"I am delighted that Harris Rosen, an extraordinary entrepreneur and generous civic leader in the Orlando community, is coming to Cornell to share his entrepreneurial vision with our students and faculty," said Cathy Enz, Associate Dean for Industry Research and Affairs at the School. "In addition to his many other philanthropic activities, he has been a generous supporter of Cornell undergraduates over the years and established the Harris Rosen Scholarship Fund in the Hotel School over a decade ago."

A 1961 graduate of the Hotel School, Rosen heads the largest independent hotel company in Florida which employs over 3,000 people. The company owns and operates seven properties in the Orlando area. Its most recent addition, Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, opened in September 2006.

Rosen's success in Orlando transcends his work with Rosen Hotels. He was voted the city's "2006 Corporate Citizen of the Year" for his involvement with, and generosity to, the local community. Rosen made a $20 million gift to fund 165 scholarships and establish the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, which opened in 2004. He also created the Tangelo Park Pilot Program in 1994. Tangelo Park is a predominantly African-American, working class community in South Orange County, just blocks from Orlando's International Drive resort area. The Tangelo Park Pilot Program has forged a partnership among parents, school-age children, the local school district, and Rosen; he has agreed to provide a free preschool education for all 2, 3, and 4 year olds, as well as a fully paid college education within the Florida state system for any child in Tangelo Park who graduates from high school. Rosen is also known for his generosity to his employees; in fact his "Shares of Success" program has distributed at least $1.5 million per year to his full-time service staff, such as housekeepers and waitresses.

About The Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, the Institute supports and enables innovation and new business formation in the hospitality industry, provides students with guidance on entrepreneurship study, introduces students to hospitality entrepreneurs, and encourages students to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. The Institute is also a platform for knowledge about forming new hospitality businesses, managing small and family-run businesses, franchising, corporate venturing, new venture funding, and innovation. To learn more about the Institute, visit: www.ihe.cornell.edu or contact Joe Strodel, Jr., Acting Director, Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at 607.255.4646.

Cydney Peters
607.255.8698
[email protected]