Staff Bios
Tim Gordon
Director of Catering
Tim Gordon's hospitality career spans more than 20 years in local food and beverage operations. His diverse experience includes luxury, boutique and convention hotels; a private club; and operating his own bar and grill. He joined the Kansas City Marriott Downtown as assistant director of catering in 2005 and was named director of catering in April, 2007. Gordon has a keen appreciation for the highly personal nature of weddings. "The wedding is a lifelong dream for our brides," says Gordon. "We try to put everyone in the bride's party at ease so they can relax and enjoy their day worry free." Gordon emphasizes preparation and communication in wedding event planning. "We sit down with the bride and her family, learn their wishes and then walk them through every step of the process. Once everyone knows what to expect, the bridal party can simply enjoy the celebration with their guests." Even with detailed planning, experience has taught Gordon and his staff to expect the unexpected. "By being well-prepared, we can anticipate and react to last minute adjustments without disrupting the flow of the event."
Pex Kotz
Catering Manager and Certified Wedding Planner
When a teenaged Pex Kotz arrived in Kansas City from her native Thailand in 1980, she didn't speak English. A quick learner with prodigious work habits and a natural gift for serving others, Kotz adapted well to a new culture. She enrolled at Penn Valley Community College, eventually earning her associate's degree in hotel and restaurant management. While attending school, she began her hospitality career at the Westin Crown Center as a buffet runner. Kotz proved to be a consummate team player during her ten-year stint at the Westin, generously giving of her enthusiasm and skills throughout the food and beverage division. In 1989, she joined the Allis Plaza, now Kansas City Marriott Downtown, where she worked in the catering department until 1998. After gaining additional experience at the Radisson, Phillips House and the Airport Marriott, she returned to the downtown Marriott in 1995. Kotz, a Certified Wedding Planner, is the go-to catering manager for wedding events. By experience and education, she has a keen understanding of all the factors, including cultural and religious differences, that shape a successful wedding. She credits the staff for creating a the property's high regard in the local community. "We have a dedicated, professional staff," says Kotz. "But they work from their hearts."
Bill Spano
Executive Chef
As executive chef of Kansas City's largest hotel, Bill Spano is responsible for supervising a culinary staff of nearly 100, including more than 50 cooks, and oversees the operation of a bakery, butcher shop, two banquet kitchens and two restaurant kitchens. His staff prepares more than half a million meals each year for guests, none more important than for those attending one very special wedding celebration. Chef Spano began his formal culinary training at Food and Maritime High School, a vocational school. His first professional cooking job was at age 16 at Kress's department store on Fifth Avenue. The following summer, he cooked at the historic Lake Mohonk Mountain House resort in upstate New York. After graduating from high school, Chef Spano continued his formal culinary training at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New Haven, Connecticut. Upon his graduation in 1971, he began a distinguished culinary career. He has cooked in or presided over the kitchens of numerous hotels and resorts, including Tamarron Inn & Golf Resort in Durango, Colorado; the Denver Marriott; the Atlanta Marriott Airport; the historic John Marshall Hotel in Richmond, Virginia where he cooked for President Ronald Reagan, Senator John Glenn and Governor Charles Robb; and the Adam's Mark in Kansas City. He joined the Kansas City Marriott Downtown January 29, 1990. Chef Spano's dynamic cooking style is built upon a foundation of classical training from which he experiments with fresh concepts.