It’s in her genes, says Leticia (Letty) Canizalez, who was introduced to the hospitality industry by her father, Victor, who is 70 and still managing Anthony’s Fish Grotto Downtown. All four of her siblings have worked at the restaurant and all are in the service industry.

“He instilled a work ethic in all of us,” she says. “I knew from an early age that I wanted to be in the hospitality industry, but not necessarily hands-on in a restaurant.”

For five years, Canizalez, 37, has been director of sales at Loews Coronado Bay Resort and Spa. She balances raising two toddlers with a job that involves managing a staff of nine associates.

Her career began at the front desk of the Omni Horton Plaza Hotel. “I knew I wanted to be in sales eventually, and I was willing to work hard to get there,” she says. Canizalez spent two years studying hospitality management at Platt College before landing a job at the Hyatt Islandia as sales director. She also worked at the Hyatt La Jolla and was on maternity leave when offered the Loews Coronado position.

Her business skills reach beyond her role as sales director. She negotiated a five-year exclusive contract with the Messenger Courier Association of America for several Loews Hotels.

Canizalez is active in many organizations. As a member of the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau’s sales committee, she helps promote and market San Diego. She also is a member of the Professional Convention Association and the American Society of Association Executives.

She is going to be busier at home in the near future. She and her husband, Steve, a project director with a construction company, are preparing to build a custom home on a half-acre in Chula Vista. Their children are Gabriella, 5, and Trevor, 3.