Meet the Sales Team
Mary Rieger
Director of Sales
Mary Rieger joined the sales team of Kiawah Island Golf Resort in November 2010 as Director of Southeast Sales and was promoted to Director of Sales in December 2024. Prior to joining the team at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Mary was at the Crowne Plaza Hilton Head Island Beach Resort handling corporate, medical, education and social accounts. Before that, she was the Associate Director of Sales at Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa responsible for various markets. Mary was also a National Sales Manager at the Hilton Oceanfront Resort & Spa. Mary received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois.
Office: (843) 768-6077
Toll Free: (866) 303-2707
mary_rieger@kiawahresort.com
Representing: GA
John Haskins
Director of Golf Group Sales
John Haskins is our Director of Golf Group Sales. He previously was the golf sales manager at Charleston Golf Inc., the golf sales arm of the Charleston CVB, and has grown up with the game. His familiarity with the nuances of the resort's five championship courses enables him to plan the best vacation for groups of all sizes and playing levels.
Office: (843) 768-2796
Toll Free: (866) 303-2707
john_haskins@kiawahresort.com
Representing: All golf groups with 17 or more people.
Leo Marien
Director of Northeast Sales
Leo has amassed 30 years of diverse hospitality experience, both as a group sales manager and an owner-operator. Before joining the sales team, Leo worked at The Sanctuary as Guest Services Manager. Leo’s managerial experience in operations provides him invaluable knowledge of the front- and back-of-house coordination required to deliver successful and memorable meetings. A native New Englander, Leo, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Finance from St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH, has intimate knowledge of the region.
Office: (843) 768-6013
Toll Free: (866) 303-2707
leo_marien@kiawahresort.com
Representing: NY, NJ, RI, VT MA, ME, NH, and CT
Claire Whitlock
Director of Midwest Sales
Claire brings more than a dozen years of hospitality sales experience at such distinguished properties as Mansion on Forsyth Park and Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront in Savannah, Georgia, where she held several positions, including Senior Sales Manager, Senior Regional Sales Manager representing 11 hotels in The Kessler Collection, and Director of Sales and Catering. Prior to that, she held positions with Daufuskie Island Resort, Westin Poinsett and Greenville Marriott. Claire is well respected in the industry and has a solid track record of client relations and strong productivity. She is a native Charlestonian, and studied Fine Arts/Communication at the College of Charleston as well as Hospitality/Culinary Arts at Trident College.
Office: (843) 768-2747
Toll Free: (866) 303-2707
claire_whitlock@kiawahresort.com
Representing: CA, CO, ID, IL, KS, KY, MN, MO, MT, NE, IA, OK, OR, NV, NM, ND, SD, TN, UT, WA, WY, and AZ
Erin Whittsitt
Regional Director of Sales
Erin Whitsitt joins Kiawah Island Golf Resort from North Charleston, S.C.-based John Q. Hammons, where she served as sales manager for both Courtyard Fort Smith (Ark.) and Residence Inn Charleston (S.C.) Airport. While with Hammons, Whitsitt also served as Managing Editor and Editorial Director for A Lowcountry Wedding Magazine based on Kiawah's neighboring Johns Island, S.C. Her previous diverse sales experience includes the hospitality, catering, and media sectors.
Office: (843) 768-2844
Toll Free: (866) 303-2707
erin_whitsitt@kiawahresort.com
Representing: SC, NC, and all wedding room blocks
John Janiak
Director of Southeast Sales
John joined the sales team in 2023 after spending 12 years working in multiple departments at The Sanctuary, most recently serving as the Sanctuary Retail Manager. A Kentucky native, John received a Bachelor’s Degree from Brescia University in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Office: (843) 768-6030
Toll Free: (866) 303-2707
john_janiak@kiawahresort.com
Representing: AL, AR, FL, KY, LA, TN, MS, and TX.
Dalton Olawsky, PGA
Regional Director of Golf Sales
Dalton joined Kiawah Island Golf Resort in 2017 upon graduating from Clemson University with double majors in Marketing and Parks, Recreation, and Tourism with a focus on Golf Management. While in college, he interned at the resort in the summer of 2015. He was elected as a Class A PGA Professional in December of 2017 and served as First Assistant Golf Professional at the resort from August 2017 until he joined the sales team in December 2024. While First Professional, he managed the locker room in The Ocean Course clubhouse during the 2021 PGA Championship.
Office: (843) 768-2836
Toll Free: (866) 303-2707
dalton_olawsky@kiawahresort.com
Dalton handles all inquiries for golf groups ranging from 12 to 16 guests.
Hope Johnston
Director of Mid-Atlantic Sales
Prior to joining the sales team, Hope served as the resort's Director of Rental Management. After originally joining Kiawah Island Golf Resort in 1989, Hope left to become Director of Sales & Marketing for the 210-key Wyndham International in Boston, Massachusetts, before returning to assume sales positions for several highly regarded Charleston-area hospitality companies, including Planters Inn, Wild Dunes Resort, Avocet Hospitality, and Hilton. Hope rejoined Kiawah Island Golf Resort in 2020. A native Charlestonian with deep roots in the Lowcountry, Hope earned a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Charleston.
Office: (843) 768-6012
Toll Free: (866) 303-2707
hope_johnston@kiawahresort.com
Representing: VA, WV, DC, DE, MD, PA, WI, MI, IN, and OH
Justin Hunt
Director of National Sales
Justin rose to become Director of National Sales after serving for two and a half years as a Group Sales Coordinator at the resort. Justin focuses on responding to group inquiries throughout the U.S. that require between 10 to 20 guest rooms per night. Justin joined Kiawah Island Golf Resort in November 2018 as a Villa Reservations Agent, where he excelled for nearly four years at providing sales-based customer service to prospective and current guests. During Justin’s time as Group Sales Coordinator, he provided direct assistance to nine Group Sales Managers throughout every aspect of the sales process. Justin earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with double minors in Sociology and Biology, from the College of Charleston.