Padre GetawaysAbout Our Team
Wally Jones • Chief Executive Officer
Wally’s entire business career has been within the hospitality industry, serving as CEO for public and private companies from Dallas to Chicago. Wally grew up in Oklahoma but has a long history with SPI. He was first a tourist in the early 80's, then a vacation property owner, so he truly knows both sides of the business. In 2007, he moved to South Padre Island and founded Padre Getaways. As CEO (or as Chloee Rose refers to him: the Alpha Dog), he is the driving force behind our efforts to remain an exemplary model for all property management companies on South Padre Island. Wally is a founding board member and the vice president of the Vacation Rental Management Association of SPI (VRMA-SPI). He served as chairman of the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Advisory Board for 4 years and the President of the Sunchase IV Homeowners Association for 8 years.
Eleana Jones • Broker, Chief Financial Officer
Eleana (our Greek Eleana) is a CPA and a Real Estate Broker so that makes her the only logical choice for CFO. After starting her career in public accounting, Eleana was the Tax Director and CFO of private companies in the hospitality and entertainment industries before moving to South Padre Island full time. Eleana serves on the Board of Directors of Island Matters, South Padre Island’s online newspaper, and is the Treasurer of the Vacation Rental Management Association of SPI (VRMA-SPI). Eleana has served as the President of the Sunchase IV Homeowners Association, the Treasurer of the South Padre Island Board of Realtors, and on the South Padre Island Hotel Occupancy Tax Task Force. When she’s out of the office, this Parrothead loves attending Jimmy Buffet concerts, spending time with her 2 grandkids in Dallas, and cheering on the Seattle Seahawks (Go Hawks!).
Julie Cunningham • Realtor, Vice President Sales
Julie coaches our sales reservation team and provides human resource guidance to Padre Getaways' leadership team. Julie also serves as our Realtor, sales agent and is happy to help existing clients and new owners with all their real estate needs. Before joining Padre Getaways in 2017, Julie spent over 15 years in the financial world, including Bank of America, Edward Jones, and Prime Lending, among others. Julie graduated from Texas A&M University and like a true Aggie, she bleeds maroon and white. Gig ‘em! She is an animal lover, a bookworm, and enjoys spending her free time planning for the next big adventure with her husband and kids.
Lissa Garcia • Director of Accounting & Office Manager
Lissa is tasked with managing the daily financial and administrative functions of Padre Getaways. A Brownsville native, Lissa grew up in the area and is also ready to help guests find the perfect accomodations and make recommendations for things to do in either English or Spanish! She has nearly 10 years experience in the hospitality industry - from retail sales to management - before transitioning to accounting for a local resort hotel and then joining our team in 2017. On the weekends, you can catch Lissa at the beach with her husband, 2 children, and their big puppy, Marley. She's a Leo, loves sweet wine, and her favorite food is…well, all food!
Elena Olvera • Director of Residential Operations
Elena (aka MEO or the “other” Eleana) has been with Padre Getaways since 2012! She served as our senior vacation specialist, getting to know our properties and guests well, before transitioning to our Director of Residential Operations. She orchestrates the daily operations of our inspection and housekeeping teams to ensure every vacation rental upholds Padre Getaways’ standards. Born and raised in the area, she is able to to make recommendations to our guests and owner clients in both English and Spanish. When she’s out of the office, Elena can be found at home with her 5 rescue pups (yes, we said 5!) or chasing after her 3 grandchildren.
Jessica Perales • Director of Marketing
Jessica joined Padre Getaways in 2014 and is primarily responsible for maintaining our brand across our digital platforms. Also born and raised in the area, Jessica is ready to give recommendations in both English and Spanish. Jessica studied at Fordham University in New York before graduating with a degree in communications from UT Brownsville. Before returning to Port Isabel, she worked remotely from Houston for 6 years, while she completed her dual master’s degree in hospitality management and business administration from the University of Houston. In her free time, she spends time with her husband and 3 children, and their dog, Ryder! Margaritas, reality tv, and carbs are a few of her favorite things.
Sulmy Sian • Vacation Specialist & Accounting
Sulmy knows our vacation rental portfolio well and is fully qualified to assist guests in finding the perfect vacation accommodations that best suit their needs. She also works in conjunction with Lissa to maintain our financial records and ensure accuracy and compliance. As a Port Isabel native, she is also familiar with the island and is able to make tailored recommendations that are sure to make your South Padre Island getaway a memorable one.
Jazmin Acevedo • Vacation Specialist
Jazmin's primary role is helping guests secure the perfect accommodations for their getaway. She knows our properties well and is excellent at getting to know our guests and making recommendations that both suit their needs and exceed their expectations. She has nearly 5 years of experience in the hospitality industry and, as a bilingual Port Isabel native, she is also able to make recommendations for things to do once you've arrived in either English or Spanish. She graduated Port Isabel High School in 2021 and will be pursuing a degree in Business Administration from South Texas College. When she isn't in the office, Jazmin loves spending time with her 2 pups and 3 younger siblings, hitting the gym, and dancing!
Joe Torres • Vacation Specialist & Technology
Joe serves our team in two very different, but equally important roles – first in helping guests find the perfect accommodations, but also in helping to maintain and manage the efficient performance of our various IT systems. Joe is the one to keep our systems up and running and our team efficient.
Susan Brandmeir • Administrative Assistant
Susan takes on a wide range of administrative support that helps our team provide the best possible experience to our guests and owner clients. She was born and raised in Port Isabel, where her family has resided since the 1930s. She moved to Germany to work for the United Nations and after exploring many different places and cultures, she returned home to retire. That, however, didn’t last long once we found her. Susan loves to bake (and we love that she does!), relax on the beach, and support the local live music scene on South Padre Island. So, don’t hesitate to ask Susan where to go for your kind of music!
Christy Bernal • Vacation Specialist & Inspector
Christy is on our reservation sales team as well as our residential operations team. She is fully prepared to provide guests with tailored recommendations for vacation accommodations and fun island activities only a true local would know about. She also inspects properties to ensure they are ready for every guest's getaway. She had nearly 20 years experience in various hospitality roles before joining the Padre Getaways team. Christy was raised in Port Isabel and is fluent in both English and Spanish! Christy loves animals of all shapes, sizes, and colors and, in her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family (especially her 3 grandbabies)!
Lorena Gutierrez • Inspector
Lorena primary role is to work hand-in-hand with Elena and our housekeeping team to ensure our properties are properly prepared and inspected for our guest arrivals and departures. She is responsible for making sure that our vacation accommodations are supplied with all the necessities that our guests may need throughout their stay.
Laura Hernandez • Housekeeping
Chloee Rose & Cocoa Chanel • Welcoming Committee
Chloee and Cocoa are our 4-legged team members and will usually be the first to greet you when you arrive at our office! They are primarily responsible for greeting our guests (both 2-legged and 4-legged) and providing our team members with the occassional puppy break. They enjoy treats, naps, and snuggles!
