Bridge Hotel Group VP joins Smeal real estate advisory board executive committee

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Smeal College of Business has named Jeff Baltzer as the newest member of the college’s Institute for Real Estate Studies Advisory Board Executive Committee.

Baltzer, a 2006 Smeal marketing graduate, is vice president of development and owner relations for Bridge Hotel Group, an affiliate of Rhode Island-based Magna Hospitality Group. Baltzer leads the company’s growth and expansion efforts. That includes all new business aspects of acquisitions, new development and third-party management.

Baltzer started his career with Marriott International in accounting and finance and progressed into more senior roles over six years. In 2011, he joined Carr Hospitality in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for asset management of a $1 billion hotel portfolio of upscale properties in the Washington metro area.

In 2013, Baltzer joined Magna Hospitality Group as director of acquisitions and development for Magna’s hotel private equity fund platform. Three years later, he was promoted to vice president of asset management with Magna before assuming his current role in 2018.

Baltzer holds a master’s degree in finance from Boston College and a certificate of hotel asset management from Cornell University.

The IRES Advisory Board includes business, government and education professionals who have an interest in promoting and financially supporting the real estate programs at Smeal. The board focuses on creating opportunities to enhance student educational experiences and support leading-edge research on real estate issues.

A complete list of IRES Advisory Board members can be found online.