Wearing jeans and work boots was a nice break from the suit and tie Robert Gleason usually wears to work as chief financial officer and general counsel for Evans Hotels. The change came while Gleason oversaw the construction of the Lodge at Torrey Pines. He was project manager for the public space part of the hotel.

Gleason, 37, started working for Evans Hotels in 1983 as a reservations clerk. After graduating from the Bishop’s School in La Jolla, he continued at the hotel during summers while he attended Princeton and the University of San Diego School of Law. His greatest personal accomplishment is graduating at the top of his law class while employed as CFO for Evans.

Although he works in an industry that places importance on pampering guests on vacation, his idea of a vacation is “doing absolutely nothing. My preference is sitting in a hammock somewhere reading the National Enquirer.”

Gleason says he never dreamed he would be in finance.

“I suspect most people who know me now don’t know how involved with theater I was in college,” he says. “That’s what I expected to do with my life.” He stays involved through the Old Globe Theatre, where he is vice president of development. His time also is divided between the city of San Diego Funds Committee, where he is vice chair, and as chair of the San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center board. He also serves as a member of U.S. Bank’s San Diego County board.

Gleason has made a hobby of collecting. He has nearly 500 salt and pepper shakers and varying numbers of paperweights, refrigerator magnets and miniature chairs. “As soon as we have two of anything it’s a collection.”

Gleason and his partner of 11 years, Marc Matys, live in Kensington.

— Maria L. Kirkpatrick