A True Gaming Pioneer Remembering Claudine Williams PREMIER Alumni Association International
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A WILLIAM F. HARRAH COLLEGE OF HOTEL ADMINISTRATION PUBLICATION ISSUE 21 VOLUME 5 PPFALL/WINTERREMIER 2009 A True Gaming Pioneer Remembering Claudine Williams PREMIER Alumni Association International The of!cial magazine of the Board of Directors Advisory Board William F. Harrah College David W. Head of Hotel Administration Bobbie Barnes, ’93, ’05 M.Ed. William Allen III UNLV Career Services Outback Steakhouse/OSI, Inc. Captain D’s OFFICE OF THE DEAN Marco Benvenuti, ’02 William Anton Barbara Kane Box 456013 Wynn Las Vegas Anton Airfood Ecolab 4505 S. Maryland Parkway Dennis Gradillas, ’91 George E. Baggott, CFSP Dean McClain Las Vegas, NV 89154-6013 Platinum Hotel & Spa Baggott Consulting McClain Consulting Group (702) 895-3161 Scott Ballantyne Jordan Meisner hotel.unlv.edu Ken Haas, ’75 Las Vegas Convention & Debi Benedetti Hyatt Hotels and Resorts Stuart H. Mann Visitors Authority Beyond the Possible Stephen G. Michaelides Dean Christine (Paskvan) Kiely, ’90 Elizabeth Blau Words, Ink Christine Bergman Nevada Public Radio Blau and Associates Jim Moore Associate Dean Dean Kissel, ’92 Stan Bromley Moore Ideas, Inc. Seyhmus Baloglu Holly Mae (Sparks) Lindsay, ’99 Meadowood Napa Valley Bill Paulos, ’69 Associate Dean for Research Delmonico Steakhouse Tola R. Chin Cannery Casino Resorts Andy Nazarechuk, ’79, ’85 MS Pat Moreo, ’69, ’83 Ed.D. Qin’s, Inc. Lise Puckorious Dean, UNLV Singapore Faculty Liaison Russ Dazzio, ’73 Smith Bucklin Corporation Pat Moreo, ’69, ’83 Ed.D. Fayyaz Raja, ’92, ’95 R & R Global Hospitality Thom Reilly Chair, Food & Beverage Raja Enterprises Lorna C. Donatone Harrah’s Entertainment Management Sal Semola, ’81 Sodexo, Inc. Patricia Sahlstrom Bill Werner Warner Gaming Paula Eylar, ’89, ’97 MBA A&W Food Services of Canada, Inc. Chair, Hotel Management Chris Smith, ’98 Boyd Gaming Christopher Silva Dan McLean Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. Deirdre Flynn St. Francis Winery & Vineyards Chair, Recreation & Lynda Tache, ’97 North American Association of Susie Southgate-Fox Sport Management Vegas Vino Food Equipment Manufacturers Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc. Tony Henthorne Marvin M. Franklin Arch Stokes, Esquire Chair, Tourism & Commercial Growth Partners Shea Stokes Roberts & Wagner Convention Administration Executive Members Guy Fieri, ’90 Douglas K. Fryett Robert L. Van Ness, ’83 Pearl Brewer Fryett Consulting Group Preferred Hotel Group Director, Graduate Studies Food Network/Johnny Garlic’s Restaurants Tom Groeninger Mark Waltrip Robyn Hadden, ’05 MS Wyndham Vacation Ownership Westgate Resorts Director of Alumni & James Germain, ’75 College Relations Castle Valley Inn Robert N. Grimes Fritzi Woods Accuvia PrimeSource Foodservice Equipment, Inc. Judy Nagai Bill McBeath, ’86 Director of External Relations ARIA Resort & Casino Anne Hanson CamCris LLC Robyn Campbell-Ouchida, ’00 MA Anthony Santo, ’84 Editor, Premier Greenspun Media Group Phil Harte Harte Management Pty Limited Cover photo by Geri Kodey, ’85. TOC photo by Marsh Starks. Design and production by Reprographics/Design Services UNLV is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer Committed to Achieving Excellence Through Diversity In This Visit us at hotel.unlv.edu. Issue ! "!! In memoriam—Claudine Williams #$!! HotlinkHR establishes faculty development fund $"!! Social networking trends continue to grow $%!! Four Seasons provides vital support to deserving students Departments Dean’s Message ........................... 2 Industry Insights ........................... 3 News Briefs ................................... 4 Student Spotlight .......................... 8 News From the Departments .... 10 In the Kitchen .............................. 16 Congratulations .......................... 34 Alumni Updates .......................... 35 1 FALL/WINTER 2009 ! PREMIER Dean’s Message y summer began in a unique way, as and business acumen, we found a location MI had the pleasure of addressing our in the National Library for our campus. first graduating class of the UNLV College After that, it was Andy’s turn to develop the of Hotel Administration in Singapore June operating structure. 6. We were pleased to have the Singapore And operate it, he has. He has done an Minister of State for Trade and Industry and excellent job of putting together the campus, Minister-in-Charge of Entrepreneurship Lee no easy feat. In addition, he has attracted Yi Shyan, then-President Ashley, and other worthy students to our programs by traveling distinguished guests in attendance for the with the Singapore Tourism Board, promoting momentous occasion. UNLV within Singapore whenever he had the I was excited to share that our vision of an chance, and being a wonderful ambassador. international campus had become a reality Now the first class has graduated from and that even though we’ve had international UNLV Singapore, and I feel like a proud students in our Las Vegas program for many parent. This group of adventurous graduates years, hospitality and tourism have become is not afraid to seek the unknown; has an a global phenomenon requiring managers obvious willingness to try something new; to understand multiple cultures and their and does so with the attributes of courage, Stuart H. Mann requirements for outstanding customer perseverance, and hard work. Dean service. As Singapore Minister Lee Yi Shyan told The Singapore campus was created to the group: “This graduation ceremony is the get closer to those geographic areas where starting point of your professional journey. students demand the program and begin to You have the distinct honor and privilege of create an international network of campuses being the inaugural graduating group of those for students wanting to study hospitality who represent the best of an international management. This, in turn, increases UNLV’s education in hospitality. Today, you become brand equity and makes visiting such role models to the students who will follow in hospitality hot spots as Beijing, Shanghai, your footsteps.” Hong Kong, and Macau more convenient. “These graduates are to be congratulated Although I was told in my initial meeting not only for their accomplishments with Singapore’s Economic Development academically but also for their pioneering Board (EDB) that it would take a minimum spirit,” says Nazarechuk. “We have every of five years to develop our campus, I am reason to believe that they will carry this pleased to say that it took less than two and pioneering spirit into the workplace and a half years. Of course, there was lots of lead the way for the graduates who will learning that needed to take place: First, I follow in their footsteps.” He also expressed learned of Singapore’s economic strategy and his confidence that the tourism industry in the place of education within that strategy, Singapore will provide ample professional and second, I learned about the concept of opportunities for UNLV Singapore graduates the Global Schoolhouse and bringing many of to become leaders in the hospitality industry. the world’s best academic programs into an I’m excited to follow these graduates’ education hub. careers as they infiltrate the international Next, I focused on getting the requisite hospitality world. I hope they can all find approvals from Nevada and the university positions that they look forward to each day administration, including our Board of while they continue to grow in the industry. Regents, the governing board for the university system. Obtaining the support from n a different note, we received news in the EDB came next. This group has been OJune that Governor Jim Gibbons signed a fantastic partner from the very beginning, the Capital Improvements Program bill and and this campus would not have happened that the hotel college will be getting $3.2 without its support. million in planning funds for the new academic We then selected the campus building, to match the $2.5 million we have administrator, the campus’s chief academic already received from Harrah’s Entertainment. officer. The perfect candidate was Dr. Andy On behalf of the college, I thank everyone for Nazarechuk. With his international knowledge helping make this a reality. ᵪ 2 PREMIER ! FALL/WINTER 2009 Industry Insights “...what used to be the attention to detail on people and product has to be transferred to a different skill set that deals with revenue generating and expense managing...” n Oct. 18, 2007, CNN conducted a poll Much of that has dropped off sharply as Oabout the economy and discovered companies prohibit their employees from that 46 percent of those polled believed the indulging in spending that smacks of country was already in a recession. Fast conspicuous consumption, a policy likely to forward to Jan. 4, 2008, at which time John remain in place once the country recovers Ryding, chief market economist for Bear from this mess. Stearns, told the media that he was on what Here is sound counsel from fellow UNLV he called “a recession watch.” Three months Advisory Board member Stan Bromley, later, March 14, the 85-year-old investment who for his entire career spanning more bank was toast. Between that CNN poll than 45 years worked in the hotel business, and today, the country has weathered the most formidably and recently (he retired Stephen Michaelides agonizing twists and turns of an economy nearly three years ago) as regional vice Words, Ink gone amok. The details are as evident as president, Four Seasons Hotels, and as International the weather and often as unstable and general manager of its hotel in San Francisco. unpredictable, and we need not dissect them Bromley still finds himself immersed in the Advisory Board here. We know what they are, and we are for hotel business, currently troubleshooting a Member the most part glum. hotel in Napa. In the meantime, the hospitality industry “Throughout my career, I practiced that has been scrambling to hang on to business, if you hire the best people, train them, treat Ruminations to increase guest room and cover counts them right, and are relentless about an eye and the revenues and profits that result. The for detail and attention to detail, you will make tactics and strategies are all too familiar: Cut money.