UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Hospitality Services has named Joe Crimmins as its new general manager. Crimmins, who began the position on July 7, takes the helm from Jim Purdum, who retired in June.
As general manager, Crimmins oversees the operations of Penn State’s two hotel properties: the Nittany Lion Inn and the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. He also manages catering services for the more than 60 suites at Beaver Stadium, Pegula Ice Arena and special events at the Penn State president’s home.
Most recently, Crimmins served as general manager of Wyndham Hamilton Park, in Morristown, New Jersey. Prior to that position he was vice president and managing director of Destination Hotels and Resorts, managing nine hotels along the East Coast for almost nine years.
One of the properties in Crimmins’ group was the University of North Carolina, where he oversaw all business operations, from capital budgeting to customer services. “At UNC I became well grounded in a university community,” he says, “and I came away from that experience with a strong feel for how hospitality in a university setting differs from the corporate world. University customers have different expectations than corporate customers do. There’s a sense of being part of the family, part of something bigger.”
Crimmins’ ties to Penn State date back to the 1990s, when he served as vice president of sales and marketing for Scanticon International. He was one of three corporate executives who were responsible for the design and development of the Scanticon Penn State, now the Penn Stater. “That’s where my connection to the town, the area, and the campus began,” he says. ”I spent a lot of time in the Penn State community and forged some important bonds and friendships.”
The Penn State connection continued when Crimmins’ oldest son, Greg, chose to pursue both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the Smeal College of Business. “Through a lot of visits to campus, a lot of tailgates and games, our fondness for the area grew during that time,” he says.
With experience in both corporate and university-based hospitality, Crimmins looks forward to “blending the best of both worlds” as he oversees the management of two well respected hotel properties. “The Nittany Lion Inn and the Penn Stater are very special places, and that’s Jim Purdum’s doing,” he says. “Jim has served the University very well, and I’m looking forward to building on what he’s done. It’s a very exciting time.”