A little more than a month ago, officials of Castell Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry, released the 2022 Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership report. You can read about the report here on Green Lodging News. In summary, the report was somewhat positive regarding the progress of women in leadership roles, but women still have a long way to go to catch up with men in our industry.
This past week, officials of Castell Project released the “Black Representation in Hospitality Leadership 2022” report. The report was definitely not “somewhat positive.”
“Black representation in leadership for the public face of the hospitality industry is not making the gains necessary to show opportunity to Black employees,” said Peggy Berg, Chair, Castell Project, Inc. “In addition, Black employees disproportionately lost hospitality industry jobs during the Pandemic. Rebuilding its workforce will require significant change in the opportunities offered to Black hospitality employees if we desire to be viewed as an industry that genuinely promotes diversity, equality, and inclusivity.”
Analysts captured information from the websites of hotel companies listed in the STR Directory of Hotel & Lodging Companies. Most entries were reviewed twice: once on a company’s website and then compared to an employee’s LinkedIn profile. Identification of race and gender was made by visual inspection, and self-identification could vary.
‘Highlights’ of the Report
- In 2021, only 11 percent of the 671 hotel company websites reviewed for this study showed Black executives (director through CEO) prominently on their websites, a decline from 2019. Those black executives represented just 2 percent of all hospitality industry executives on company websites reviewed for this report.
- Black employees in the hospitality industry were impacted disproportionately during the Pandemic. In 2019, Black employees made up 18.8 percent of the hospitality industry workforce (travel accommodations). In 2021, their share dropped to 13.6 percent, reflecting a 52 percent loss of jobs among Black hospitality employees. In contrast, across all industries, employment declined only 3.2 percent, and Black workers overall retained their share of jobs.
- Black women have stronger representation than Black men at the Director level but are less likely to be advanced than Black men.
- Black representation in leadership is heavily weighted toward human resources. HR employs 28 percent of Black employees at the director to CEO levels. Black employees are significantly less likely to find opportunity in food and beverage, construction/design, or investment/development.
“We recognize the remarkable support of the many men and women working to advance Black representation in hospitality industry leadership,” Berg added. “However, as Executive Director of Tourism Diversity Matters Greg DeShields says, ‘We need to rethink working in the hospitality industry and rebuild trust. This requires hiring diverse talent into higher levels of management, acting upon the importance of having leaders who reflect the demographics of our customers and creating an inclusive workplace.’”
I find it amazing that here in 2022 there is still such a lack of diversity at the top of hospitality organizations. As an industry we can all do much better.
A full copy of the report can be found on the Castell Project website at www.castellproject.org.
Green Lodging News Adds Hotel Sustainability Solutions as Founding Sponsor
Green Lodging News has added Hotel Sustainability Solutions, Inc. (HSSI) as a Founding Sponsor at the Bronze level. HSSI is led by Charles A. Smith, CEO.
HSSI focuses on the hospitality market with the analyzing, designing, implementing, and monitoring of individual and portfolio properties nationwide. HSSI has developed a client sustainability platform having 34 sustainability initiatives, which was a recipient of the prestigious California Governor’s GEELA Award (Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award).
Smith is also CEO of Integrated Sustainability Solutions, Inc. (ISSI). ISSI uses a unique integrationapproach to assist the underwriting of costs to achieve impacting results. Financing models, depreciation schedules, energy efficient incentives, tax incentives and rebates are all factored in, to maximize ownership benefits.
Smith also leads Stonebridge Sustainability Solutions, Inc. (SSSI) as CEO. SSSI, through a patented and proprietary advanced technology (Gold Seal Industries), focuses on waste conversion to valuable market demanded commodities. SSSI offers solutions that address catastrophic wildfires, water and soil contamination, water recapture, emergency disaster relief, renewable energy generation, biofuels, sanitation and more. The technology generates zero emissions, eliminates land fill deposits, requires no grid connection and is mobile to waste generation locations.
The Power of Window Film
Smith also represents Window Film Depot, a commercial window film and graphics installer. Window film is a first step in achieving reduced capex (solar, HVAC) and reduced operating expenditures inclusive of energy efficiency, emission reductions (GHG), lighting and control systems, and carbon reduction. PACE financing, available rebates, and tax incentives all assist in underwriting project costs. In addition to a wide range of 3M film products, Window Film Depot, through its patented and clear security films, offersDefenseLite and Bulletshield “Keeping out the bad guys” and “Body Armor for Windows”.
Services from Verdafero, Inc. are also available through Smith Verdafero is one of the top recognized EnergyStar certified professional engineering consultancy firms in the United States. Verdafero Insights is a patented Software-as-a-Service platform designed to securely monitor, analyze, and report across utilities for any size property portfolio. Verdafero Insights can also be used to detect utility leaks, theft, and efficiencies as well as to forecast trends. Verdafero Insights can also identify upgrade projects to head off future issues, save money and increase operating profits and automatically calculate GHG emissions for ESG and sustainability reporting.
For more information, contact Newport Beach, Calif.-based Charles A. Smith at (412) 445-4237, e-mail chuck@hotelsustainabilityinc.com, or go to https://hotelsustainabilityinc.com.
Earth Hour & Earth Day
Earth Hour is planned this year for March 26 at 8:30 p.m. local time and Earth Day is April 22. In the past hotels have found very creative ways to mark these occasions. Got something planned for Earth Hour and/or Earth Day? Tell me about them by writing to greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers, and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Get in the Green Suppliers Spotlight!
Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, publishes Green Suppliers Spotlight, an e-blast to 22,347 subscribers that features the lodging industry’s leading green products and services. The e-blast features multiple vendors—unlike the current Green Supplier Spotlight that allows one supplier to “own” the Green Lodging News subscriber list for one e-blast. (Click here for a Green Suppliers Spotlight sample.)
Green Suppliers Spotlight is published weekly on Thursdays to general managers, owners, management companies, directors of sustainability, directors of engineering, facilities managers and many others who are either in purchasing positions or who influence purchasing decisions. Suppliers of green products and services throughout North America and beyond are invited to participate in the e-blast. (Minimum two suppliers per e-blast.) Green Suppliers Spotlight was created to give vendors an opportunity to reach a high number of industry purchasers at a very low cost—as low as $200 per e-mail. (Click here for rate sheet.)
Those advertising in Green Suppliers Spotlight can include up to 100 words, one image, contact information and multiple links to their website in their ad. At the end of each week, a report will be sent to each supplier with information on delivered e-mails, opens and click-throughs.
Planning Advertising for 2022?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2022. Many excellent spots are available on our website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2022 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com. A media kit can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation
The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight currently stands at 22,347. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There are “subscribe” links on the Green Lodging News home page. You may also e-mail greenlodgingnews@gmail.com to be added to our list.
Green Lodging News & Social Media
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As always, I can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
