ASHLAND, OHIO—A 160-acre parcel located just southwest of Ashland, Ohio could soon be the home of the United States’ greenest retreat center. Developer Wendy Kertesz says she hopes to break ground this summer on Windy Retreat Center, a 25,000-square-foot, 16-guestroom facility that will include two indoor conference rooms, one outdoor conference space, three classrooms, great room, dining room, commercial kitchen, fitness center and conservatory. The goal is to open the center by late 2012. Constructed in part using straw bales, Windy Retreat Center will pursue at least Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification and Passive House...

NEW YORK—The Kitano New York Hotel continuously seeks new and unique opportunities to showcase art, music, and culture. As part of this initiative, The Kitano has introduced a new and unique cultural series wherein the hotel will work with carefully selected local artists to showcase their collections. A rotating repertoire of gallery pieces will be placed in the glass display on the hotel’s mezzanine during the year as part of this new “Artist in Hospitality” exposé. Ever heard of chain mail art? It’s the main component of ’s ceramic sculptures. While The Kitano values tradition it is just as important...

DALLAS—The Fairmont Dallas announces Sean Springer of Springer Design Studio as the first Artist in Residence of 2011. Springer crafts furniture, home accessories and sculptures using salvaged wood creating purposeful, functional pieces from materials that would otherwise end up as waste. Springer’s resume is a veritable journey through a series of high-profile internships and jobs, working for and learning from artists, each in a different craft, who shaped him and helped hone the skills that allow him to create poignant, consequential pieces. The deliberate edges, complimentary contours and fluid arches of Springer’s work are manifestations of his experience, which...

Name: Michelle R. VeaseyTitle: Sustainable Lodging & Restaurant Program ManagerOrganization: New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Assn. (NHL&RA) Years with NHL&RA: SixPrimary responsibilities: “I promote the and its members. I certify new members and recertify existing members. At the Environmental Champion level, it involves going to the property. I am responsible for the education arm of the program.”Organization’s most significant environment-related accomplishment so far: “The most significant has been getting a lot of the larger facilities to get involved in composting. Energy is an easy sell. Composting is the most significant challenge but very rewarding. In Portsmouth, hotels have gotten...

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...