Richmond, VA – June 7, 2021 – The International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) has announced the association’s new Executive Director. Fran Brasseux, CHSE, CHBA, CTTA, will assume the top leadership role for the organization effective June 16.
Brasseux joins the ICHRIE organization with a depth and wealth of knowledge and experience in both the hospitality and tourism industry as well as association leadership. In the first chapter of her career, she worked extensively in the areas of conference planning and then hotel sales. Thereafter, she moved into the next chapter, where she was employed by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI); there she served as the Executive Vice President of HSMAI and then the President of the HSMAI Foundation.
According to ICHRIE President, Dr. Joy Dickerson, Assistant Dean at Delaware Community College, “Fran has a proven track record of moving through successful transformational change within her organizations, with a tremendous understanding of the complexities of association leadership and the importance of furthering the vision and strategic plan of ICHRIE.” Brasseux will support ICHRIE’s new strategic plan and will work with industry partners and academicians to develop the synergies between the hospitality industry and education.
The national search, co-chaired by Dr. Nicholas Thomas, Director, School of Hospitality Leadership, DePaul University and Dr. Donna Quadri-Felitti, Marvin Ashner Endowed Director, School of Hospitality Management at Penn State University engaged a wide range of stakeholders, including ICHRIE international leadership, members at large, and an industry-academic search committee through a process that spanned over six months. Through that process, Dickerson noted “We learned Fran has earned the reputation from colleagues around the country for her professionalism, her highly ethical conduct, her communication skills, her collaborative abilities and her strong interpersonal presence. “
When asked about the challenges of leading ICHRIE in these post-pandemic times, Brasseux responded, “I am honored to be joining ICHRIE in their 75th anniversary year, at a time when education and new talent for the industry has never been more critically important. A very passionate board of directors inspired me to get involved, and I know this is the right time and the right place for us to make a significant impact to not only help hospitality recovery, but encourage industry discovery.”
For more information on ICHRIE initiatives, or to get involved, visit www.chrie.org
