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The Women Managers of Terranea Resort

Terranea Resort

100 Terranea Way in Rancho Palos Verdes | 310-265-2800 | terranea.com

Terranea Resort is a 582-room collection of rooms/suites, residential bungalows, casitas and villas, poised on 102 acres in Palos Verdes. The resort feels worlds away from the city, with Mediterranean architecture, old-world ambiance and breathtaking vistas of the Pacific Ocean on three sides. Terranea features an award-winning golf course, a spectacular spa, three oceanview pools and eight distinctive eateries. The property has been the location of dozens of Hollywood films and televisions shows over the years. Executive vice president and managing director Terri A. Haack is the proud recipient of the 2011 American Hotel & Lodging Association’s national award for general manager of the year in the large property category. Terri encourages her staff to find harmony in their lives. She does not refer to the word balance but rather advises, “Don’t let work be your excuse to miss the important things in life.”

"The hospitality industry has always been a leader in recognizing women’s talents, and the number of women in management positions at Terranea Resort definitely reflects that trend. As I think about the individual successes of my colleagues at Terranea, it leads me to reflect on why women do so well in our industry. I believe it ultimately comes down to their unique combination of business acumen and hospitality.

"While I will receive some good-natured pushback from my male colleagues, I think women in general have an inherent desire to please. And at the end of the day, that’s what Terranea is all about–making people feel welcome and comfortable. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge the role of Terranea’s women–blended with the talent of the rest of our extraordinary staff–in helping to create a property that epitomizes hospitality.”

–Terri A. Haack, Executive Vice President and Managing Director

Tell us some fun facts about the women managers at Terranea.

•Of a total of 93 managers at Terranea, 45 are women, 10 are working mothers with young children still at home (and one Chihuahua)
•Four babies have been born to managers in the last two years, including one set of twins
•Our average age is 38
•Our cumulative years of experience is 409 years and 1 month
•The average number of miles we walk in heels each day is 82
•30% of our managers live in the South Bay; others travel from as far as San Diego, Anaheim and Beverly Hills

What are some of your favorite quotes about working women?

•“Do it with all your heart.”
•“If you focus on what you have in life, you will always have more; if you concentrate on what you don’t have in life, you will never have enough.” –Oprah Winfrey
•“You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
•“The phrase `working woman’ is redundant.”
•“I know how to do everything … I’m a mom.”
•“A woman is like a teabag–you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
•“There’s a woman at the beginning of all great things.”
•“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” –Maya Angelou

Where do your women managers come from?

All over the world–from Croatia to China, from PV to the Philippines, from Armenia to Puerto Rico, from England to El Salvador from Korea to Canada, from Taiwan to Thailand.

What are your professional responsibilities?

Engineering, night manager, controller, national sales, catering, spa, recreation, culinary, banquets, CFO, pastry chef, public relations, marketing, food & beverage.