Clarence Ponder
Hiram
Summary
Strategic Director of Engineering focused on enhancing hotel system reliability and minimizing downtime through effective maintenance strategies and vendor management. Develops engineering roadmaps and service-level objectives to align with seasonal demands and improve emergency repair response times. Combines strong leadership and problem-solving skills to drive operational resilience and facilitate team collaboration.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of engineering
Crescent hotels-Atlanta evergreen lakside resort
Stone Mountain
06.2024 - Current
- Led engineering teams in developing innovative solutions for resort infrastructure.
- Oversaw implementation of sustainable practices, improving operational efficiency in facility management.
- Collaborated with management to ensure engineering projects supported strategic goals.
- Managed vendor relationships to ensure quality and timely project delivery.
- Coordinated cross-departmental projects, enhancing guest experiences through integrated engineering solutions.
- Trained and mentored junior engineers on best practices and safety protocols.
- Ensured compliance with safety regulations and industry standards.
- Assessed engineering systems for efficiency and compliance with industry standards.
- Developed maintenance schedules to ensure optimal performance of resort facilities.
Director of Engineering
Davidson Hospitality-Le meridian Hotel
Atlanta
12.2022 - 06.2024
- Maintains building fire and life-safety systems with documented inspections ensuring regulatory compliance and measurable risk reduction.
- Performs scheduled preventive maintenance on mechanical and electrical equipment to maximize uptime and extend asset life.
- Enhances building grounds through coordinated landscaping and facility improvements that improve tenant satisfaction and curb appeal.
- Repaired roof leaks and conducted building envelope maintenance to prevent water damage and ensure long-term structural integrity.
- Builds and manages vendor and contractor relationships to secure timely service delivery and cost-effective maintenance solutions.
- Negotiated vendor SLAs and tracked compliance through monthly scorecards to tighten third-party uptime guarantees.
- Coached engineering managers on capacity planning to align team roadmaps with demand forecasts, enhancing project readiness.
- Refined service-level objectives and error budgets across products to prioritize engineering backlog and outages.
- Led engineering operations at a hospitality firm, improving operational uptime and team delivery metrics.
- Directed cross-functional engineering teams to deliver property systems projects with measurable results.
- Implemented standardized maintenance and deployment processes that reduced incident recurrence.
- Developed technical roadmap aligning engineering initiatives with business goals and cost targets.
- Negotiated engineering budgets with product and finance teams to prioritize high-risk platform projects.
- Negotiated third-party maintenance contracts, cutting emergency repair lead times and lowering out-of-cycle costs.
- Launched mentorship program pairing senior engineers with juniors to accelerate technical ramp-up and improve retention.
- Designed quarterly engineering roadmap with product and operations leaders to align feature rollouts to peak seasons.
- Led building maintenance and engineering team to ensure reliable hotel operations and reduced downtime with measurable results.
- Trained maintenance staff on lockout-tagout, safety inspections, and troubleshooting best practices for compliance.
- Managed capital expenditure requests and prioritized replacements based on age, condition, and occupancy forecasts.
Chief engineer
Magna Hospitality- Hilton Garden inn
Atlanta
10.2020 - 12.2022
- Led engineering teams to maintain hotel facilities and equipment.
- Oversaw maintenance and continuous operation of building systems, including mechanical (HVAC), electrical and safety.
- Developed and implemented preventive maintenance programs for all systems.
- Evaluated building systems regularly to identify and implement efficiency improvements and necessary upgrades.
- Managed vendor relationships to secure timely procurement of engineering services and supplies.
- Oversaw compliance with safety regulations and environmental standards to ensure a safe operating environment.
- Trained staff on equipment operation and safety protocols effectively.
- Performed regular inspections of equipment to identify areas of improvement or repair needs.
Regional Director
JHM hotels - Doubletree ,Hampton inn North Druid
Brookhaven
03.2015 - 07.2020
- Directed hotel operations for multiple properties in a competitive market.
- Managed budgets and financial reports to ensure fiscal responsibility.
- Monitored business trend forecasts, adjusting budgets and operational plans to align with growth opportunities.
- Identified opportunities for process improvements within the region's operations and led implementation efforts accordingly.
- Developed operational policies to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
- Oversaw staff recruitment and training to maintain high service standards.
- Coordinated guest relations initiatives, enhancing guest satisfaction and loyalty.
- Organized and oversaw capital improvement projects to maintain business viability.
- Implemented technology solutions, streamlining operations and enhancing data analysis capabilities.
- Collaborated with team members in developing best practices to support company objectives.
- Negotiated contracts and agreements with vendors, partners, and other external entities.
Education
Hvac certification - Heating and air conditioning
Atlanta Technical College
Atlanta06-2019
Epa certification -
Lic trades of america
Atlanta03-2002
civil engineering certificate - build bridges and mock cities, studied explosives, demolition specialist, Minor electric
us army corps of engineering
ft Lenoardwood, Mo08-2000
Skills
- Project Management
- Engineering management
- Technical Oversight
- Quality Assurance
- Systems Architecture
- Cost control
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Regulatory Compliance
- Time Management
- Team Leadership
- Training
- Employee development
- Creative Problem-Solving
- Conflict Resolution
- Strategic Thinking
References
- Linda Williams, Regional General Manager, linda.williams@hilton.com, 404-550-1646
- Eric Bailey, Delta, soldbyericb@gmail.com, 770-314-7981
- Howard Eaddy, Director of Engineering, howard.eaddy@hhmhotels.com, 804-585-5355
Personal Information
Title: Director of Engineering
Languages
- Spanish
- German,
- ,
Accomplishments
- regional director of the year Hilton hotels 2020
- Manager of the year Doubletree Hotels 2012
- employe of the year Hilton hotels 2019
- Army accommodation medal 1991 1993
- Liberation medal Kuwait 1991
- National Defense ribbon 1992
- overseas medal 1991
- Iraq freedom medal 1993
Timeline
Director of engineering
Crescent hotels-Atlanta evergreen lakside resort
06.2024 - Current
Director of Engineering
Davidson Hospitality-Le meridian Hotel
12.2022 - 06.2024
Chief engineer
Magna Hospitality- Hilton Garden inn
10.2020 - 12.2022
Regional Director
JHM hotels - Doubletree ,Hampton inn North Druid
03.2015 - 07.2020
Hvac certification - Heating and air conditioning
Atlanta Technical College
Epa certification -
Lic trades of america
civil engineering certificate - build bridges and mock cities, studied explosives, demolition specialist, Minor electric
us army corps of engineering