2026 Hall of Fame Inductees
- Curt Strand ’43
- Richard (Dick) Nelson ’57
- Jeanne Sander ’66
- Stephen Mutkoski ’67, PhD ’76
- Joseph Lavin ’75
- Jimi Yui ‘79
- Brad Wilson ’84
- Michelle Russo’ 87
- Elizabeth Blau, MPS ’95
- Marco Benvenuti, MMH ’05
Mission
The mission of the Cornell Hotelie Hall of Fame is to:
- Celebrate Cornell Hotelie successes
- Create a library of inspirational stories for applicants, students, faculty, and alumni
- Bring together an annual reunion of Hotelies to share the fellowship of Hotelie for Life
- Fortify the School’s brand in the industry by featuring Hotelie successes
Nomination & Selection Process
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 founding committee members are as follows:
- Deniz Omurgonulsen ‘00 (Chair)
- Rocco Angelo ‘58
- Ed Evans ’74
- Jan DeRoos ‘78
- Ted Teng ‘79
- Christopher Hunsberger ‘81
- Ginny Mariani-Kitt ‘82
- Elizabeth Schafer ‘84
- Catalina Ganis ‘85
- Pamela Eaton ’91
- Regan Taikitsadaporn ‘93
- Vernetta Kinchen ‘95
- Kristin Sander Urhammer,‘99
- Rohan Gopaldas ‘02
The criteria for nomination/selection are:
- Contribution to the hospitality industry
- Contribution to the community
- Contribution to the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration
