Our People

Zach Schmidt

Zach Schmidt

Chief Executive Officer & Director

Zachary Schmidt is Chief Executive Officer and Director for Sotherly Hotels. Mr. Schmidt joined Kemmons Wilson Companies (“KWC”) in 2017 and has served in various roles within KWC’s hospitality leadership group, most recently as Head of Portfolio Management.

In this role, he was responsible for portfolio-level execution of investment mandates, including underwriting hospitality investments and overseeing asset-level performance alongside the firm’s asset management function. Prior to joining KWC, Mr. Schmidt served as an investment banking analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch from June 2015 to June 2017.

Mr. Schmidt holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Dartmouth College.


Ryan Pellum

Ryan Pellum

Chief Financial Officer & Director

William Ryan Pellum is Chief Financial Officer and Director for Sotherly Hotels. Mr. Pellum currently serves as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance of KWC Management.

Prior to this role, Mr. Pellum served as Corporate Controller from January 2014 to December 2022. Mr. Pellum’s responsibilities include oversight of enterprise-wide finance functions, including cash management, accounting, audit processes, tax strategy, payroll, and technology systems. He also oversees financial reporting and operational matters for the Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Funds, including internal controls, fund performance, investor reporting, and compliance.

Mr. Pellum holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Computer Information Systems from Delta State University and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Mississippi. He has been a Certified Public Accountant since 2012.


Scott Kucinski

Scott Kucinski

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Scott Kucinski is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Sotherly Hotels, a role he has held since 2020. In this role, Mr. Kucinski provides strategic oversight of the corporate enterprise, with a core focus on asset management execution. Mr. Kucinski joined Sotherly Hotels in 2004.

Mr. Kucinski holds an MBA from the Mason School of Business at the College of William and Mary and a BA from Washington and Lee University.


Jay Schulte

Jay Schulte

Director

Jay Schulte is a Director for Sotherly Hotels. Mr. Schulte leads the capital deployment strategy for Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners (“KWHP”) as Head of Acquisitions.

Mr. Schulte joined KWHP in 2018 after serving as a research analyst for Nomura Securities International in New York City from 2015 to 2017. His experience includes more than 35 hospitality investment and development projects, as well as service in financial and operational roles across several Kemmons Wilson–affiliated companies.

Mr. Schulte also serves on the boards of certain private entities and charitable organizations primarily focused on leadership development. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Dartmouth College.