| ORLANDO, Fla., June 2004-The Educational Institute
of the American Hotel & Lodging Association is helping Towne Park Ltd.
to fulfill its mission to provide hotels with "the very best people-guaranteed"
by providing targeted training programs and professional certification
for the company's line-level staff and managers.
Employees of Towne Park, the nation's leading provider of contracted hospitality services and parking systems, complete the Educational Institute's Hospitality Skills Certification for Valet Attendants as part of their required training. Towne Park is the first organization to adopt EI's valet attendant training and certification program on a company-wide basis. In addition, the company's supervisors and managers complete EI's Supervisory Skill Builders program, which prepares them to earn the Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS) designation. "Towne Park's valet attendants are the first and last impression a guest sees when staying at the hotels we service. It is important to us that the guest views our associates favorably as hospitality professionals, not just car parkers," stated Bob Valentine, vice president of organizational development for Towne Park. "By adopting the EI programs in conjunction with our own internal programs, our hotel partners are assured our employees are receiving quality training that is aligned with the hotel industry. EI designed the valet program to be site-specific to ensure we adopt the service standards that are in tune with each of the brands and communities we serve." Towne Park, headquartered in Annapolis, Md., provides valet parking and other uniformed services to hotel operations in over 18 markets nationwide. Its clients include many four- and five-star properties including the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, and Gaylord Texan Resort near Dallas; Walt Disney World's Swan and Dolphin; Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C. and Miami; and Hyatt Hotels in Baltimore, Houston, Philadelphia, Cambridge, Md., and Jersey City. John Kisel, CHS, assistant contract manager for Towne Park's Philadelphia district, said that completing the Supervisory Skill Builders course and earning professional certification helped him to grow as a professional and become a more valuable employee. "I definitely feel more confident as a result of going through the Supervisory Skill Builders series. It is because of this confidence that my hotel feels comfortable allowing me to deal with certain situations, which allows them to focus on other important issues that the hotel may be dealing with," said Kisel. Towne Park's commitment to training and certification begins at the top of the company. President and CEO Jerry South holds the Master Hotel Supplier (MHS) designation, the hospitality industry's professional certification for those who supply products and services to the industry. South is also a member of EI's Certification Commission.
Established in 1953 as a nonprofit educational foundation of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Educational Institute is the premier source for quality hospitality education, training, and professional certification, serving the needs and advancing the excellence of hospitality schools and industries worldwide. |
