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Ten Industry Employees Receive the American Hotel & 
Lodging Association Stars of the Industry Award

 
Chicago, Ill., April 6, 2001 - Nine industry employees received awards during the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) Stars of the Industry Awards breakfast, sponsored by Visa U.S.A.  The awards presentation was part of the AH&LA Annual Conference & Leadership Forum/The Lodging Expo held at the Hilton Chicago, April 4 - 6.

Outstanding Lodging Employee of the Year award winners are:

  • Cathie Gehrig, Country Inn & Suites by Carlson in Mount Morris, N.Y.; 
  • Jeff Gascon, Radisson Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.; and 
  • Julvette Price, Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore, Md., 
Cathie Gehrig, a front desk clerk at the Country Inn & Suites by Carlson and winner in the small property category, is also a full-time teacher.  Regularly mentioned in guest comment cards and letters, she consistently performs duties far beyond her job description, including taking guests� dogs home because the hotel does not accept pets, babysitting, and making gift baskets for all regular guests each week.

Jeff Gascon, who won in the medium size property category, is the activities director at the Radisson Resort and Spa.  He took over the summer kids campaign and doubled participation and guest satisfaction scores.  One of the most versatile employees, Gascon  has worked in several other departments within the hotel, including engineering, PBX, belldesk, concierge, security, and food and beverage. 

The winner in the large size property category, Julvette Price, is a security officer at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel Price.  She has received accolades from the Safety Coalition of the Downtown Partnership for her vigilance as an active leader in her community.  Price is a  registered foster parent, and she and daughter, Kelly, teach sex education at local high schools.  In addition, Price helped organize a group of co-workers to raise money for breast cancer research.

Outstanding Manager of the Year award winners are: 

  • Tim Wilkins, The Lodge in Cloudcroft, N.M.; 
  • D. Bruce Garrison, The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va.;
  • Valerie Friend, Westin La Paloma in Tuscon, Ariz.; and 
  • Gerald Gibson, Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Mich.
Tim Wilkins, winner in the small size property category, is The Lodge�s executive chef and has been with the property since 1983.  Promoted to head chef in 1986, the employees he supervises have a great deal of respect for him as their manager and mentor.  Wilkins was named 1999 New Mexico Star of the Industry Kitchen Employee of the Year.

The winner in the medium size property category, D. Bruce Garrison is director of corporate and social events in the catering office of The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va.  Garrison, who has been a member of the management team since 1991, is responsible for coordinating high-profile functions and events.  He contributes much of his personal time to numerous charitable organizations throughout Richmond.

Tying in the large size property category were Valerie Friend and Gerald Gibson.  Friend, nominated by the entire front desk staff of the Westin La Paloma, was cited with �changing the front desk dramatically since becoming manager.� Frequently requested by guests, she has added incentive programs and awards and always projects a positive attitude.  Friend also volunteers for the United Way, and at her encouragement, her department now �adopts� a family each year.

Gerald Gibson, a security supervisor at Hyatt Regency for seven years, is extremely effective in the hotel�s loss prevention efforts.  And, by positioning himself at the hotel�s entrance, he is viewed by guests and employees as a concierge or guest service ambassador.

Outstanding General Manager of the Year award winners are: 

  • Rashesh B. Rangrej, Super 8 Motel and Microtel Inn & Suites in San Antonio, Texas;
  • James R. Allmand III, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; and 
  • Richard A. Masucci, Hyatt Regency Bethesda in Bethesda, Md.
�Nothing is impossible; if you try, you can make things possible.�  This is the philosophy of Rashesh B. Rangrej, who won in the small size property category and is the general manager of Super 8 Motel and Microtel Inn & Suites.  He oversaw the remodeling of a  44-year-old Super 8 property and increased sales from $395,000 to $1.1 million, and took over management of a new Microtel Inn and increased revenue by $180,000 in nine months.

The winner in the medium size property category, James R. Allmand III, vice president and general manager of the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, has been with the property for eight years.  Under his leadership, the hotel has produced an unprecedented 600 percent growth in total hotel revenue, 600 percent growth in earnings before taxes, and 100 percent growth in average rate.

Richard A. Masucci, the winner in the large size property category, has been with Hyatt Hotels for 20 years and general manager of the Hyatt Regency Bethesda for 13 years.  Under Masucci�s leadership, the hotel is involved in many community service projects, including the annual Bethesda/Chevy Chase Goodwill Dinner, the Montgomery County Community Service Day, and the Open Door Shelter.

Many of AH&LA�s member state associations choose their own employee award winners, who are then submitted to the association�s for national judging.  Making the decisions in this year�s competition were Robert Nozar, editor, Hotel & Motel Management; Ed Watkins, editor, Lodging Hospitality; and Toni Giovanetti, managing editor, MyLeisureTime.com.

AH&LA, founded in 1910, is a federation of state lodging associations throughout the United States, with some 11,000 property members worldwide, representing more than 1.4 million rooms.  AH&LA provides operations, technical, educational, marketing, and communications services plus governmental affairs representation to the lodging industry.

 

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Contact:
Tia T. Gordon
Manager of Communications
American Hotel & Lodging Association
(202) 289-3153
[email protected]
http://www.ahlaonline.org

Also See 'Single Asset Deal of the Year' Award Presented to Strategic Hotel Capital for its Acquisition of the 277-room Hamburg Marriott Hotel / Mar 2001 
USFS Names the Year 2000 Top GMs, Hotels, and Franchisees for It's Brands / Feb 2001 
Jack P. DeBoer Gets UCLA Extension�s Hotel Industry Investment Conference Lifetime Achievement Award / Jan 2001 


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