Meet Our Board Leadership
President Michael Clark – General Manager – Renaissance Minneapolis, The Depot
Michael is a MN native from Eden Prairie who has worked his entire career in hospitality. He has been with CSM Corporation for almost 20 years, most of it at the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, the Depot. Michael is the General Manager of Renaissance. He also spent 18 months in the Seattle Market as General Manager of the Renaissance Seattle.
Michael’s board experience includes the Minneapolis Downtown Council, The MN Lodging Association Board Secretary, Seattle Sports Commission, Seattle Hotel Association, Board Secretary.
He is a graduate of the University of MN with A BS in Business Management and lives in Golden Valley, MN when he is not spending time in the Park Rapids area.
Eric Thieling – Vice President – Hilton Downtown Minneapolis
With a career spanning over 20 years in the hospitality industry, Eric Thieling is the General Manager of Hilton Minneapolis.
Over the last 19 years, he has held key positions at various Hilton properties across prestigious locations including Boston, New York City, Baltimore, Columbus, Detroit, and Chicago. Notably, his most recent role was as the General Manager at the DoubleTree Chicago Magnificent Mile/Hilton Grand Vacations Chicago Magnificent Mile, a dual branded 456-room hotel featuring 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
Eric lives in Woodbury with his family and in his leisure time, enjoys pursuits such as golfing, running, and traveling with his family.
Aaron McDougle – Secretary/Treasurer – Hyatt Regency Downtown Minneapolis
Aaron has over two decades of diverse experience in the hospitality sector and currently holds the position of General Manager at Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. His career within the Hyatt brand has been marked by progressive roles, including a significant tenure as Hotel Manager at Hyatt Regency Chicago. Before this, he served as the Director of Operations in the Greater Chicago Area.
Aaron’s leadership journey extended to roles such as Director of Operations at Hyatt Regency St. Louis and Hyatt Regency Baltimore. Aaron’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Administration/Management from James Madison University.