ROCKY GAP - T. Steele Edwards Jr. has been appointed as the new general manager at the Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort, according to an announcement Monday by the lodge's owner, Crestline Hotels & Resorts Inc., based in McLean, Va.

Several attempts were made to interview Edwards Monday afternoon, but he reportedly just started the same morning and apparently was very busy, according to a spokeswoman at the lodge.

Edwards replaces former general manager Jack Burkam, who left in April. Since then, the day-to-day business has been managed by the lodge's operations director, Michael Meehan, and temporary general manager, Marlin Keranen.

Burkam came to the resort in September 2005 and replaced Tim Grambley, who left in May 2005 to take a position in Colorado after three years as general manager at Rocky Gap.

Edwards brings more than 30 years of hospitality management experience to his new position at Rocky Gap, according to Crestline. Most recently he served with MDM International as general manager for the Whitetail Club & Resort in McCall, Idaho.

During his 13 years with MDM International, Edwards also was general manager for the Makaha Resort and Golf Club in Hawaii; the MDM International in Phoenix; Cape Coral Golf & Tennis Resort & County Club in Cape Coral, Fla.; French Lick Springs Golf & Spa Resort in French Lick, Ind.; and the Warner Center Hilton Hotel in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Edwards previously held management positions at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Fla., and The Pointe at Squaw Peak Resort & Spa in Phoenix.

"Steele's extensive background in managing resort properties with golf courses and leisure amenities, such as those found at the Rocky Gap Resort, make him an excellent fit for this vibrant recreational property," said Dave Durbin, president & CEO of Crestline Hotels & Resorts.

"The entire team at Rocky Gap welcomes Steele as he has an excellent reputation for team leadership and community involvement," Durbin said.

Edwards attended Montgomery College in Takoma Park and Strayer University in Washington, D.C. He is a certified hotel administrator, a designation earned from the Hotel & Lodging Association.

He has served as a director for convention and visitors bureaus in Anaheim, Calif., and Mobile, Ala., and held various board and committee positions for chambers of commerce. .

The Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort, situated on the shore of the 243-acre Lake Habeeb in the Rocky Gap State Park, boasts the state's only Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and offers accommodations for individual guests as well as meetings and conferences.

The Maryland Economic Development Corp., which released its annual financial report in early April, indicated that the Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort sustained fewer losses in fiscal 2005, $4.5 million compared to $5.7 million the previous year.

For further information, visit RockyGapResort.com or call 1-800-724-0828.

Alison Bunting can be reached at abunting@times-news.com.