Chris (also affectionately known as Pookie) has been in the hospitality industry for over ten years, with a vast knowledge of Front Desk, Night Audit and Accounting duties.

He is originally from Atlanta, Georgia but has made a home and built a large extended family here in Durham, North Carolina.

Chris has an affinity for meeting new people and “never meets a stranger.” He is very excited to be a part of this growing team and also to provide an amazing new experience to the guests of The Colonial Inn.

“It makes me happy to make you happy! Thanks for choosing The Colonial Inn!” - Pookie

Dave is very excited to bring his creativity and passion to The Colonial Inn. As a former full-time educator, his passion is influencing lives and developing community connections.

Originally from North Dakota, Dave has embraced the small-town nature of Hillsborough and the surrounding cities because there is something incredibly special about being able to be there for your neighbor. He is excited to maximize the unique guest experience by focusing his attention on facilitating a positive atmosphere for all who come through the doors. 

When Dave is not at The Colonial Inn, you can find him at a Carolina Athletic event, riding his bike around Hillsborough or taking day trips across the South.  He is passionate about athletics, creating a positive organizational culture, and simply finding what will make each guest enjoy their stay. 

Dave truly loves to serve, whether it’s creating a special experience for our guests or diving into a conversation. He wants every guest to leave The Colonial Inn feeling as though they are part of the family.

“I look forward to meeting you!” - Dave

Elise is an outgoing and passionate person who lives for service to others and thus found a natural fit in the hospitality world. 

She grew up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts in a very old home (300 years!). The creaky, uneven floors of the inn made her feel right at home. Pair those beautiful floors with the deep and heartfelt authenticity that pours from the incredible Hillsborough community and she was in love. 

She moved to North Carolina in 2010, married the one and only brilliant, fun-loving and boisterous Rutland Tyler and now enjoys, more than anything, time with her three children, Cole, Pierce and Lilli. 

Elise will always try to be the first smile, kind voice or happy face you see when entering The Colonial Inn as she believes when you stay with us, you become part of our family. 

“Welcome, welcome, dear friends! Thank you for coming to The Colonial Inn!” - Elise

James is an easy going,  fun-loving, and at times eccentric person. For as long as he can remember he has been a lover of music. This passion runs deep because of fond memories of when his father introduced him to “oldies radio” in the car. His other major interest lies with nature, which he learned from him mother. The two enjoyed various parks and wooded trails as soon as he could walk. 

Helping people comes naturally to James so it's fitting he thrives in the hospitality industry.  He has worked in everything from a basic motel in college to running the Overnight F&B outlets at the Four Seasons in Austin Texas. The Four Seasons was not a sleepy overnight gig but rather beautifully chaotic. When the Austin nightlife would shut down at 2am, hundreds of guests would return to their rooms and dial up some pretty off-the-wall food and drink requests. On nights like these, he loved the artful ballet-like nature of the kitchen going from zero to 100MPH in an instant. 

He was born and raised in Southern Connecticut with deep roots in several boroughs of NYC via his father.  This explains his affinity for both stick ball as well as wiffle ball. The latter being played with his older brother for hours on end summer after summer. In an effort to be closer to his stick ball roots it was time to head east again after being in Austin and Seattle for a little over a decade. 

Upon arriving from Seattle to Hillsborough in 2018 he would walk by the seemingly forgotten Colonial Inn and say to himself "If I win the Lotto, I will do something with this" Unbeknownst to him, plans were underway! Getting to be a part of this reboot is beyond exciting for him and feels like the fit he has been looking for some time. 

He thinks he can trace and tie his love of helping guests with speed and efficiency to a game, or trick his older brother would play on him as a child.  His brother would manipulate him into getting his blanket or any other object from upstairs with "I'll time you" Still to this day when a guest needs something he can be seen bolting from his desk as if being "timed"

“I am enthused and elated for the opportunity to implement my love of hospitality and make our guests at The Colonial Inn feel at home.” - James

Jennifer joins the journey at the beautiful Colonial Inn after knowing Elise over a decade ago on the sandy shores of Cape Cod, when Jennifer honed her hospitality service skills on the bustling summer days of their renowned summers. Since then her life has taken her to Boston, San Francisco, and New York before finally settling in the Triangle with her boyfriend and beautiful dog.

Jennifer partners her love of cocktails, beer, and wine with a career as an actor and theater educator. She has always left the acting on the stage and when she sees you behind the Colonial’s exquisite bar, you should know she is genuinely so happy to see you, chat with you, and help you appreciate the tasty cocktail list and bar snacks. Stop by and let her give you a recommendation! 

“Let’s talk beer, let’s talk life! Looking forward to seeing you!” - Jen

Jill is devoted to creating happy and heartfelt experiences for the guests of The Colonial Inn.  She has studied and worked in the hospitality industry for more than 15 years and she’s eager to make a difference during your stay at The Colonial Inn.

Jill is originally from Ohio and holds her Midwestern roots close to her heart.  She takes her two cats to visit her hometown as often as possible.

In her off hours, she is usually making messes in her sewing room while working on becoming an expert seamstress.

When you run into her at The Colonial Inn, you’ll see that she could not be happier to have landed in such a beautiful place.  

“Thank you to Hillsborough for allowing me to be a part of your community!” - Jill

Jo is a kind and dependable person who feels the need to help others, no matter how big or small the task.

She grew up in Long Island, New York and has moved multiple times throughout her life. One of the homes she swears was haunted and she was very happy to leave it when the time came. She was raised by a single mom and lived with her mother, sister and grandma. Being raised by a single mom taught her how to be independent and work hard for things she has and wants in life.

She moved to North Carolina in 2009 with her mom and grandma. She graduated from Apex High School, then went on to Wake Tech Community College. Jo worked at a movie theater to help pay for school. It was at the movie theater that she met her long-time boyfriend who will hopefully become her husband in the near future. She was accepted into the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. She was a teacher for three years before deciding to switch careers and jump into the hospitality industry. 

Jo is personable, open-minded and willing to talk, listen, or help anyone at any time. Particularly if some of those talking and listening topics involve baseball (NY Yankees), football

(NY Jets), hockey (Pittsburgh Penguins), cats (Crosby & Sidney - yes we named our cats after the Hockey Player Sidney Crosby), books, cooking, movies, and T.V. Shows. 

Jo is super excited to start this new chapter of her life in the hospitality industry at The Colonial Inn and cannot wait to meet new and incredible people!

"I am ready and excited to assist you in anyway you need no matter how big or small and no matter the time of day" - Jo

Rutland is the name and face you can’t forget. He is wildly fun and brings a true presence to his interaction and service to others. He is hard-working and dependable and never a minute late. Rutland has owned businesses and worked in the hospitality industry for xx years.

Growing up in a tiny one-blinking-light town in Eastern North Carolina gives Rut a unique perspective about life and the human experience. He grew from that base and pursued his higher education at The University of North Carolina where he double majored in Political Science and English. He has been an entrepreneur and successful small business owner in neighboring towns to Hillsborough in both Chapel Hill and Durham.

After rearing and wrangling two sons for 14 years, Rutland had his baby girl in 2018. The three of them keep him busy busy when he’s not perfecting a craft cocktail or pouring a refreshing brew. 

Rutland loves exercise, movies, comics, sci-fi, museums and relaxing time with his family and many friends. Feel free to test his trivia skills over a beverage!

He cannot wait to connect, make memories and share a toast with you all in the oldest part of The Colonial Inn, the bar!

“Turn one up and wind on down! See you at the bar!” - Rutland

Jay, also known as Jackie, grew up in Vermont and ventured to the southeast when she attended Clemson University. Since then, she has lived and traveled all over the country, but she still made time to visit Hillsborough a few times a year. It has always been her goal to eventually settle down here. While traveling, she met a lot of amazing people and learned how to make strong connections with anyone she meets. She is always energetic, positive, and smiling. Jackie aims to find ways to help others and to do what she can to make the lives of the people around her better every day.

"Can’t wait to meet everyone and mix up your favorite drinks!"- Jay