April 6, 2010 - The greater Los Angeles Chapter of HSMAI hosted the
inaugural General Manager of the Year Awards Gala announcing Michael Czarcinski
as the winner. HSMAI, Los Angeles Chapter President, Pamela Hirneisin,
presented Michael Czarcinsky with the award at the renowned Westin Bonaventure
in Downtown Los Angeles. Michael Czarcinski has had a vast amount of experience
in the hospitality industry that has led to his successes as well and has
been in the industry for 28 years. Czarcinski manages the largest environmentally
responsible hotel in Los Angeles bringing him much success and recognition.
�Hotel general managers in the greater Los Angeles area were nominated
by their hotel staff and judged based on years of service, quality of customer
service, leadership and business judgment in achieving the property�s financial
objectives,� said Pamela Hirneisen, HSMAI Los Angeles Chapter President.
�Ultimately, we had a very difficult decision but Michael Czarcinsky�s
achievements at the Westin Bonaventure did not go unnoticed among our committee
who determined the winner.�
LEFT TO RIGHT: Michael Czarcinski holds his award next to HSMAI President
Pamela Hirneisen in front of the Westin Bonaventure.
Michael Czarcinski, Managing Director
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites (an Interstate Hotels &
Resorts Property)
Michael began his hospitality career as a dishwasher with Catari�s,
a family style restaurant in New Jersey. He eagerly accepted new challenges
and began his training as a culinarian, developing a love for food and
beverage, a love that led to his enrolling at Johnson and Wales, Providence,
Rhode Island, where he obtained his degree in hotel management.
Enhancing his college studies with hands on experience, Michael ventured
into the world of banquets, starting as a houseman, then working his way
into management with the Marriott, Providence, an Interstate Hotel and
Resort property. Upon graduation Michael accepted a position as assistant
general manager at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, home
to the 1980 PGA championship, a challenging event that generates over 80,000
covers. Returning to Marriott, Michael spent the next eleven years progressively
moving through the food and beverage division, becoming a food and beverage
director, then moving into hotel management until leaving his position
as the Northeast Region Director of Service Development.
Leaving Marriott Michael became the Vice President of Operations at
the Woodland Resort and Country Club in Woodlands Texas, where he constructed
and opened both the Shell Oil�s and Exxon�s� corporate conference centers
in addition to his oversight of the 800 room resort and five golf courses.
Following his move to Club Corp in 1998, as general manager of the Morgan
Run Resort and Spa, he was given the title of executive vice president
of the World Class Golf Resort, Pinehurst, home of the 99 and 05 US Open.
Mike returned to Interstate Hotels in 2005 as General Manager of the
Claremont Resort and Spa moving to The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites,
Los Angeles in 2007, as Managing Director. Michael serves on the Board
for the Hotel Association of Los Angeles, the board of directors of LA
Inc., the UCLA hospitality advisory board and a member of the Joint Labor
Management Diversity Council, Local 11 and Union Hotels.
An avid golfer and tae kwon do black belt, Mike is married to his wife
of 30 years, Darlene and together they have three children, Michael, Kimberly
and Kyle. Soon to be a first time grandfather. (http://www.hsmailax.org) |
The Gala was hosted by the new �Jewel of Los Angeles� � the JW Marriott
located in the heart of LA Live�s entertainment complex. HSMAI donated
proceeds from a silent auction conducted at the event to the St. Joseph
Center in Los Angeles, a non-profit dedicated to family, seniors, veteran
and homeless community services and the Hospitality Education Tuition Fund
of California State University, c/o Dr. Andy Feinstein, Dean at CalPoly
Pomona to further the development of future General Managers.
ABOUT HSMAI:
HSMAI is a global organization of sales and marketing
professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. With
a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in
identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry while
operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and sales and marketing
management disciplines, as well as connecting its members with customers.
Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprised
of nearly 7,000 members from 35 countries and chapters worldwide. HSMAI�s
Americas Region, headquartered in McLean, VA, consists of 38 chapters in
three countries. HSMAI's European Region, headquartered in Oslo, Norway,
consists of five national chapters in Europe. The Asia Pacific Region is
under development. The HSMAI Foundation was established in 1983 to serve
as the research and educational arm of HSMAI. |
