David Brott Elected President  of Minnesota Hotel & Lodging Association

Brott's remarks at the annual meeting, which stressed the importance of teamwork, outlined his goals for the Association in the upcoming year. He views 1998 as a critical year for the Association. A minimum wage/tip credit battle at the state legislature last year made a strong impression in legislators' minds about the strength and unity of the hospitality industry, Broil said. He stated much time and money was spent creating this impression and it must be built upon and not allowed to weaken. "If we simply sit back and wait for the next big issue to come along, we will greatly weaken the impression we have cultivated. Instead, we need to build our own issues and use our new-found strength to push these issues through," he said.

As an example, Brott cited the need to encourage legislators to find a way to keep Minnesota's sporting teams here without taxing our industry or the taxpayers to do so. Brott said, "Their existence in this market means too much to the hospitality industry to let them get away.

Brott also stressed helping government officials see the importance of expanding the Minneapolis Convention Center. Its expansion would bring in the first tier conventions currently going to other cities and greatly increase the dollars spent in the state.

Finally, Brott encouraged all members of the Association to get involved to make it even more successful. "Each of you can make a valuable contribution to the Association. We all have great ideas on how the team should be run," he said.

Brott has been very active in the Association for many years, sitting on the Board as Treasurer in 1996 and
Vice President in 1997. He also served as Chair of the Human Resources Committee in 1 997. Brott's activism in many of the industry's important causes and his involvement with the national association's Educational Institute has earned him the respect of his peers.

Born and raised in St. Paul, Brott has worked in the Twin Cities hotel market for 25 years. His service- and team-oriented management style has been highly successful. He earned himself the reputation as a turnaround specialist by taking several properties from the fringe of bankruptcy to the top ranks of their companies. Additionally, Brott has successfully opened three hotels from ground zero including his current property in Bloomington, which opened in May of 1994. The Country Inn & Suites has 234 rooms and employs 60 people.

Other officers elected during the annual meeting were:

• President-Elect Tom Chase - Marriott City Center, Minneapolis
• Vice-President: Bill Foussard - Best Western AmericInn Inn, Saint Cloud
• Treasurer: Steve Scherer - Holiday Inn Duluth, Duluth
• Immediate Past President: William Morrissey - Morrissey Hospitality Companies, Saint Paul
• AH&MA Director: James Sadler - Sadler Properties, Rochester

Three Year Terms:

• Mike Brunkow - Radisson South, Bloomington
• Kirby Payne - American Hospitality Management, Minneapolis
• Sheryl Persons - Tharaldson Enterprises, Fargo, ND
• Mike Roddy - Marriott Hotel Bloomington, Bloomington
• Brian Thuringer - Madden's On Gull Lake, Brainerd
• Kenneth S. Weldon - AmericInns, Deephaven

• Steve Barrett - Inn on the Farm at Earl Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center

• Gary Delaney - Bluff Creek Inn, Chaska
• Shailesh Patel -Super 8 Motel, Blue Earth & Northfield

Two Years Remaining:

• Allan Falk - Super 8 Motel, Zumbrota
• Gene Foster - Saint James Hotel, Red Wing
• Steve Madison - Holiday Inn Alexandria, Alexandria
• Roberts H. Pace, Jr. - Central Group, St. Cloud
• Scott Uttley - Holiday Inn Metrodome, Minneapolis

• Tom Loughlin - Minneapolis Hilton & Towers, Minneapolis
• Greg Parsons - Northland Inn & Conference Center, Brooklyn Park
• Tom Sullivan - Hobart Corporation, Minneapolis
• Sharon Wendland - Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Minneapolis
• Sandy Woodford - Holiday Inn Downtown, Rochester

• John Arnold - Madden's On' Gull Lake, Brainerd, retired
• John Kahler - retired