CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announced that Malene Rydahl has expanded her responsibilities and has been appointed in the leadership role in EAME (Europe, Africa, Middle East) for its corporate responsibility program Hyatt Thrive. Her new position as director of corporate communications includes the responsibilities of developing and implementing public relations, corporate communications and media relations initiatives for Hyatt in EAME. She also manages crisis communications and reputation management for the area. Rydahl, trilingual, a native of Denmark, has spent the past 12 years living in Paris where she most recently served as director of communication for Relais & Chateaux.She...

Name: JoAnn ShearerTitle: Green Lodging Program Coordinator, Florida Green Lodging ProgramOrganization: Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)Years in current position: 1.5Primary responsibilities: “Receiving designation applications, providing assistance to hotels, doing a lot of outreach, providing information on industry trends and managing the audit process. I do a lot of responding to e-mails and phone calls.”Organization’s most significant environment-related accomplishment so far: “With 684 properties participating around the state, we believe the program has had a significant environmental impact. Our program has been the basis for other programs around the country.” Organization’s most significant environment-related challenge: “The recent economic...

OVERLAND PARK, KAN.—Joe Andrick, general manager of the Overland Park Residence Inn by Marriott, has been named Residence Inn General Manager of the Year for 2011 by Marriott International, Inc. The hotel is managed by True North Hotel Group.Andrick won the award among his peer group of 611 Residence Inn general managers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Costa Rica.“My intuition told me that Joe Andrick was one to watch when I first interviewed him in the early 1990s, and my instinct keeps proving itself over and over,” said Lew Wiens, president of True North...

Name: Laura KaneTitle: Business Travel Sales/Sustainability ManagerOrganization: Westin Michigan Avenue ChicagoYears at Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago: Almost six yearsPrimary responsibilities: “I lead our green team and green efforts. I continue to promote environmental responsibility—minimizing waste, hazardous substances, improving energy efficiency—doing anything internally to promote sustainability.”Organization’s most significant environment-related accomplishment so far: “Earning our Green Seal certification. It was a huge accomplishment.”  Organization’s most significant environment-related challenge: “Developing a complete composting system. We are currently only doing a small amount. We would like to be able to completely compost our wet waste.” CHICAGO—If you visit the Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago...

VANCOUVER, WASH.—International sustainable travel expert Richard G. Edwards, founder of the travel marketing firm ecoism, has joined the Advisory Board of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, networking, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market.An expert in sustainability and adventure travel with more than 20 years of experience in marketing, ecotourism, and community development in Latin America, where he lived for many years, Edwards recently launched a new travel and sustainable tourism marketing company, ecoism, which is committed to a more socially and environmentally responsible approach to travel. “In the years...

Name: Bennett ThomasTitle: Vice President of Finance & SustainabilityOrganization: Hersha Hospitality GroupYears with Hersha Hospitality Group: FivePrimary responsibilities: Bennett is responsible for corporate finance and EarthView, Hersha Hospitality’s sustainability program.Organization’s most significant environment-related accomplishment so far: “We have a program in place to cut carbon emissions and water consumption by 7 to 10 percent and waste by 30 to 40 percent.”Organization’s most significant environment-related challenge: “Largely, when you have more than 80 hotels and rooms it is about implementation and engagement. Continuing to educate and reiterate what the message is. We try to reach out to properties as...

SAN FRANCISCO—Inn at The Presidio, the first hotel in San Francisco’s Presidio, a national park site, has appointed Terry Haney as the general manager. Haney brings extensive managerial and directorial knowledge to the position, with a wealth of more than 28 years’ experience in the hospitality industry.One of Haney’s notable achievements was his involvement with the much-heralded opening of the W San Francisco, where he was director of operations. Having started his career in 1982 as the restaurant manager at the Hyatt Regency, Fort Worth, Texas, he has since held numerous management and director-level positions at premier hotels, with...

Name: Andrew MimsTitle: Vice President of SustainabilityOrganization: Gaylord EntertainmentYears with Gaylord Entertainment: 1.5Primary responsibilities: “I created and now run Gaylord’s sustainability department—with efforts ranging from environmental initiatives to social responsibility. Ultimately, for the company to maximize the impact of the program, it needs to fit seamlessly into our overall strategy and become a central component of our culture. I report directly to David Kloeppel, our president and COO, and meet regularly with Colin Reed, our CEO, and they both understand the growing importance of sustainability in the marketplace and the value that it can bring to our company. And...

TORONTO—The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) announced another milestone in its journey toward sustainability with the addition of a local food advocate to its team. In the newly created role of local food procurement officer, chef and project manager Kelly Hughes has taken on a mandate to create and implement a new strategy for MTCC around Ontario-based sourcing. The Broader Public Sector Investment Fund as part of the Greenbelt Fund has provided funding for the position. The MTCC has partnered with OCTA (Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance) in support of this initiative. The MTCC is enthusiastic about increasing the amount of...

Name: Mari L. SnyderTitle: Vice President Social Responsibility & Community EngagementOrganization: Marriott International, Inc.Years with Marriott International: 12 yearsYears with current title: 4 yearsPrimary responsibilities: Responsible for developing Marriott’s social responsibility strategy and its global implementation.Organization’s most significant environment-related accomplishment so far: “The scope of our work beyond the hotel’s doors .” Organization’s most significant environment-related challenge: “Helping to create an industry standard for measuring carbon—delivering a formula that all of the industry will abide by.” BETHESDA, MD.—In her role as vice president Social Responsibility & Community Engagement for Marriott International, Mari Snyder says “strategy development” is the favorite part of...