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Enjoy a stay at the Hotel Cecil of Shimla to experience a melange of luxury, hospitality and magical mountains.

Stuckey also worked for ShawContract where he directed that company's partnership with AAHOA. He also worked for InterContinental Hotels Group. "[Stuckey] brings substantial experience to his position and a sound strategic vision for the association's important business development work. He has an exceptional understanding of our members and the hospitality industry," said Cecil Staton, AAHOA president and CEO. Now is an important moment in the hospitality industry, Stuckey said. "AAHOA, its members, and industry partners have always been an important part of my hospitality career, including working and consulting directly with members," he said. "Feedback, partnership, growth, and innovation will be my mantra as we look to grow our value and connection with AAHOA members and industry partners, carrying out AAHOA's 2021-2023 Strategic Plan, and continuing down the road to recovery for the entire AAHOA community."

WITH THE HOSPITALITY industry facing numerous issues even as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, two major associations have formed a new partnership to address that need. AAHOA and the American Hotel & Lodging Association have created the American Hospitality Alliance advocate for hotels on state and national levels. AAHOA and AHLA announced the formation of AHA during the summer meeting of the International Society of Hotel Associations in Boston on Tuesday. The purpose of the alliance is to pool resources and streamline efforts, the associations said, and it also will work with state hotel associations. "The majority of hotels are small businesses. That is why the owners and operators are particularly well-suited to inform lawmakers about policies and regulations that will accelerate the industry's resurgence. This coalition could not have come at a more important time as the hotel industry prepares to welcome back guests," said Ken Greene, AAHOA's interim president and CEO. Greene was appointed to the interim position in early June following the resignation of Cecil Staton, former AAHOA president and CEO. Rachel Humphrey, the association's executive vice president and COO, also will be resigning on Aug. 7, the day after AAHOA's 2021 Convention and Trade show in Dallas finishes.

KEN GREENE IS leaving his position as president and CEO of AAHOA to begin a new job with Dallas-based IBF Hospitality. AAHOA already has begun searching for his replacement. Greene will leave on Feb. 11, according to a statement. He was brought on last year in June to replace Cecil Staton, AAHOA's former president and CEO when he left the association unexpectedly. "Ken has been instrumental in carrying AAHOA through the past several months, which brought on a lot of change both at AAHOA and in our industry," said AAHOA Chair Vinay Patel. "We're grateful for the time he's spent at AAHOA and wish him nothing but continued success as he transitions to another opportunity." While at AAHOA, Greene oversaw the association's return to in-person events, including the 2021 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas in August. He also helped in write AAHOA's strategic plan and helped restaff the organization after the departure of Staton, the association's executive vice president and COO Rachel Humphrey and others.

MIT SHAH, FOUNDER and CEO of Noble Investment Group is the Penn State School of Hospitality Management in the College of Health and Human Development and the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society's 2023 Hospitality Executive of the Year. Shah will be recognized at a gala reception at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania, on April 4. Noble is a travel and hospitality real estate investment group that has invested nearly $6 billion in communities throughout the country through its institutional real estate funds since being Founded in 1993. The other accomplishments for which Shah is being honored include his family's endowment of the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series at Georgia State's Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality in honor of his father, Dr. Bharat Shah. Speakers featured in the program include former Hospitality Executives of the Year Chris Nassetta, CEO of Hilton, and Arne Sorenson, former president and CEO of Marriott International who died last year following a battle with cancer. "It is an honor to be recognized by the Penn State School of Hospitality Management and the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society," Shah said. "As one of our country's oldest and most respected hospitality programs, the school, its faculty, administration, and staff continue to help ensure that our future hospitality leaders are well prepared to live lives that matter."

LESLIE HALE, PRESIDENT and CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust, will join Mit Shah, CEO of Noble Investment Group, for the 10th Annual Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series at the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference. The Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series was established and endowed in honor of Dr. Bharat Shah at Georgia State's Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration, J. Mack Robinson College of Business. The upcoming series is scheduled for March 21, accessible to registered attendees, special guests, and Georgia State University students. Hale is the first African American woman to lead a publicly listed real estate investment trust. She serves on the board of directors for Delta Airlines, is a trustee of Howard University, and is a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Currently, she is the board chair for the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Hale said she was honored to be included in the Bharat Shah series, she said in a statement.

AAHOA PAST CHAIRMAN Manhar P. "MP" Rama passed away Sunday at age 74. Rama was a co-founder with his brothers of JHM Hotels that later became Auro Hotels in Greenville, South Carolina. Rama was born in Africa and raised in India, according to Auro Hotels. He completed high school in Gurukul Supa, Navsari, and graduated from M.S. University of Baroda with a degree in civil engineering. In 1973, he came to the U.S. and attended California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California, where he earned a master's degree in engineering. He worked with the city of Pomona before entering the hotel business. "In the teachings of Sri Aurobindo, we learn that life is a journey of the soul, and my brother, M.P., lived this journey with unwavering devotion, love, and integrity," said HP Rama, Founder of JHM/Auro Hotels. "His contributions to our family and the hospitality industry are immeasurable. We will honor his memory by continuing to embody the values he held dear. M.P.'s spirit will remain a guiding light for all of us."