2012-12-18 — /travelprnews.com/ — Allen Hermansen, a former Hilton Hotels vice president, contributed $5,000 to the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) 2012 Annual Giving Campaign, which supports key research and workforce development initiatives for the hospitality industry. This marks Hermansen’s second consecutive donation of $5,000 to the campaign.
A 40-year industry veteran, Hermansen got his start in the industry working at summer resorts in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He began his career at Hilton in the 1950s as a rooms clerk. In 1987, he was promoted to vice president of franchise operations, a position he held for many years until his retirement.
The Annual Giving Campaign is the Foundation’s key yearly fundraiser that supports its core missions, including providing scholarships to hospitality management students, funding important research in areas such as room tax, energy management, and ADA requirements, as well as promoting hospitality as a career of choice and workforce development initiatives.
“We are grateful to Allen for his support of the Foundation,” said AH&LEF COO Joori Jeon. “We need more industry veterans to realize the value in giving back to the industry so many have dedicated their life to.”
AH&LEF is the not-for-profit affiliate of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and is funded solely by charitable donations from progressive hospitality leaders and companies within the industry. This year, AH&LEF will disburse more than $1 million to prepare promising college students for a career in hospitality, to attract and retain talented industry professionals, and to fund valuable research for the industry. Since the Foundation’s inception, more than $17 million has been distributed through its scholarship, education, outreach, and research programs.
All AH&LEF contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. For more information about donating, contact Michelle Poinelli, senior vice president of foundation programs, at (202) 289-3181 or mpoinelli@ahlef.org or visit www.ahlef.org.
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AH&LEF is the charitable fund-raising and endowed fund-management subsidiary of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Founded in 1953, AH&LEF is the premier organization for scholarships as well as funding for hospitality industry research. For more information, visit www.ahlef.org.
Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, AH&LA is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to members.