 Atlanta,
Georgia, June 15, 2011—The American
Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute
(AHLEI) honored the 2011 recipients of the Certified Hotel Administrator
(CHA) Emeritus designation at the AH&LA
Summer Summit during the AH&LA Stars of the Industry Awards
Luncheon on
Wednesday, June 15.
“The American Hotel & Lodging
Educational Institute recognizes the achievements of those leaders
whose
long-term dedication and commitment to excellence and further education
have
shaped and inspired our industry,” said Robert L. Steele III, CHA,
president
and COO of AHLEI. “Those who earn the title of CHA Emeritus have made
significant contributions to the hospitality industry through
leadership,
education, and professional involvement. The Emeritus honor is
presented only
to select individuals after a career of distinguished contributions.”
This year’s honorees for CHA Emeritus
are:
- Fred
J. Kleisner, CHA, president,
chief executive officer and director of Morgans Hotel Group. Before
being named
CEO, he served on the board of Morgans Hotel Group since its IPO in
February
2006. Prior to this he was CEO of Wyndham International, Inc. Kleisner
joined
Wyndham in 1999 as president and chief operating officer and was named
CEO in
April 2000 and chairman of the board of directors in October 2000.
Kleisner is
a 40-year veteran of the hospitality industry, holding executive
positions with
Starwood, Westin, Interstate, Sheraton, and Hilton.
- Ramesh
B. Gokal, CHA. Gokal
bought his first hotel in 1976 and has been active in the industry ever
since.
For nearly 20 years, he bought, sold, developed, and managed hotels for
himself
and for third parties. During that time, he was active as a charter
member and
board member of AAHOA, the North Carolina Hotel & Motel Association
board,
and committees with Days Inn, Holiday Inn, and Howard Johnson. From
1995 to
2000, Ramesh served as president and COO of Knights Franchise System,
growing
the brand from 90 to more than 240 hotels. He served on AH&LA’s
Economy
Lodging Council and Council of Inns & Suites. From 2005-2007, He
has also
been senior vice president of lodging and franchising Kapoor and Kapoor
Hospitality Consultants (2005-2007) and president and COO of AdVantis
Hospitality Alliance (2007-2010).
NOTE:
Individual releases on each of the individuals named above are
available upon
request. Contact [email protected] or call 517-318-2359.
About American Hotel &
Lodging
Educational Institution
Established in 1953 as
a nonprofit educational foundation of the American Hotel & Lodging
Association, the Educational Institute’s mission is to support
AH&LA by
becoming the preferred provider to the lodging industry, hospitality
schools,
and related hospitality industries both domestically and
internationally by
developing and providing quality resources to train, educate, and
certify
hospitality professionals.
|