FISH CAMP, CALIF.—Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite has named Brett Archer as general manager of the 352-room resort located at Yosemite National Park’s south gate and set on 75 forested acres featuring the main lodge, cottages and its two-bedroom Explorer Cabins, which opened in summer 2019. Archer joins Tenaya Lodge from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, where he served in the same capacity. The appointment is a homecoming for Archer who has spent most of his nearly 30-year career in Yosemite and over 25 years with Delaware North Companies. Prior to Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Archer was assistant general manager at Tenaya...

GULF BREEZE, FLA.—Innisfree Hotels announces the appointment of Brittney Barnett as Director of Sustainability. Barnett comes to Innisfree with more than seven years’ experience in development economics, urban and regional planning, and sustainability. As Director of Sustainability, Barnett will focus on building out the “Planet” portion of Innisfree’s Triple Bottom Line, which prioritizes People, Planet, and Profit as key components of the company’s culture and operations. Focusing on implementing environmental initiatives, Barnett hopes to foster company-wide regenerative practices and mitigate the overall environmental impact of Innisfree’s portfolio. “I am most looking forward to engaging with our guests, the communities in which we operate, and forging...

LOS ANGELES—Green Globe Certification, a leading sustainability certification for the travel and tourism industry, announces the appointment of Birte Pelayo to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Pelayo joined Green Globe Certification in 2009 as a new graduate and has worked across the company with a focus on membership services and certification. Recently Pelayo held the position of Chief Operating Officer, overseeing partnerships and certification verification as well as management of administration services. “Since joining Green Globe my ambition has been to consistently deliver a highly reliable sustainability certification for hospitality, travel and tourism businesses worldwide,” said Pelayo. “My goal as...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Board of Directors announced that Mahesh Ramanujam will be stepping down as president and CEO of USGBC, Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI) and Arc Skoru, effective Nov. 1, 2021. This announcement comes as a part of the organization’s review of its structure, go-to-market strategy and leadership to optimize the organizations’ support of the green building community, expand the green building marketplace, increase access to sustainable, healthy and resilient places, and ensure organizational excellence. “Mahesh Ramanujam has a deep dedication to the green building movement and has worked tirelessly to advance the goals of...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts, Inc. announced that Kirsten Lynch, the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, will be appointed CEO and elected to the company’s board of directors, effective November 1, 2021. At that time, Rob Katz, the company’s current CEO, will be appointed Executive Chairperson of the board and remain fully active and engaged in Vail Resorts’ key strategic decisions and priorities. Additionally, at that time, Ryan Bennett, currently Vice President of Marketing, Lift Revenue, will be named Chief Marketing Officer of Vail Resorts. Lynch joined Vail Resorts in 2011 as Chief Marketing Officer and previously held senior leadership positions at PepsiCo and Kraft Foods. Lynch...

NEW YORK—Raul Leal will take over as CEO of SH Hotels and Resorts on August 19, parent company Starwood Capital Group said. Leal succeeds Arash Azarbarzin, who is leaving SH Hotels and Resorts to pursue a new opportunity. Azarbarzin had been appointed to the CEO role just six months ago. Leal was previously CEO of Virgin Hotels for a decade until he stepped down in March. He will now oversee several brands underneath the SH umbrella, including 1 Hotels, Treehouse Hotels and Baccarat Hotels and Resorts. All three brands are less than 10 years old. 1 Hotels launched in 2015 as a luxury...

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS—A Barbadian certified landscape ecologist with a passion for promoting a sustainable environment for all living species is the recipient of the first-ever Caribbean Tourism Organization Scholarship Foundation’s Thomas J. Greenan Scholarship introduced this year for studies in agro/gastronomy-related subjects. Twenty-two-year-old Ramon Robinson will pursue studies in applied horticulture-landscape operations and management at the Houston Community College in the United States. “It is very difficult in this world to carve out a career path for yourself and I am not exempt from any of these challenges, so one can imagine what this help means to me to be able to go...

SANTA MONICA, CALIF.—Shutters on the Beach announced the appointment of Richard Archuleta as Executive Chef of 1 Pico, the iconic Southern California restaurant located at the acclaimed Santa Monica hotel. Bringing over a decade of culinary expertise honed at Michelin-starred restaurants to his new role, Archuleta will lead culinary operations at 1 Pico with a focus on coastal California cuisine and fresh-market fare. “We are excited to welcome Chef Richard Archuleta to our Shutters on the Beach family,” said Charlie Lopez-Quintana, General Manager, Shutters on the Beach. “Richard’s culinary passion, creativity and extensive background will be an incredible asset to 1 Pico. He will serve...

PALMA DE MALLORCA—Iberostar Group has announced the appointment of Erika Harms as Director of Coastal Health in the Group’s Sustainability Office. The global pandemic has demonstrated more than ever, the need for businesses that protect their communities and the environment in which they operate. This is why Wave of Change has allowed Iberostar to lead the road to responsible recovery in the tourism sector, recognized by WTTC, the World Economic Forum, the World Bank, UNWTO, UNEP, among others. In addition to the company’s leading work in Circular Economy and a Responsible Consumption of Seafood, the Mallorcan company’s work in Coastal Health has...

PARIS—Accor announces the appointment of Brune Poirson to the role of Chief Sustainability Officer. Poirson will report directly to Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO, and will become a member of the Executive Committee. Her role will be to define, drive and monitor the commitments, the strategy and the roll-out of the Group’s action plans in terms of sustainable development. She will also be responsible for the Accor Solidarity Foundation and the ALL Heartists Fund. This appointment became effective on May 5, 2021. Sébastien Bazin, Accor Chairman and CEO said: “For more than 25 years, Accor has been at the forefront...