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as Officers and Directors for 2002; Will Serve Best Western's 4,065 Hotels |
PHOENIX - December 7, 2001 - Three Best Western International hoteliers
have been elected officers and a fourth has been named as a new director
of the global hotel chain's board of directors for the 2002 fiscal year
commencing December 1.
Serving as chairman of the seven-member board is Ken Smotherman, a Texas
hotelier who served last year as vice chair. The new vice chairman is Lowell
Cruse and serving as secretary/treasurer is Nayan Patel. Elected as director
is Nils Kindgren from
Chairman Ken Smotherman, CHA, opened his first Best Western hotel in 1976 and during the past 24 years, he has owned three Best Western hotels. He currently co-owns and operates the Best Western Old Main Lodge in Waco, Texas. He has also served on various Best Western member committees. Smotherman is a graduate of the University of Southwestern Louisiana where he earned a degree in business administration. Vice Chairman Lowell Cruse, CHA, was elected to Best Western
International's board of directors for a three-year term that began Dec.
1, 1999. Cruse owns the Best Western Villa Inn in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. A
21-year Best Western veteran, Cruse has
Secretary/treasurer Nayan Patel, along with his family, owns
and operates four Best Western properties in Virginia, Maryland and Washington
D.C. Part of the Best Western family since 1987, he is involved in governing
roles for the brand and is an active participant in regional marketing
and advertising co-ops. Patel has an undergraduate degree from Duke University
as well as a degree in law from Georgetown University.
Marketing Committee. He has also served on various Best Western corporate committees including the International Brand Identity Task Force, the Best Western Focus and Advisory Group, and, he was most recently a Best Western Governor working on behalf of the Best Western members in central Arizona. An active businessman, Kindgren has also been involved in numerous industry
and civic organizations. He was a member of the AH&LA National Marketing
Committee for Small Properties, on the board of directors and legislative
committee for the
Kindgren, a certified hotel administrator, studied business at the University of Bridgeport, real estate development from UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif. and Architecture from El Camino College. Kindgren is also a licensed realtor and holds a mortgage broker certification. Other members of the current board include immediate past Chairwoman, Cindy Binkele, John Van Duyn and Mike Scholz. Best Western is governed by a seven-member board of directors, elected by Best Western member hoteliers in seven geographic regions in North America. Each region or District has an average of 300 Best Western properties. Board members must be Best Western member hoteliers and they serve a three-year term as a director and may be re-elected once. Best Western International is the world's largest hotel chain. As of
its third fiscal quarter ending August 31, it had 4,065 hotels in 82 countries
and territories. It is a membership association of independently owned
and operated hotels that provides
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Tiffany Collins Media Relations Specialist Best Western International (602) 957-5752 phone (602) 957-5641 fax [email protected] http://www.bestwestern.com |