The Pierre Hotel
2 East 61st Street, New York, New York. 10065
10 am – 12 pm Industry Panel Discussions (involving some Hall of Famers)
12 pm – 2 pm Student/Alumni Networking Lunch
2 pm – 5 pm Hotelie Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
5 pm – 8 pm NYC Chapter “You Need To Meet” Annual Reception
Videos from the award presentations can be found on the individual inductee pages linked below.
The committee has chosen a very special class of 11 inductees representing many aspects of Hotelie successes. While we didn’t start out with a theme for this class, as we selected the inductees, the theme of “Game Changers” emerged. These Hotelies didn’t just play the game better than others, they literally changed the game for the industry. The Hall of Fame inductees for 2023 are:
James W. McLamore ’47
John Harney ’56
Harris Rosen ’61
Burton “Skip” Sack ’61
Annabella Santos Wisniewski ’65
Steve Rushmore ’67
James J. Eyster ’69
Leland C. “Lee” Pillsbury ’69
Cindy Estis Green ’79
Chiaki Tanuma ’80
Evan Frazier ’92
Rising Star:
Karim Abouelnaga ’13
We are delighted to announce the following panel discussions:
Panel Description: A thought-provoking discussion on the future of the restaurant industry as we explore a spectrum of topics crucial for its evolution. Our distinguished panelists will delve into pressing issues, emerging trends, and innovative solutions, providing valuable insights for both current and future food and beverage leaders.
Moderator Dana Beninati MMH ’15.
Panelists:
Panel Description: What does it take for companies to advance DEI efforts with intention, moving from merely transactional “window dressing” to truly transformational change? This panel delves into the definition of equity, the benefits of identifying one’s “why,” the significance of intentionality, and other crucial elements required to propel the industry’s DEI endeavors forward. Moreover, in light of the Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling against the DEI initiatives of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, as well as recent data revealing that 60% of Chief Diversity Officers at S&P 500 companies have departed from their roles, we will discuss the future of corporate DEI efforts.
Moderator Lan Elliott ‘90
Panelists:
Panel Title: Next-gen Hotel Investment
Panel Description: The Hotel Investment climate has substantially changed with higher interest rates, new workplace behavior, evolving business, group and leisure demand, challenging labor market driving new operating models, growth in digital platforms, emerging technologies and more. How will hotel investors and owners respond to the new environment? What will future leaders need to be successful?
Moderator Bill Minnock ‘79
Panelists:
Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of Hotelies who solicited and donated prizes, or bid and won the prizes, we raised over $100,000 for CHS last year. We will again be running an auction along with the Hall of Fame program. If you would like us to feature your company products by donating a prize, please email Richy or me. We would be grateful for your kind contributions.
Proceeds from the auction support the programs of CHS including the Hotelie Super Sunday and, this year, 25% of the proceeds will support the community in Maui. In 2010, Julie Morikawa ’01, created the non-profit, ClimbHI, with the mission to improve the hospitality community of Hawai’i and thus developed a certificate program for high school students that teaches fundamental skills for employment in the hospitality industry and beyond. In response to the devastating fires in the historic town of Lahaina on August 8th, the training focus shifted to Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certification for students. CERT-trained individuals are entered into the FEMA database and will deploy as needed to support emergencies by assisting with logistics, organizing volunteers, providing shelter support, and offering other skills needed to respond to disaster. The goal is to build Maui’s next generation into leaders that emerge stronger together from this tragedy that can stand as pillars and support their peers, and for this to be a new model for youth facing future tragedies not only in Hawaii, but also the world.
The mission of the Cornell Hotelie Hall of Fame is to:
The Nomination/Selection Committee selects the inductees each year and is comprised of members from different generations, geographic regions, and segments of the industry.
The committee members are as follows:
The criteria for nomination/selection are:
