GoLocalProv

Apr 30, 2024

Monday, August 28, 2023

GoLocalProv Business Team

GoLocal's People on the Move is an update on new hires and promotions across southern New England. If your organization has an announcement, email it to us at [email protected].

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PHOTO: PWCVB

“Jonathan Walker is an asset not just to the PWCVB team, but to the entire state of Rhode Island,” said Kristen Adamo, president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. “As part of the RISC, he spotlights our communities through the platform of sports, which helps drive visitation and revenue for Rhode Island. His track record speaks for itself, having supported nearly 50 sports-related meetings and events in fiscal year 2022, and he is most deserving of this opportunity to further showcase his talents. I am proud of his continued efforts and look forward to seeing what he can achieve in this new position.”

Walker holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Entertainment and Event Management from Johnson and Wales University. He later received his Master of Business Administration with a Hospitality Concentration, and is a certified Sports Tourism Strategist by the Sports Events and Tourism Association. Jonathan began his career in sports and entertainment in 2014 with PSE Agency, a Rhode Island-based sports marketing firm that owns and operates the Providence Bruins. He later worked with the Pawtucket Red Sox and the TPG Hotels and Resorts-managed Hilton Garden Inn Providence before joining the PWCVB.

In his new role, Walker will oversee the sales, marketing and servicing efforts related to sports groups utilizing Rhode Island as a base for competitions and sports-related meetings. He will continue to work closely with clients across the country to bring sporting events to Rhode Island and bolster the state’s reputation as a premier sports destination.

The RISC brought in nearly 78,000 hotel room nights in fiscal year 2023 - with an estimated direct spend close to $55 million - under the leadership of the late John Gibbons, who passed away in June.

“Jonathan stepped up to the plate in a big way after the devastating loss of our friend and RISC Executive Director John Gibbons, with whom he worked very closely. I’m confident that, in his new role, Jonathan is well-positioned to continue advocating for Rhode Island and its evolving sports landscape,” Adamo added.

“I’m extremely fortunate to have absorbed a great deal of knowledge during John’s tenure, and I’m honored to prolong the profound legacy of the Rhode Island Sports Commission,” said Walker.

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PHOTO: Residential Properties

Residential Properties Ltd. announced that Sales Associate Amanda Fernandez has joined the roster of expert real estate advisors at our Providence office. Licensed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, she offers nearly a decade of experience in sales, marketing, and customer service. She is a longtime RI resident with a granular knowledge of local markets.

Secret to success? Surround yourself with the best

Amanda earned her associate degree in business administration from the Community College of Rhode Island. Her prior career in the dental field established her ease with creating client rapport and trust, but her business sense eventually moved her into a role as a network recruiter for Chewsi, a dental reimbursement platform. Skillful negotiation and customer relations in this role drew her toward her true love, real estate, combining her enjoyment of people and knack for transacting. She is also a co-founder of BrGuest, LLC, a short-term management company that guides investors and homeowners toward passive income via short-term, seasonal, or long-term rentals. She is particularly excited to work with sellers, luxury clients, and relocation clients.

Well aware of RPL’s reputation in the real estate community, Amanda’s prior firsthand encounters with the company’s agents left a lasting impression. Exuding the market smarts and skill befitting top real estate advisors, it played a significant part in her decision to join the brokerage. “I had been to many RPL open houses with my very first buyer and the professionalism shown when greeting agents and answering questions was impeccable,” Fernandez noted. “The company’s branding was also consistent, which I found very attractive and wanted to be a part of. I had great conversations with Sales Associates Rachael Dotson, Christy Querceto, and Angie Salem which helped me make this decision, but meeting Sally Lapides finalized it for me. You are who you surround yourself with, and I wanted to be among the best agents in the state.”

Thinking globally, transacting locally

Living in Cranston with her fiancé John, their wedding set for September of 2024 on Block Island, Amanda also makes time for surfing, snowboarding, cycling, and dancing to keep her energy high for her career; more accurately described as her calling. “What inspired me to become a Realtor® is the joy and security that comes from owning property and building a foundation towards generational wealth,” Fernandez said. “I grew up living in apartments, so my family and I moved several times during my childhood. It was only after learning about real estate and understanding how property can be used as an investment that I was able to build a successful short-term rental business that supported me financially and helped me launch my real estate career.”

As a board member on the Joy of Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization improving lives in Kazo District, Uganda, Amanda aims to help her community on the local and global level. As she begins her work with Residential Properties, her goal is to embrace all of the company’s services and offerings to best serve her clients. “Step one is building my client base, and I’m very focused on sharpening all my skills through RPL’s education and technology services,” Fernandez added. “I can’t wait to visit their new training center in East Greenwich and to map out my first six months with their in-house marketing team so that I can help everyone in our community to attain their homeownership goals.”

To learn more about Amanda, please visit AmandaFernandez.ResidentialProperties.com.