ORLANDO, FLA.—On Saturday, December 11, at a black-tie holiday gala, the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association (CFHLA) presented Marty Belz, president and chairman of the Peabody Hotel Group, with the 2010 CFHLA “Charles Andrews Memorial Hospitality Award for Community Leadership.” Each year, this prestigious award is given to a local leader for their contribution to tourism through community service.                 This award is the “highest honor” bestowed upon an individual by CFHLA, in recognition of their achievements and contributions to the Central Florida hospitality industry, as well as the community at large. The award is named after the...

TORONTO—Gap Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip recently announced the appointment of ecotourism industry veteran Megan Epler Wood as director of Planeterra, the global nonprofit dedicated to sustainable community development through travel and voluntourism. Epler Wood will share duties with newly named associate director Paula Vlamings. “I have known Megan for many years and have such deep respect for her and for her commitment and leadership in defining and building on her vision for sustainable travel,” says Poon Tip. “She is the best person on Earth to lead Planeterra and expand its programs’ influence.” A pioneer in the field of sustainable travel...

LEAVENWORTH, WASH.—The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that works to protect wildlife habitats across the globe, recently honored Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort owner and CEO Harriett Bullitt at the group’s 50th anniversary gala in late October. The Conservancy recognized Bullitt and 18 other “Conservation Heroes” including Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and former Washington state governor Mike Lowry. The event also featured famed anthropologist Dr. Jane Goodall as the evening’s guest speaker. Goodall spoke of the 50 years since her first visit in 1960 to the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania to study primates and the importance of continued...

Name: Katarina TesarovaTitle: Director of Sustainable OperationsOrganization: Energy and Environmental Services Division of MGM Resorts InternationalYears with MGM Resorts International: FivePrimary responsibilities: “I am responsible for the implementation of green practices in our properties—designing programs that reduce our environmental footprint and increase employee awareness.”Company’s most significant environment-related accomplishment so far: “Of course LEED certification is the most visible accomplishment for us. We truly pushed the envelope with that project.”Organization’s most significant environment-related challenge: “Our challenge has always been a reduction in resources—especially water—how to do things more efficiently with less. Identifying the practices that help us minimize the...

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF.—Montage Hotels & Resorts announced that Hermann Elger has been appointed general manager of Montage Beverly Hills. Last year, the hotel earned Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for New Construction rating system. “We’re thrilled to welcome Hermann to Montage Hotels & Resorts,” said Alan Fuerstman, founder and CEO, Montage Hotels & Resorts. “His international experience in luxury hotel management and genuine passion to deliver memorable and extraordinary guest experiences made him a natural fit for this position.” Elger was most recently the general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun, a position he held since 2007....

SILVER SPRING, MD.—Lodging franchisor Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced that its president and CEO Stephen P. Joyce is the 2010 Community Partner Award recipient from ServiceSource, Inc. for his charitable efforts directly benefiting the organization’s Foundation. ServiceSource, Inc. is a regional not-for-profit organization that provides employment and rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities and, in turn, the affiliated ServiceSource Foundation works to raise money in support of the people and programs at ServiceSource and its affiliate organizations. Joyce received this prestigious award because of his involvement and leadership as a founding member of the Foundation. “I am honored to receive the...

Name: Jennifer BauchnerTitle: Director, Rooms and Sustainability, North America OperationsOrganization: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.Time in current position: Eight monthsMy primary responsibilities: “My role is a combination of responsibilities for room operations—front office and housekeeping for our 500-plus North America hotels—as well as leading sustainability initiatives at those hotels, bringing to life goals set forth in our sustainability strategy and making sure owners and managers have tools to implement them at the hotel level. I am able to have an immediate impact from a sustainability perspective. So much of what we do needs to be executed in the...

Name: Beth PrattTitle: Director, Environmental AffairsCompany: Yellowstone National Park-Xanterra Parks & ResortsYears with company: “I started in January of 2008.”My primary responsibilities: “The job is a 50/50 split between infusing sustainability into each department and raising awareness of climate change and helping guests and employees be greener in their own lives.”Most significant environment-related accomplishment in Yellowstone National Park so far: “Opening the For Future Generations: Yellowstone Gifts store. We were able to do that at a time when the economy was not doing well.”Company’s most significant environment-related challenge: “Successfully balancing the need for historical preservation with the need for...

Name: Cecile EppersonTitle: Director of Wellness and SustainabilityHotel: The New York Palace HotelYears with hotel: 14My primary responsibilities: “They center on corporate responsibility, environmental responsibility, community engagement, and ensuring the health and safety of our employees as part of our ‘We Care’ philosophy.”Hotel’s most significant environment-related accomplishment so far: “I am proud to say we are participating in the Clean the World soap and shampoo recycling program.”Organization’s most significant environment-related challenge: “We would love to have a towel and linen reuse program but it is a challenge because The New York Palace is a five diamond property.”What I enjoy...

Name: Sara Schoen Title: Commercial Market Development Associate Organization: U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Years with USGBC: 2.5 My primary responsibilities: “My responsibilities with USGBC include the hospitality market and the volume certification pilot program—a program that allows companies to certify blocks of buildings in aggregate. I am working to make LEED more accessible for international projects and am also working on the Building Performance Partnership (BPP). Through BPP we collect LEED certified building performance data.” Organization’s most significant lodging-related accomplishment so far: “The increase in the number of properties earning LEED certification. It’s a great accomplishment to have so many hotels working toward...