Jeanne Brown Sander ’66
The Story
Cornell Days and Industry Career
Jeanne Brown grew up in Charleston, West Virginia where her father worked in the food business. Good food and nice restaurants were important to him, and Jeanne grew up looking forward to annual road trips that took the family to new locations across the United States which always included nice hotels and restaurants.
When researching colleges, she planned to major in math or business. During her senior year of high school, however, she received a brochure for a hotel school, and immediately felt that this was where she was meant to be. Unfortunately, it was too late to apply to any of the three hotel programs available in 1962: Michigan State, the University of Denver, and Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. She applied to all three the following year.
Cornell was her top choice and she joined in her sophomore year, along with a small group of transfer students who remain close friends today. Jeanne’s passion for hospitality grew at the hotel school and she loved every bit of her time at Cornell, twice serving on the board of HEC and joining a lucky group of five students invited on a 10‑week trip with Professor Vance Christian visiting hotels, wineries, restaurants, and meeting industry leaders throughout Europe.
Upon graduation in 1966, however, Jeanne faced a harsh reality of the era. Despite her experiences and her Cornell degree, as a woman entering the hospitality industry she faced significant challenges. Marriott could legally refuse to hire women in the Hotel Division, stating that it was unsafe for women to work overnight in hotels. They offered her a position in the Food Service Division instead, which was not her original vision.
Jeanne eventually accepted this and spent eight years with Marriott – five years managing food service in hospitals and private schools, and three years as a food services supervisor in Marriott’s Southern division.
During the 1960s and 1970s, many Cornell Hotelies worked for Marriott in the Washington, D.C. area. The Cornell Hotel Society chapter was very active, and new graduates were warmly welcomed by leaders such as Bus Ryan ‘54, Bill Eaton ‘61, and Pete Plamondon ‘54, who became an early mentor and Jeanne’s strongest supporter throughout her time at Marriott.
Jeanne’s largest career interruption came in 1971 when she met and married Tom Sander, a young U.S. Army officer whose career would take precedence for the next 25 years. They had two daughters, and Army life would see the family move across the Atlantic eight times, spending multiple years living in Turkey, Germany, England, and the Netherlands. Tom’s role as Army Attaché in London and The Hague placed them within the U.S. Diplomatic Corps, and Jeanne deftly navigated diplomacy and hospitality, regularly hosting high-ranking officers and foreign diplomats from all parts of the world at their home as part of the ‘job’ – a role where her Cornell training proved invaluable.
In The Hague 1995.
Jeanne and Tom with then the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, in 1995.
Upon returning to Washington D.C. with this unique international experience, Jeanne was a natural fit to manage the food service contract at the World Bank, which she did for more than 15 years, eventually managing both Food Services and Conference Services – every day feeding 12,000 employees and visitors, from 172 different countries (with complexities and unique demands to match). She even managed the contract for moving international staff around the world, drawing on her extensive personal experience with international relocations!
Volunteering and Leadership
CHS EMEA Regional Meeting Verona 2014. Past CHS Global presidents, Deiv Salutskij ’71, Leif Evensen ’66, Jay Treadwell ’61, Deniz Omurgonulsen ’00, Jeanne Sander ’66, Russ Urban ’81, Liv Gussing Burgess ’91, Bill Caruso ’70, Michael Chiu ’66, Tim Dick ‘MPS ’88, Raj Chandnani ’85.
A highlight of Jeanne and Tom’s years in Europe was their close association with CHS, and the opportunity not only for Jeanne to reunite with classmates from Cornell but to meet Hotelies from across Europe and around the world. They attended their first EMEA regional meeting in Rome (hosted by John and Pam Mariani at Banfi’s headquarters, and Roberto Wirth ’75 at the Hassler Roma) and would go on to attend 18 additional EMEA regional gatherings, as well as two Asia regional meetings (in Beijing while she was CHS President and in Manila/Boracay hosted by Jeanne’s classmate and friend Annabella Wisniewski ‘65).
Annabella Santos Wisniewski ’65 host of 2007 CHS Asia weekend on Boracay Beach with classmates Leif Evensen, Jeanne Sander, and Michael Chiu (three CHS Presidents from Class of ’66)
With four past CHS Presidents, (front row) Bill Eaton ‘61, Jim Petzing ‘55, (back row) Jay Treadwell ’61, Michelle La Motte ’83, Jeanne Sander ‘66. Crab Feast on Bill’s farm 2010.
“Jeanne has been one of the defining role models in my professional life. I first met her as a Cornell Hotel School student, and from that moment I was inspired by the way she led—with strength, grace, confidence, and genuine kindness. She showed me that it was possible to build an extraordinary career in hospitality while also being a devoted wife and mother. As a mentor, she encouraged countless Hotelies, including me, to dream bigger and lead with purpose. Looking at Jeanne, I remember thinking, ‘That’s the kind of leader—and person—I hope to become.’ Her influence extends far beyond the organizations she has served; it lives on through the generations of hospitality leaders she has inspired.” – Deniz Omurgonulsen ‘00
Jeanne attended HEC as an alum for many years, starting while her daughter Kristin ’99 was a student at the hotel school, greatly enjoying the chance to reconnect with the university and to experience the variety of offerings put on by the students each year.
After returning to the D.C. area, Jeanne joined the board of the DC/Baltimore CHS Chapter and was very active with the group. Bill Eaton ‘61 hosted an annual crab feast at his Maryland farm for many years, co-sponsored by the CHS and the Cornell Club of Baltimore, which drew attendees from across the mid‑Atlantic region; Jeanne led the CHS event team for 10 years.
In 2001, Rocco Angelo ‘58 invited her to join the Cornell Hotel Society leadership, and in 2004 she became the fourth female President of CHS in its 75‑year history. That year she traveled to Beijing and Brussels for the EMEA and Asia Annual Meetings. Ten years later, she served a three-year term as Chair of the CHS Foundation.
Separate to the Hotel School, Jeanne has also volunteered heavily with Cornell as the co-chair of her Cornell Class of 1966 reunions for their 40th, 45th, 50th, 55th, and most recently 60th reunion just this past June. The work that goes into planning these events is intense and protracted, and her reunion co-chair Alice Katz Berglas ’66 recently said to the class: “Without Jeanne’s Hotelie sensibility; her telling me ’There has to be a plan!’; and her ability to build an Excel file – which I could care less about – it’s how we get here. I don’t know what more to say but thanks!”
Class of ’66 50th Reunion Co-Chairs Jeanne Sander and Alice Berglas with Cornell President Hunter Rollins and 3 reunion clerks.
“Jeanne and CHS have always been tied together in my mind. My parents (Bill ’61 and Phyllis) traveled the world with CHS and Jeanne and Tom, and hearing their experiences and how they continually and selflessly gave back to the Hotel School was a constant inspiration. Every CHS story my dad told – and there were many – included “And then Jeanne…”.
I was always in awe of Jeanne – knowing she ran food services at the World Bank, while still being so down‑to‑earth, welcoming me at every CHS event and pitching in at the Crab Feasts my parents hosted. I suppose crabs for 600 felt easy compared to lunch at World Bank HQ.
My dad was always so impressed with and proud of everything Jeanne did and how she represented the School to the world. I know he is smiling down on her getting this honor.”
-Pam Eaton ‘91
Jeanne was recognized for her significant long-term volunteer contributions to Cornell with the Frank HT Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award in 2018, an honor which had only been granted to eight previous Hotelies (Richard Brown ’49, Chuck Mund ’51, Chuck Feeney ’56, Leslie Stern ’60, Bill Eaton ’61, Michael Chiu ’66, Andrew Tisch ’71, and Ted Teng ’79). (Photo at left – Jeanne greeting Past President Frank H. T. Rhodes and Mrs. Rosa Rhodes.) She is also a life member of the Cornell Council.
Family selfie with Tom, Jeanne, and daughter Kristin Sander Urhammer ‘99 during the Iceland 2016 EMEA regional meeting.
“Jeanne is an unsung hero for Cornell University, who is more interested in doing than receiving praise. She is always there to support the university’s priorities.” – Robert Mandlebaum ‘81
Jeanne is very proud of her service to Cornell and the Hotel School and is humbled to be included alongside the many distinguished members of the Cornell Hotelie Hall of Fame.
CHS EMEA regional meeting 2004 in Amsterdam, this was an event hosted by Joe Los at his house on the famous Herengracht. Joe Los ’66 – host, Bill ’61 and Phyllis Eaton, John ’54 A&S and Pam Mariani, Michael ’66 and Shirley Chiu, Phil ’83 and Yasamin Miller, George ’51 and Ann Bantuvanis, Ziggy ’63 and Shula Hacohen, Tim MPS ’88 and Karen Dick, Jeanne and Tom Sander
