Ariel Preferred Retail Group.

Ariel Preferred Retail Group announced the appointment of Lisa Bates as director of marketing.

Bates will be responsible for developing and implementing marketing initiatives aimed at increasing tenant leasing and driving traffic to each of Ariel's six outlet centers located in California, Nevada, Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, and Georgia.

Most recently, Bates was marketing manager for Prime Outlets at Williamsburg, located in Williamsburg, Va., where she was responsible for marketing along with merchant, customer and community relations.

Previously, Bates served as head of small group retention/sales for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utica-Watertown, in Utica, NY.

Prior to that position, she worked as director of marketing for Pyramid Management Group in Utica for four of its key properties.

Bates earned a bachelor's in Business Public Management from the State University of New York-Institute of Technology at Utica-Rome. She received a Certified Marketing Director Designation (CMD) from the International Council of Shopping Centers, and is a member of the Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce.