Meet the New Faces and Familiar Ones Behind Jordan Estate Rewards

Embracing change was the theme for 2020, and winery remodels are just a few of the new things you’ll see on your next visit to Jordan. We also underwent several staffing changes in the last year, from promotions to new hires, so there are many new faces to introduce—and a few familiar ones to congratulate.

Maribel Soto, Director of Loyalty Program and Direct-to-Consumer

Director of Jordan Estate Rewards since 2017, Maribel Soto (pictured above right) has been promoted again and now oversees all aspects of direct-to-consumer sales, experiences and rewards member services. (Learn more about Maribel’s road to Jordan). She joined Jordan in 2007 as Concierge and helped launch the Jordan Estate Rewards program in 2008. During the pandemic, she shifted gears and helped find new ways to connect with our customers online. With the increase in our e-commerce business and the welcome return of Jordan Estate Rewards members visiting the property daily, Maribel created a new role—called Member Experiences Coordinator—to liaise with members on all aspects of their Jordan rewards experiences. When Claire Smith moved to the Midwest last month, it created an opportunity for Maribel to also bring Guest Services under her wing—a department she knows intimately from the many years spent there as assistant manager. She promoted two existing employees to assist with the day-to-day management of all of these exciting programs and experiences for our new guests and existing members.

Whitney Beery, Member Experiences Coordinator

Whitney Beery (pictured above left) was recently promoted to the newly created position of Member Experiences Coordinator. A Texas Tech University graduate, Whitney moved to Sonoma County in 2013 to be a Guest Services Associate at Jordan—just a few years after her father brought her to Jordan to celebrate her 21st birthday—and over the past eight years, she has taken on additional roles and responsibilities. She oversaw retail merchandising for six years and also served as Assistant Guest Services Manager for four years until she was asked to take on this new role. As Member Experiences Coordinator, Whitney works closely with Maribel on e-commerce, virtual tastings, corporate orders and member events. Whitney is also now the primary contact for rewards members for all winery visit requests. Whitney ensures that our members continue to receive world-class hospitality by curating all private tables and overnight stays for members visiting the Jordan Estate. She grew up in Texas and Colorado and is a trained baker with mad cooking skills.

Christopher Huber, Senior Wine Ambassador

Christopher joined the Jordan Winery family in 2018 and quickly gained a loyal following of visitors for his gracious style and vivid storytelling. He’s been dedicated to the hospitality industry all of his life, working with Marriott International for 20 years before transitioning into the wine business. He had worked for Cakebread Cellars prior to joining Jordan, and his love for iconic wineries known for their cabernets and chardonnays made the transition easy. He was promoted to Senior Wine Ambassador in 2021, where he hosts our most in-depth tasting experiences, leads educational training and programs, and serves as a liaison with key restaurants, hotel and retail accounts throughout the Bay Area. In his time away from the winery, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and most of all, traveling internationally with his wife and daughter.

Wavanie Henry, Concierge and Social Media Community Relations

Wavanie Henry joined Jordan Guest Services in September. She is the important role of concierge—the smiling face that greets all guests upon arrival—but she has other responsibilities that allow her to interact with guests in person and online. Wavanie is also working in social media relations. She’ll often be the one that is talking with our guests on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (including our VIP group), as well as responding to reviews and questions on TripAdvisor, Yelp and other review websites. Born and raised in Jamaica, Wavanie moved to South Florida to earn her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Central Florida in 2020. She recently moved to the Sonoma County area with her boyfriend and cat, Ollie.

Carrie White, Visitor Experience Coordinator

For nearly 25 years, Carrie White has been the voice of Jordan Winery, handling all visit requests. She grew up in Sonoma County and ever since joining Jordan in 1997, she’s been known as the happy lady who strives to make every potential visitor happy; she always has a smile on her face, and her laughter is infectious. With all of the department changes, Carrie’s role has evolved, and her new title is Visitor Experience Coordinator. Carrie serves as lead reservations specialist for all visitor experiences, sharing her extensive knowledge about the best things to do in Sonoma County and working closely with concierges throughout the region. In addition to booking guests on Jordan experiences, she provides recommendations on everything from biking, hiking and running trails to hotels, B&Bs, wineries and restaurants. Carrie loves to run (ultra-distance marathons are her specialty), and she even completed her first 100-mile race in 2019! The annual Christmas at Jordan holiday event would not be the same without Carrie White greeting you with a glass of wine.

Cindy Codding, Client Services Coordinator

For more than a decade, Cindy has been the face of Jordan, greeting all guests from the front desk at the winery reception area. She joined Jordan in May of 2010 as Concierge, but her role was much larger than the title. In addition to providing onsite visitors with recommendations for the best wine, food and live music spots, Cindy has served as the winery’s receptionist for all phone calls and general emails, and helped backup both Maribel and Carrie with their daily duties when workloads were heavy. She’s always been willing to take on more work with grace and attention to detail. Cindy received a well-deserved promotion to Administrative Specialist in 2019, which expanded her job responsibilities to include managing corporate gifts and multi-package orders. During the pandemic, Cindy pivoted from greeting guests to being an e-commerce customer service concierge, expanding her knowledge of corporate orders, virtual tastings and culinary partnerships. This summer, Cindy was promoted to Client Services Coordinator and is now responsible for booking virtual tastings, processing corporate orders and tasting kits (culinary partner products such as cheeses from iGourmet, caviar from Tsar Nicoulai and salami from Journeyman). When she’s not at work, Cindy enjoys baking, arts and crafts and making quilts. A fun fact: Since Cindy started working at Jordan, she has welcomed 126,546 guests (and counting) upon their arrival at the chateau.

Meet the New Guest Services Associates

You’ll also find several new faces hosting tours and tastings at Jordan, as well as a few familiar ones who have also expanded their roles. Join us in welcoming our new Guest Services Associates: Michelle Kofman, Michael Brown, Christine Larsen and Jaden Hilton. Chris Davidson was recently promoted to Guest Services Assistant Manager and Hannah Ingwerson is now managing retail merchandise in addition to hosting tours. The Guest Services team continues to bring their passion for wine, food and hospitality to every tour and tasting experience. They can’t wait to host you!