Position: Area Director of Sales and Marketing Employer: Marriott’s Fairfield Inn/Residence Inn at Rehoboth Beach Age: 35 The oldest of four children, Morgan Whalen has been a leader ever since her siblings were born. Working as the area director of sales for Marriott’s Fairfield Inn and Residence Inn at Rehoboth Beach, Whalen works with feeder markets, tourism organizations and local business to attract guests to both hotels. Whalen is also a certified Marriott sales coach and trainer, who teaches new sales managers about the sales systems and works with interns from local collegiate hospitality programs on hotel assignments. Whalen started working in the hotel sales industry in 2015, selling catering through a third-party restaurant at a hotel in Bethany Beach. A few months later, she was promoted to the hotel sales manager. In 2017, Whalen was promoted to director of sales for the Fairfield in Rehoboth Beach, and she recently took on her current position with both the Fairfield Inn and Residence Inn. Fairfield was open for essential workers during Delaware’s pandemic-spurred stay-at-home order, and Whalen learned what front-line workers were going through at that time. She has since started to participate in local hospital fundraisers. In October 2019, Whalen and three other women created a fundraiser to help pay the medical bills of a local woman with triple negative breast cancer, raising more than $23,000. Whalen is also the chair of Walk to End Alzheimer’s Rehoboth Beach in memory of her grandmother. In the last two years, Whalen has participated in at least 10 5Ks and 10Ks per year. Although she isn’t a huge fan of running itself, she loves the feeling of accomplishment at the end of a run. A lifelong learner, Whalen enjoys taking classes at the local community college for fun and recently took a class on blogging.