The Association’s Annual Hotel Day was held on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport, consisting of a Job Fair, Allied Members Reception & Trade Show, and culminating with the President’s Lunch.
The Job Fair started at 9.00 a.m. with hotels such as DoubleTree Hotel, Hilton Palm Beach Airport, Hilton West Palm Beach, Hawthorn Suites, Best Western Palm Beach Lakes Inn, Hyatt Place in Delray Beach & Boca Raton, and Renaissance Boca Raton setting up their booths to welcome jobseekers that came during the morning to enquire after careers and opportunities in Palm Beach County’s hospitality industry.
At 11.30 am. the Association’s Allied Members displayed their products and services at the Reception and Trade Show, while members mingled prior to the President’s Lunch.
President Cheri Rutledge welcomed those people attending the Presidents’ Lunch and then focused on the Association’s Hotel Day – the awarding of the Association’s 2016 scholarships and awards.
Association Scholarships (funded by the Annual Golf Tournament in May) were presented to students attending hospitality courses at Palm Beach County educational institutions:
At Florida Atlantic University, Mikhail Guseynov and Mariah Kennedy (both for the second year); Axa Contreras & Jeremy Riley at Palm Beach State College; each received a check for $500.
In addition, checks for $600 were presented to support the Tourism, Hospitality & Resort Magnet Program at Palm Beach Gardens High School and the Academies of Tourism & Hospitality Management at Forest Hill and Olympic Heights High Schools.
In cooperation with the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation, John Clifford Memorial Scholarships (in honor of John Clifford, General Manager of The Breakers from 1970 to 1981) a check for $2,000 each was presented to Leah Rondelli, attending Florida Atlantic University .
The Association’s Hotel of the Year Award went to the Hilton West Palm Beach and John Parkinson, General Manager. They have had a marked effect on business booking at the Convention Center and the downtown area as a whole in less than a year and are a welcome addition to our hotel community.
The Association’s Allied Member of the Year Award was presented to Brightline and Director Carol Henderson for their support of the many activities and aims of the Association for the last two years, including the 2016 Golf Tournament, at which they were a major sponsor.
Secretary of the Association, David Semadeni then invited the fifteen nominees for the 2016 Employee of the Year Awards (the twelfth year of these awards) to come to the podium and introduced each of them with a short resume of their achievements. All had been nominated by their hotels as either the Guest Service Employee of the Year (for front of house associates) or the Support Services Employee of the Year (for back of house associates) and were joined by their colleagues from their respective hotels and resorts at the lunch. All the nominees were presented with certificates from the Association recognizing their contributions to the Palm Beach County Lodging Industry.
Guest Services Employee of the Year:
Benjamin Knight, Bellman/Front Desk Hilton PBIA Michael Wright, Front Desk Supervisor Hilton Garden Inn, Palm Beach Gardens Mark DeAvelar. Bell Captain Hilton Singer Island Richard Anderson. Guest Service Rep. Marriott’s Ocean Pointe Stan Asbury, Bellman Hawthorn Suites Harry Grant, Bellman Best Western Palm Beach Lakes Inn
Support Services Employee of the Year:
David Wright, Engineering Supervisor Hilton PBIA Marie Cirosil, Steward Hilton West Palm Beach Josie Pierre, Lobby Attendant Hilton Suites Boca Raton Erik Rivers, Pool Attendant Marriott’s Ocean Pointe Wisler Champagne Embassy Suites, PB Gardens Florentino Ortiz, Chief Engineer Hawthorn Suites Patricia Hernandes, Inspectress Best Western Palm Beach Lakes inn Gladys Clerveau, Housekeeper Hilton Singer Island
With much fanfare, President Rutledge identified Michael Wright, Front Desk Supervisor, Hilton Garden Inn, Palm Beach Gardens as Guest Service Employee of the Year and Josie Pierre, Lobby Attendant at the Hilton Suites Boca Raton as Support Services Employee of the Year. Each received a check for $1,000.00 and a plaque recognizing their achievements.
Michael Wright, Front Desk Supervisor, Hilton Garden Inn, Palm Beach Gardens, Guest Service Employee of the Year
Josie Pierre, Lobby Attendant, Hilton Suites Boca Raton, Support Services Employee of the Year
President Rutledge closed the lunch with congratulations to all the recipients and thanked the Hilton Palm Beach Airport, its General Manager, Matt Kaniff and his staff for hosting the most successful Hotel Day.
