you get cheap clomid without insurance where to buy clomid tablets cost clomid without rx
can you buy prednisone without a prescription: over the counter prednisone cheap – buy prednisone without a prescription best price
http://clomidonpharm.com/# where to buy cheap clomid without rx
where to buy amoxicillin 500mg without prescription AmoxStar amoxicillin 500 mg for sale