Executive Team
Dean Gitter - Managing Partner
Nearly 40 years a resident of the Hudson Valley, Dean has brought to fruition a number of successful
ventures in the region: Rudi's Restaurant, WTZA-TV, the Big Indian Spring Water Company, and, most
recently, the much-heralded Emerson Resort and Spa.
Dean is committed to preserving the Hudson Valley while promoting it as a world-class vacation destination.
He has served as chairman of the Route 28 Corridor Committee, the economic development arm of the Town of
Shandaken; a member of the Town Planning Board; founder and executive director of the Central Catskills
Planning Alliance; a former member of the Catskill Watershed Partnership Museum Committee; honorary trustee
of the Belleayre Conservatory, and co-founder with the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development of
the Upstate/Downstate Partnership, a consortium of concerned citizens whose cooperation was helpful in the
development of the Watershed Memorandum of Agreement.
He is a graduate of Phillips Academy, Andover, Harvard College (B.A. '56), the London Academy of Music and
Dramatic Arts, and the Harvard Graduate School of Business and Administration (M.B.A. with Distinction, '62).
Alex Gitter - Director, Development
Alex's background includes more than 10 years sales experience in Tokyo and San Francisco, working with nationally
and internationally known companies such as the Wall Street Journal, Ziff-Davis Publishing and NetZero. He has
extensive restaurant operations experience, having worked in the industry for more than seven years. Prior to his
current position at the Emerson Resort & Spa, Alex was Group Sales Manager for the company. Alex presently handles
coordination efforts for the opening of the new resort.
Ron Van Warmer - General Manager, Emerson Resort & Spa
Ron uses his warm smile and acute attention to every detail to create a positive atmosphere in his role as The Resort's
General Manager. Ron joined the Emerson organization in 2002 as a Guest Services Agent and moved on to become Front
Office Manager in 2003. His adventurous, intriguing background includes a long career as a Woodstock-area radio DJ and
News Director. An avid traveler, Ron spent several years working the hotel and restaurant businesses in Europe. Ron
currently manages all of the Inn and Lodge operations.
Naomi Umhey - General Manager, Maintenance and Property Services
Naomi joined the Emerson Resort & Spa in 1996 as a sales associate in the Country Store. From there, her career has
grown to include Manager/Buyer for the General Store, Manager of four Country Store shops, and General Manager of the
Country Store. Naomi's family dates back several generations in the area and she is a dedicated community service volunteer.
Susan E. Keene - Spa Director
Susan brings more than 25 years of spa management experience to the Emerson Spa. Since 1986, Susan worked with a number of spa clients in Florida and most recently owned and operated The Retreat at Maitland. Prior to her time in Florida, Susan worked in the Salon at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City. She has truly come full circle, as Susan commenced her life in the beauty workforce at Jean Turmo Cosmetique in Woodstock, NY (10 minutes from Emerson Resort & Spa) after completing her degree at Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics, Skin Care, and Make-up in New York.