The Resort Executive of the Year is awarded to the resort executive who has demonstrated superior management ability, a commitment to staff training and motivation, active participation and leadership in lodging industry association activities, support of legislation beneficial to the lodging industry and leadership within his or her community. The presentation of the award is one of the highlights of the annual Resort Management Conference. 

As Regional Vice President and Managing Director for Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando, Sansbury has introduced two new Loews Hotels, the Portofino Bay Hotel and Royal Pacific Resort, as well as the Hard Rock. The combined number of rooms for the three properties is 2,400 rooms. 
Under Sansbury's direction, the three Orlando hotels have emerged as leaders in the heavily competitive Central Florida lodging community. The revenues and gross operating profits for the three hotels have exceeded expectations. 

The three resort hotels have earned national acclaim for the quality and creativity of their properties and guest satisfaction. These honors include Conde Nast's prestigious Gold List, Travel & Leisure magazine's Top 100 list, Meetings & Conventions magazine's Gold Key Award and an Award of Excellence from Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine. 

The combined investment for the three properties is $580 million and more than 2,000 people are employed at the three resort hotels. 

Sansbury has earned community recognition for the Loews Hotels in Central Florida through his personal management of a Loews Hotels "Good Neighbor" program which has benefited the area's public schools, the arts community, charitable causes and welfare to work programs. He has also actively participated in hospitality educational programs at Cornell University, the University of Central Florida and three other Florida-based universities. 
The recipient is selected by a committee of peers from within the lodging and hospitality indsutry. The 2003 selection committee included: Dr. Richard Kelley, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Hawaii, Ted Kleisner, The Greenbrier, Clay James, Grand Teton Lodge Company and Dr. Peter Rainsford, University of Denver. 

The award is co-sponsored by Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown (YP&B), Orlando, Fla., America's leading marketing, advertising and public relations agency specializing in serving travel and leisure- industry clients and the University of Denver School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management's Resort Forum.