The heart of hospitality.

2018 ANNUAL REPORT AHLEF exists to provide hope and opportunity to aspiring hoteliers who are passionate about a career in hospitality through scholarships, training and apprenticeships. Thanks to the incredible support and guidance of AHLEF’s Board of Trustees and our extremely generous donors, in 2018 we served more students than ever while growing new programs designed to foster our industry’s next generation. in Scholarships Awarded

Hotel Management Apprentices at Scholarships to

HAS A BIG HEART Participating Students Properties in 36 States

Continued executing Nearly

in Grants for the Empowering Awarded in Research Grants Youth Program Supporting Our Industry THIS IS WHY WE’RE HERE

“As part of the apprenticeship program I’ve been able to step outside of my comfort zone and gain a broader understanding of the industry. There are so many “The AHLA apprenticeship program online courses to take at my own has allowed me to compile all of my pace as well as partnering with experience and push forward into a the leaders in my building for leadership role bound with success.” 1-on-1 training!” JAKE HAINES JUNA BELIZAIRE APPRENTICE, AIMBRIDGE HOSPITALITY APPRENTICE, WYNDHAM “Thank you again for your financial support. My education at Cornell and the Hotel School would not be possible without your financial support “I not only obtained full time and confidence in my contribution to the employment, but also full hospitality industry.” support from everyone who ALEXANDRA WUERFEL contributed by participating in the training program. I felt “Receiving this scholarship will not only “As a first-generation fully prepared and know that help me financially throughout the I am in the right place.” college student, I am funding school year of 2018-2019, but it will my own education and this task can EMANI WILSON also help me persevere to achieving my EMPOWERING YOUTH be extremely difficult.Without the academic and professional goals.” PROGRAM GRADUATE, support of AHLEF, I would not be FRONT DESK AGENT, LJ IMMANUEL TAMAYO CONCORD HOSPITALITY able to continue my education at Kansas State University.“ BROOKE COLGLAZIER INVESTING IN THE HEART OF OUR INDUSTRY

We give a helping hand to young people with the drive and potential to succeed in our industry. By making sure they get the opportunities they deserve, we see to it that nothing stops the best and the brightest from following their dreams in this wonderful industry.

The hospitality sector is leading the curve in supporting talent and providing career pathways for students who might not otherwise be able to access education. AHLEF is proud to empower, promote and encourage a diverse workforce for the industry through scholarship awards, ensuring a strong future for the lodging sector and building the next generation of hoteliers.

In 2018 AHLEF dispersed a record through to AHLEF celebrated its $1.3 million 420 scholarships record-breaking year more than 370 hospitality management for scholarships with a majors around the country. An increase surprise presentation to of over 50 percent from the previous year. students at the University of Central , which 70 percent of the scholarship recipients received 22 scholarships are women, and more than one-third totaling $62,750, repre- of the total recipients are minority senting the largest num- students. The average scholarship ber of awards to students award amount increased by more than from one college. 30 percent from 2017. A major challenge for many hotels is recruiting young talent to fill In 2018 AHLEF’s Empowering Youth Program continued executing open positions, meanwhile there are thousands of Opportunity $500,000 in grants to community-based organizations to kick-start Youth around the country who are not enrolled in school, pilot programs in four high-demand cities: Los Angeles, Chicago, unemployed and have the desire and resilience to succeed in the , D.C. and Baltimore. To distribute the grants and workplace. AHLEF’s Empowering Youth Program bridges this gap execute the pilots, AHLEF partnered with Grads of Life, the leading by funding training for these Opportunity Youth so they can begin a national nonprofit specializing in helping employers build talent successful career in hospitality and attain the AHLA Certified Guest pipelines for Opportunity Youth. Service Professional designation, the highest acknowledgment of guest service for employees in the hospitality industry.

CHICAGO WASHINGTON, D.C. MARCH 19, 2018 APRIL 19, 2018 AHLEF announces a $75,000 grant In partnership with the Hotel Association to help Chicago community-based of Washington D.C., AHLEF hosts an organizations recruit and train Empowering Youth Program ceremony Opportunity Youth to fill local job at Covenant House to celebrate the first openings in the hospitality industry. graduating class of 22 local youths who Leaders from AHLEF were joined by received training in the hotel industry representatives of the Illinois Hotel thanks to a $75,000 grant commitment & Lodging Association, , from AHLEF to Covenant House and Grads of Life and LeadersUp. Goodwill of Greater Washington.

LOS ANGELES JULY 19, 2018 AHLEF celebrates the first graduating class in LA of 27 who earned the AHLA Certified Guest Service Professional designation. The graduation comes on the heels of a $75,000 AHLEF grant commitment to local Los Angeles community-based organizations to train youth in the hospitality. The initiative was in partnership with the Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA), Hotel Association of Los Angeles and Grads of Life, along with local community-based organizations LeadersUp and iFoster. To help address the need to build a strong bench of managers and supervisors for the lodging industry, AHLEF created an apprenticeship program. In 2018 the program enrolled nearly 400 apprentices in more than 35 states across the country for over 25 different employers. Apprentices in the program can earn while they learn, acquiring industry certifications and credit toward a college degree.

PARTICIPATING COMPANIES AIMBRIDGE HOSPITALITY DELAWARE NORTH QUOROM HOTELS & RESORTS APPLE HOSPITALITY REIT HILTON HOTELS & RESORTS REAL HOSPITALITY GROUP HOTELS & RESORTS HUNTINGTON HOTEL GROUP SPIRE HOSPITALITY B.F. SAUL HOSPITALITY GROUP HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION STONEBRIDGE COMPANIES BRANDT HOSPITALITY INTERSTATE HOTELS & RESORTS SUBURBAN INNS CHARTWELL HOSPITALITY NEW CASTLE HOTELS AND RESORTS THE HOTEL GROUP CHARTRES LODGING GROUP NEWCRESTIMAGE VESTA HOSPITALITY CONCORD HOSPITALITY OTO DEVELOPMENT WESTROC HOSPITALITY CRESTLINE HOTELS & RESORTS POST OAK LODGE WYNDHAM HOTEL GROUP

Hotel industry associates visit AHLA headquarters before the White House announcement on apprenticeships. In 2018 AHLEF was invited to the White House on In July, AHLEF representatives attended an the keynotes called on by President Trump, two occasions to celebrate the work the industry Investing in America’s Workforce event held who invited Johnita McNair, a housekeeping is doing to further develop our employees. at the White House where we committed to manager at Wyndham Orlando International In May, AHLEF met with President Trump in providing training opportunities to 130,000 Drive, to speak about her experience in the the Oval Office to discuss apprenticeship industry employees over the next 5 years AHLEF Cost-Free College program, receiving a and recommendations on a newly enhanced through a combination of apprenticeship, standing ovation for her story. apprenticeship system that will help scale the certifications, cost-free college and more. work more broadly. Indeed, our industry was featured as one of

Johnita McNair, Cost Free College student, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts speaking at the White House.

AHLA’s President & CEO, Katherine Lugar speaks at White House press event on apprenticeships.

Shelly Weir, AHLEF’s Senior Vice President of Career Development joins Ivanka Trump and the Secretaries of Labor, Education, and Commerce in the Oval Office with President Trump. AHLEF partnered with Pearson Education this past year to create a PARTICIPATING COMPANIES groundbreaking cost-free college HERSHA HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT program. As a model for other NEW CASTLE HOTELS & RESORTS industries to follow, this new program THE OSTHOFF RESORT offers employees at more than 1,500 OTO DEVELOPMENT hotel properties nationwide a chance THE NINES HOTEL to earn a college degree at no cost and INTERSTATE HOTELS & RESORTS no debt to them. The program works REMINGTON HOTELS PIVOT HOTELS & RESORTS with a consortium of two- and four-year DAVIDSON HOTEL AND RESORTS accredited colleges and universities PYRAMID HOTEL GROUP to provide continuing education and RED ROOF access to a cost-free degree. In 2018 TRADEWINDS ISLAND RESORTS participants began enrolling all over WYNDHAM HOTELS AND RESORTS the country. “Helping our employees grow through education is our responsibility as a leader in the industry. We look forward “Pyramid is committed to supporting the education goals of to enhancing the lives of hard-working our team members, and we are excited to do so by making the individuals through this new partnership.” cost-free college program available. This is an investment that ANDREW ALEXANDER works both ways—team members get to learn and expand their PRESIDENT opportunities, and we retain great associates and future leaders.” RICHARD M. KELLEHER CHAIRMAN & CEO

“Wyndham Hotel Group is focused on developing a sustained workforce that is as diverse as our customers and the communities where we do business. That’s why we’re pleased to partner with AHLEF and Pearson AcceleratED to offer our associates the opportunity to earn college degrees debt-free.” BECKY WALNOHA, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER No Food Left Behind Part 1: Underutilized Produce Ripe for Alternative Markets Through cutting edge industry research we can identify and address the most pertinent issues of our industry and discover new data and trends that help us promote the industry. In 2018, AHLEF advanced the industry by awarding nearly $340,000 in • The 2018 Lodging Survey being conducted by STR. research grants. • The Impact of New Tax Law on the Hotel Industry conducted by PWC on behalf of AHLA. • The Effect of Lodging Tax Increases on U.S. Destinations being conducted by the University of South Carolina. • The Contribution of the Hotel and Lodging Industry During Disaster Response being conducted by Rochester Institute of Technology. • Generation Z and the Hospitality Industry conducted by BW Research Partnership in collaboration with Hcareers. • Developing a Regional Model to Scale Food Waste Management Across Hospitality, conducted by the World Wildlife Fund. • Human Trafficking Legislation Affecting the Hospitality Industry, conducted by ECPAT.

Up Close & Personal with Generation Z In collaboration with Hcareers and BW Research Partnership, AHLEF released a new report titled, Up Close & Personal with Generation Z in 2018 which shows that over 50 percent of the Gen Z demographic — the largest generation in the U.S. with over 60 million individuals — wants to pursue a career in hospitality. These findings heartily support our industry’s job training and apprenticeship programs and will further our ability to attract, engage and retain up and coming talent. HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

AHLEF launched a new online home in 2018! The newly redesigned AHLEF.org features a modern and sleek design, improved navigation, multi-media functionality and most importantly – a more effective way to tell the story of AHLEF’s programs and participants while making donating easier than ever. In 2018 AHLEF announced the AHLEF also launched a new online home appointment of a new president, for scholarship alumni through AHLEF AHLA’s own Rosanna Maietta. After Connect, a new platform for AHLEF an incredible year as AHLEF interim scholars to keep in touch and network as president where she helped lead the well as an improved online scholarship creation of several new workforce application platform. programs, Rosanna was made the official AHLEF president in 2018. Additionally, AHLEF developed a new During this time she continued to home for its major fundraising event with build on AHLEF’s success making the the Night of a Thousand Stars. This new organization more visible with AHLA event was developed in 2018 but will debut membership and the media while in 2019 and will feature AHLA’s Stars of the bringing the AHLEF Board’s vision Industry Awards ceremony, a celebration to life. As a communications expert, of AHLA’s new incoming Chair while also Rosanna’s ability to highlight the raising money for AHLEF scholarships, incredible stories of our scholars and workforce programs and research. apprentices has had a great impact already and will continue to serve the organization for years to come. TEE YOUR

HEART OUT Raised in Support of AHLEF

The 31st Annual Golf Classic was another sold out event thanks to the incredible support of AHLEF funders and sponsors. This year’s tournament was held at the scenic Sea Island Resort and was a smashing success raising over $250,000 in support for AHLEF – over 60% more than in 2017! Joining the golfers this year were three beneficiaries from the Foundation – scholarship winner, Nicole Seixas, Emani Wilson, recent graduate of the Empowering Youth Project, and Jake Haines, an apprentice with Aimbridge. Each individual had an opportunity to share their story and how they’ve benefited from the Foundation’s support during a panel discussion during the opening dinner. Raised in Support of AHLEF FROM THE

BOTTOM OF We are grateful for each of our generous donors. This year, OUR HEARTS, with your support, we have accomplished more than ever before.

FIVE DIAMOND ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ $250,000+* FOUR DIAMOND ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ $100,000–$249,999*

THREE DIAMOND ◆ ◆ ◆ $50,000 - $99,999* ALTER ROBERT A. FAMILY

The list on the following pages is reflective of gifts received in 2018 and does not include donors or sponsors of Night of A Thousand Stars. Donors of the Opening Doors to Opportunity Campaign are denoted with an asterisk. Although a great deal of care has gone into ensuring the accuracy of this donor list, there may be errors. We apologize for any omissions, misspellings, or other mistakes. We welcome your corrections and suggestions. Please contact Kara Filer at [email protected] or 202-289-3170. Two Diamond ◆◆ $25,000 - $49,999 Salto Systems Sebasco Harbor Resort * AHLEF would also like to thank Hotels * Shaner Hotel Group * Junaid Siddiqi the following for donating product American Hotel Register Company Sonifi Solutions * Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in Honor of Daniel R. Hoffman or prizes to the AHLEF Golf Classic John Belden * Stadard Textile Co. Inc. * Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in Honor of Paul Fiala Anheuser-Busch Caesars Entertainment * STR * Stillwater Hospitality Basin Harbor The Broadmoor * Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association * Davidson Hotels & Resorts * Canyon Ranch dormakaba The Chartres Lodging Group * Washington Hospitality Association * Condado Vanderbilt Hotel Encore The Lodging Conference * Foodbuy Towne Park * BRONZE Under $1,000 Fairmont Chateau Whistler HD Supply Two Roads Hospitality * Brad Aldrich Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Hersha Hospitality Trust * Vesta Hospitality * Vince Barrett Grand Hotel IHG * WGL Energy Pennie Beach HD Supply Paul Breslin Kinsell Family * Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City LG Electronics USA, Inc. GOLD $5,000 - $9,999 Jeffrey Brown * Hotel Monteleone Pepsico Foodservice Mark & Cheryl Carrier * Gary & Joanna Budge PSAV Presentation Services * Digivalet Best Western Plus/Himmat Chauhan Hyatt Regency McCormick Place * Check In Hyatt Regency O’Hare Ruckus Wireless Inc. G6 Hospitality * Lynne Dougherty * Ink48 - a Kimpton Hotel Summit Hotel Properties * Allen Hermansen First Call Hospitality Kimpton Epic Hotel Hunter Amenities International Ltd. Kara Filer Sunstone Hotel Investors * Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago Tempur+Sealy David Kong * Gurney’s Montauk Westmont Hospitality/Red Roof Inns * Katherine G. Lugar * Heritage Inn Kimpton Onyx Frederic & Britlan Malek Ken Hine La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club One Diamond ◆ $10,000 - $24,999 Montage Hotels & Resorts * Hoteliers Ink Madden’s on Gull Lake Jim & Adele Abrahamson * Northcott Hospitality and AmericInn * Hotel’s Equities, Inc Montage Palmetto Bluff Protect-A-Bed * Eileen & Saul Hymans Anhueser-Busch New York Marriott Marquis ASSA ABLOY RLJ Lodging Trust Tommy Jones Jr. Pacifica Hotels Auro Hotels * Spire Hospitality * Mary Lou Koys-Lasky Avendra The Breakers Palm Beach, Inc. * Lago Mar Resort and Club Pepsico Foodservice Geoffrey & Leslie Ballotti * The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas * Matthew Masia Pinehurst Resort BRE Select Hotels * The Hotel Group * Massachusetts Lodging Association * Renaissance The Vinoy St. Petersburg Resort & Cintas Venus Group Kimberly Miles Golf Club Vision Hospitality Group * Mohonk Mountain House Crestline Hotels & Resorts * Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge DiamondRock Hospitality Company * Waterford Hotel Group * John Murtha S&D Coffee + Tea EcoLab Dr. John O’Neill Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts * SILVER $1,000 - $4,999 Christopher Ostapovicz * Salamander Resort & Spa Handerly Foundation Beaver Run Resort Breckenridge * Edward Rabin Silverado Resort Highgate * California Hotel& Lodging Association * Rolfe Sick Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa HomeBox Office (HBO) Educational Foundation of Texas Robert Slater Taconic, a Kimpton Hotel Hotel & Lodging Association * Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge Hospitality Ventures Management Group * Terranea Resort INNCOM First Hospitality Group Inc. Warren Sackler Tempur+Sealy Interstate Hotels & Resorts * Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association * Steve Sasso JLL * Florida’s Natural Schahet Hotels, Inc. * The Biltmore Minibar Systems Terri Haack * San Louis Resort, Spa & Conference Center The Breakers Nalco Company Hershey Entertainment & Resorts * Sheraton Sand Key Resort The Broadmoor Hotel Omni Hotels * HVS Hotel Management & Richard Tashjian The Knickerbocker Hotel HVS Asset Management - Newport In Honor of Richard Tashjian P Kaufmann Fabrics The Otesaga Hotel Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association * Terranea Resort Philips Lighting Joori Jeon * Eric D. Terry The Resort at Pelican Hill Pyramid Hotel Group and Nancy Johnson The Goffin Group The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island Winegardner & Hammons Hotel Group * LAZ Parking TradeWinds Island Hotels & Resorts * The Ritz-Carlton, Naples RDI Maine Innkeepers Association * TrueNorth Hotel Group The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa Asad Malik John D. Walker Red Lion Hotels Corporation * Tradewinds Island Resorts Riegel Linen/Rubbermaid Marshall Hotels & Resorts * Fatena Williams Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk Royal Cup Coffee & Tea * Moet Hennessy in Honor of Dan Hoffman & Paul Fiala Samuel Winterbottom Ryman Hospitality Properties Foundation * Hotel & Lodging Association * Hotel & Lodging Association in Memory of Washington Duke Inn Durham S&D Coffee & Tea Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association * Catherine Vele Wequassett Resort & Golf Club Sage Hospitality * Roger Saunders Susan Wolfla *Opening Doors to Opportunity Campaign donors WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE $50,000 - $99,999 Under $25,000 CONTINUING SUPPORT OF OUR Jim & Adele Abrahamson Apple Core Hotels OPENING DOORS TO OPPORTUNITY Auro Hotels Apple Hospitality REIT CAMPAIGN DONORS Geoff & Leslie Ballotti Beaver Run Resort Breckenridge Crestline Hotels & Resorts, LLC Jeffrey Brown DiamondRock Hospitality Company California Hotel & Lodging Association $300,000 - $500,000 Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts CCS Host Hotels & Resorts Steve and Bonnie Holmes CLA Foundation National Restaurant Association Hospitality Ventures Management Group Lynne Dougherty Interstate Hotels & Resorts Educational Foundation of Texas Hotel & Lodging Association $250,000 - $299,999 JLL Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Robert A. Alter Family Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Terri Haack Ashford Group of Companies Pyramid Hotel Group and Winegardner & Hammons Hotel Deborah Herman Best Western International, Inc. Group Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Hilton Red Lion Hotels Corporation Michael Hoffman Hyatt Hotels Corporation REM Hospitality Hotel Ave Value Enhancements, Inc. LaSalle Hotel Properties Royal Cup Coffee & Tea Hotel Business LaQuinta Inn & Suites Ryman Hospitality Properties Foundation Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association & Resorts Shaner Hotel Group Joori Jeon , Inc. The Broadmoor Mark Laport The Venetian The Chartres Lodging Group Lodging Magazine USA Today The Lodging Conference Maine Innkeepers Association Wyndham Worldwide Charitable Foundation Two Roads Hospitality Marshall Hotels & Resorts Vision Hospitality Group Massachusetts Lodging Association $150,000 - $249,999 Dr. Robert M. O’Halloran Aimbridge Hospitality $25,000 - $49,999 Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association Hersha Hospitality Trust BRE Select Hotels Oklahoma Hotel and Lodging Association Mark & Cheryl Carrier Christopher Ostapovicz $100,000 - $149,999 Dimension Development Company Allen Ostroff Minaz Abji Dimond Family Foundation Leslie Pchola AccorHotels Extended Stay America Pinkowski & Company AHLEI G6 Hospitality John Reeder John Belden David Kong Javier Rosenberg Caesars Entertainment Jim Leahy Steve Rushmore Davidson Hotels & Resorts Katherine G. Lugar Schahet Hotels, Inc. HEI Hotels & Resorts Montage Hotels & Resorts Sebasco Harbor Resort Highgate Northcott Hospitality and AmericInn Sonifi Solutions IHG Oracle Hospitality Standard Textile Co., Inc. Kinsell Family Protect-A-Bed Sysco Guest Supply/Sysco Corporation Omni Hotels & Resorts Serta Mattress Company Inc. Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association PSAV, Presentation Services Spire Hospitality Tradewinds Island Hotels & Resorts Sage Hospitality The Breakers Palm Beach, Inc. Vesta Hospitality STR The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Washington Hospitality Association Summit Hotel Properties The Hotel Group Xenia Hotels & Resorts Sunstone Hotel Investors Towne Park Westmont Hospitality/Red Roof Inns Waterford Hotel Group A BIG HEARTFELT THANKS TO THE 2018 AHLEF BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chair of the Board Vice-Chairman Secretary/Treasurer Dave Johnson of the Board Tom Bardenett President & CEO, S. Kirk Kinsell EVP, Asset Management, Aimbridge Hospitality RLJ Lodging Trust

TRUSTEES Minaz Abji Mark Carrier Chuck Floyd Host Hotels & Resorts, (retired) President, Chief Operation Officer, James Abrahamson B.F. Saul Company Hospitality Group Hyatt Hotels Corporation Interstate Hotels & Resorts, (retired) Greg Cocchiarella Paul Kirwin Robert Alter VP, Global Hospitality, President & CEO, President, Ecolab, Inc. Northcott Hospitality Seaview Investors, LLC Michael Deitemeyer Robert Kline Geoff Ballotti President, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, President & CEO, Interstate Hotels & Resorts The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC Wyndham Hotel Group Lynne Dougherty James Merkel Joe Berger Hotels & Resorts Worldwide CEO, President & CEO, (retired) Rockbridge BRE Hotels and Resorts Ken Sanders President, Encore Event Technologies

COMMITTEE CHAIRS ANNUAL GIVING GOLF CLASSIC INVESTMENT RESEARCH & PROJECT SCHOLARSHIP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE COMMITTEE FUNDING COMMITTEE COMMITTEE Harry Javer Tom Bardenett Allen J. Ostroff Robert E. Slater, CHA Terri Haack President, Executive Vice President, Principal, President, Southern President, The Conference Bureau Asset Management Hotel Dynamics, Inc. Hospitality, Inc. Terranea Resort RLJ Lodging Trust We’re building tomorrow’s hotel industry today.

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