Clint Cox knew he needed a change.
The Miami hotel management and consulting company he worked for was going through some transition, and the Texas native decided it was a good time to move on.
After earning his MBA from Florida International University, Clint began his search for something new.
That something new brought Clint to the Black Hills, where he traded his flip-flops and beach views for four seasons and pine trees.
“It was the best decision I never knew I needed to make. Just seeing the area sold me. I didn’t know the Black Hills were what they were. When I saw the cabins, I knew I wanted to live in the Hills – the seclusion the beauty, and the nature.”
Clint is now the Regional Director of Operations at Presidential Hospitality where he oversees six hotels, five in the Black Hills and one in North Dakota.
It wasn’t just the beauty of the area that had Clint moving halfway across the country last February. He found a company and CEO that shared his values. “It was an instant connection. I was looking for a company that walked the talk; that really believed in putting people first and had a strong positive culture that took care of employees. That is what I found.”
Clint started working in hospitality as a janitor for Extended Stay America while in college. He wanted a job that he could easily do while getting his undergraduate degree in political science from Baylor University.
He quickly moved to the front desk charming guests with his outgoing personality. “I never thought about management. I wanted to be a speech writer and political strategist. However, other people saw things in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
Clint moved from janitor to eventually area operations manager, working for Extended Stay American for nearly a decade before being hired on with a new hotel management company. He worked with many people throughout his time in hospitality including a former front desk agent who told him about the job in South Dakota. “I was sort of a mentor to her, so we stayed close. I tried to get her to come to work with me in Florida several times.”
However, at that time his friend lived in the Black Hills and worked for Chris Connelly at Presidential Hospitality. “She reached out to me around the same time that I was looking for something different. She said the company was looking for a regional director of operations and had a great owner and great culture.”
Although his friend moved out of South Dakota, Clint decided to reach out. “It is the best decision in my life to move to Rapid City. I just got a good vibe that the risk involved in making the change was mitigated by the fact that Chris was a really good person with a good company that cared for his employees. He has proven me right time and time again.”
Clint, who moved last February, has jumped into his new role and is learning everything about the area. He recently graduated from Visit Rapid City’s Certified Tourism Ambassador program and has encouraged his employees to do the same. “I really want to make sure in our company that we are doing a good job at being ambassadors for the area and educating our guests on everything there is to do here. It is really a world-class tourism destination, and the more people know about it, the better it will be for our economy.”
Clint, an only child, has even convinced his parents to spend their summers in the Black Hills.
Although Clint is far from the ocean and sandy beaches of Florida, he says he now lives and works in paradise.
“I’ve relocated for work before, but I’ve never got to say that it has been everything: the company, the beauty of the environment, and the people. I just didn’t want to move someplace where I would be for a year. I wanted something long-term. The company had to be right, and the community had to be right. That is what I found here.”
