HFT 3741 – Planning Meetings and Conventions

Twenty-five years of experience in educational leadership, including fifteen as part of senior staff team, four years in hospitality work, and ten years of full-time study at universities.

Responsibilities in hospitality have included: Preparation prior to opening world-class resort, including policy formation, resource development, internal and publicly distributed documents; convention and trade show production, meeting planning, class instruction, coordination of student worker opportunities and designed student hospitality internship program. Also participated in re-branding of smaller resort and devised budgetary program projection named one of the “best new innovative practices” in the Hyatt Corporation.

Responsibilities at universities have included: Divisional and organizational leadership and administration, public relations, workshop and training development and presentation, production of large scale special events (including concerts, seminars, US Presidential debate, African famine relief efforts, and community festivals), institutional accreditation, oversight of federal grant preparation, facility development and management, facility security and safety, development of student internship programs, budget and policy development, staff training, work with international clientele, and management of legal issues related to these areas.

Created and built the student affairs division at Ringling College of Art and Design which became the standard bearer for student affairs at art schools in the U.S. Created and developed office of Student Development at The University of Akron.

Honors include US Congressional Recognition (1984), being named County Volunteer of the Year (Sarasota, Florida, 1993) and various association awards.

Contributing writer to Association Meetings, Corporate Meetings and Incentives, Financial & Insurance Meetings, Medical Meetings, Religious Conference Manager, and the Medical Tourism Association. Research named best paper for experiential education at Assn. of Business Simulation and Experiential Learning (ABSEL – 2008). Research on technology in meetings presented at International Convention and Expo Summit in Hong Kong (2006).

Studies have been done at UNLV, University of Hawai'i, George Washington University, University of Southern Florida, Bowling Green State University, and The University of Akron. Awarded Doctorate (PhD) and Master of Science in Hotel Administration (UNLV), Master of Arts in College Administration (BGSU), Bachelor of Arts in Communication/Mass Media (Akron), and certificate in Special Events Production (GWU).