Steve Woodward

CEO

Steve Woodward, CEO of Centrada Solutions, is a 30 year hospitality veteran with in depth experience in hotel operations and hospitality related technologies.

Woodward formed Centrada Solutions in 2005 as an IT Consulting Group focused on assisting client with making smart technology decisions to improve both efficiency and profitability.  Since that time, Centrada has developed into the industry leader for providing a full range of Outsourced IT Services to hotel owners, hotel management companies, and hotel brands.  Centrada’s mission is simple:  Provide the IT Services clients need, when they need them, at a reasonable price.

Prior to founding Centrada, Woodward served as the Vice President of Distribution Technology at Wyndham International.  In that position, he was responsible for Wyndham’s Central Reservation System, Property Management Systems, and all related systems.  While at Wyndham, Woodward oversaw the consolidation of multiple Property Management Systems and Central Reservation Systems into the industry’s first Single Image Reservation System.   His background also includes over 7 years’ experience as a Hotel General Manager.

Woodward holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mining Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for the North Texas Chapter of HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals) and several industry Client Advisory Boards.

Franklin Gentry

Senior Vice President - Technology

Franklin Gentry is the Senior Vice President of Technology at Centrada Solutions and has over 20 years of hospitality and technology experience.   He co-founded Centrada in 2005 with a goal of helping to make Technology "simple" for hotels.  Throughout his tenure at Centrada, Franklin has been involved in all aspects of hotel technology.  He is currently responsible for locating and vetting the new technologies both Centrada and Centrada’s clients need to operate efficiently.

Franklin began his hospitality career at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel in Orlando (eventually flagged the Wyndham Buena Vista Palace) after pursuing his Computer Science degree at Florida State University.  During his tenure at this 1,000+ room hotel he held several line level and supervisory positions in the Rooms, Sales, and Information Technology departments.

After being an integral part in one of Wyndham's first Delphi/Global SFA linked properties, Franklin was key in leading the installation of Wyndham's 2nd Opera PMS hotel.  Franklin was promoted to Wyndham's corporate office in Dallas, TX in 2001 where he served as the Director of Distribution Technology.  In that role his responsibilities included the installation of 32 hotels on one of the first Centralized versions of the Opera PMS.  Franklin was ultimately responsible for the configuration, installation, and maintenance of the database and application levels of all Distribution Systems at Wyndham International.

Franklin has been an active member of HFTP for over 13 years.  When he is not at work, his passions are travel and exploring new places.

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Jason Kippa

President

As President, Jason and his team are responsible for the Sales and Operations efforts at Centrada.  Jason is a 20+ year veteran of the hospitality industry and has extensive experience in both hotel operations and technology management.

Jason began his tenure with Centrada in 2006 as Centrada’s first full time employee.  Jason was instrumental in growing our Help Desk infrastructure from supporting a single client into a team which now processes over 10,000 client requests per month.  In his time at Centrada, he has also been involved in all aspects of the Centrada organization by defining the growing company’s departments, creating and implementing processes/procedures, building internal and external customer relationships, and negotiating vendor agreements.

Prior to Centrada, Jason has worked in a variety of hospitality industry positions including:  Food and Beverage, Guest Services, Revenue Management, Accounting, and National Sales.  He has also served as a Director of Distribution Technology with Wyndham Hotels and as a Director of Technology Operations with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

In his free time, Jason enjoys spending time with his family, piloting his drone, and enjoying just about any outdoor activities.  He is also an avid Dallas Cowboy’s fan which leads to some interesting banter around the office!

James Abbott

Vice President - Technical Services

James Abbott is Centrada’s Vice President of Technical Services.  In that role, he is responsible for the Level III Technical Support team, Network and System Administrator teams, and the Operations (Help Desk) team.  James’ teams set all of Centrada’s Technical Standards and ensures they are documented for use by all other departments.

Including his 6 year tenure with Centrada, James has accumulated more than 30 years of continuous experience in and discipline knowledge of information technology.  He holds over 10 certifications for both vendor-specific and vendor-neutral programs.

James attended Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) in San Antonio, Texas, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.  James has since held IT positions with OLLU, Purdue University, and American Gateway Bank.  Prior to joining Centrada he was the Senior Windows Engineer at Wyndham International for over 6 years.

When he isn’t in front of a computer screen, James enjoys spending time with his wife and son.  He is an active member of AITP (Association of Information Technology Professionals) and he also can be found reading books and working out at a local kickboxing gym when time permits.

Jackie Person

Vice President – Technical Services

Jackie Person is Centrada’s Vice President of Business Services.  In that role she is responsible for Accounting, Human Resources, Payroll, and General Office functions at Centrada.  Jackie brings a solid skill set of business practices for a rapidly changing environment.  Included are managing internal controls, ensuring compliance with all local, state and federal regulations, as well as providing investors with quality financial information and results that meet or exceed expectations.

Prior to joining Centrada, Jackie has an extensive background in the hospitality industry for almost 30 years.  She worked in a variety of accounting positions in both Dallas and Houston for Wyndham Hotels, Interstate Hotels, Highgate Hotels, and Urbana Varro Hospitality Management.  Most recently she served as the Director of Finance at the Sheraton Arlington Hotel.

Jackie is a Board Member and Treasurer of the North Texas Chapter of HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals).  In her free time, she enjoys traveling and attending games cheering on all local sports teams.