Pursuing a career in the restaurant and hospitality industry wasn’t as much of a choice for Amber, as it was a birthright.
As a child, Amber loved accompanying her mother to her grandmother’s restaurant and to observe from the busy sidelines as her parents built their service business, which included a gas station and convenience store, which they still own as a family today and are expanding to include a full-service restaurant, under Amber’s guidance.
Translating her early industry experiences to a degree in Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management from Penn State University was a natural fit for Amber. In addition to her formal studies at Penn, she simultaneously held her first managerial hospitality position at the renowned Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in nearby Farmington, PA.
After graduation, Amber went to work for a prestigious, national restaurant group and quickly rose to general manager, a position she thrived in for 13 years. Immersing herself in daily, high-volume restaurant operations and familiarizing herself with varying market landscapes, branding, team-building, and superior guest services from New York City and Los Angeles to Scottsdale, AZ, Boston, and later Washington, DC, gave Amber the industry know-how and diverse expertise we were looking for.
Her mission at VSAG is to continue her pursuit of positive restaurant and hospitality industry experiences, through establishing mutually collaborative relationships with our clients, while managing, guiding, and hopefully inspiring them, to realizing their long-term business goals.
We are thrilled to have Amber as part of our team, not just for the professional she is and what she brings to the VSAG table, but also that her passions continue after office hours. She’s not only a Certified Dining Room Professional™, but Amber is also working towards her Sommelier certification, she loves to travel and experience different cultures, and has purchased, fully restored, and opened an upscale bed & breakfast, Smith House Inn, beautifully situated along the banks of the Casselman and the Youghiogheny Rivers in her hometown of Confluence, PA.