Aissatou Samba has been named housekeeping manager at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. She is celebrating her 11th year with the inn.

“I’ve tried to learn something new every day since I first started as a housekeeper, and that will continue with this new position,” she said.

Managing Director Tom Cupo said Samba’s organizational skills and goal-oriented approach make her a natural fit for the position.

Her leadership was key as the inn implemented new safety procedures in response to COVID-19, said Mike Armstrong, director of rooms. These policies include minimizing the potential for cross-contamination in guest rooms between stays. For example, bath amenities are provided in pre-packaged bags placed in the room before guests arrive. And after they depart, all linen is removed and rooms are left vacant for a minimum of 24 hours.

“This department has such a high level of responsibility, especially during this pandemic, and we are confident we’ll continue to achieve our heightened standard of enhanced cleaning with Aissatou managing the department,” Armstrong said.

While COVID-19 has caused many operational changes, Cupo is optimistic about the future as the inn celebrates its 15th anniversary this summer.

“Our previous success put us in a fortunate position to weather the unexpected events of the past year and excel at re-imagining the guest experience at every level. We will undoubtedly look back on 2020 and this anniversary as a time during which we opened our doors and hearts even wider to serve the community we love so much,” Cupo said.

Samba will oversee a team of up to 20 people responsible for guest rooms, public spaces, and areas of the Holtzman Alumni Center. She will handle scheduling, lead meetings for her team, manage payroll, and oversee the purchasing and receiving of supplies.

The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, part of Outreach and International Affairs, has 147 guest rooms and suites. Its conference facilities offer 23,000 square feet of meeting space. Benchmark Resorts & Hotels has managed the property since 2011.

Written by Isaac Rife

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