Irvine Co. names Pelican Hill Resort vice president

The Irvine Co. has appointed Ellen D. Adelman, a 25-year veteran of the luxury hotel industry, as vice president of sales and marketing for its upcoming resort in Newport Coast.

The Resort at Pelican Hill, which will feature a hotel, a golf course, a spa and more, is set to open completely in fall 2008, with the golf club set to open this fall. Adelman is expected to recruit a sales and marketing team and create partnerships with other businesses and the community.

“Ellen is one of the savviest, most creative sales and marketing executives in the luxury resort industry,” said Ralph Grippo, the resort’s managing director, in a news release. “The team she is assembling will help position the resort as one of the finest in the world.”

Adelman most recently worked as vice president of marketing and sales for the Edward Thomas Co. in Beverly Hills. Her career has included stints with Rosewood Hotels and Resorts in Dallas, the Plaza Hotel in New York, the Fairmont Hotel Management Co. in San Francisco and the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia.

— Michael Miller