Lodging Leaders

Sunil was born in Walsall, England. His family migrated to the United States in the early eighties. They purchased their first 35 room motel in Pulaski TN. Sunil finished high school there, and earned a BS degree in Accounting from Middle Tennessee State University. Through high school and college he helped in the family business read more

Pratik Harishchandra Bhakta is a second generation hotelier and multi-property owner.  He has served as a Board Member for the Days Inn Franchise Advisory Committee, AAHOA North Carolina Regional Ambassador, and AAHOA North Carolina Regional Director. Pratik earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1994. The son of Harishchandra read more

Pratik Harishchandra Bhakta is a second generation hotelier and multi-property owner.  He has served as a Board Member for the Days Inn Franchise Advisory Committee, AAHOA North Carolina Regional Ambassador, and AAHOA North Carolina Regional Director. Pratik earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1994. The son of Harishchandra read more

Jagruti has been active in AAHOA for over a decade, holding leadership positions since 2011 when first elected Female Director At Large, Eastern Division. Re-elected in 2014, she has also co-chaired the Women’s Hotelier Committee for five years and served on the Strategic Planning Committee for two years. She testified to Congress against proposed harmful read more

Jagruti has been active in AAHOA for over a decade, holding leadership positions since 2011 when first elected Female Director At Large, Eastern Division. Re-elected in 2014, she has also co-chaired the Women’s Hotelier Committee for five years and served on the Strategic Planning Committee for two years. She testified to Congress against proposed harmful read more

Dan Gregory & Kieran Flanagan are behavioral researchers and strategists, specializing in behaviors and belief systems–what drives, motivates and influences us. They have won business awards around the world for Innovation, Creativity and ROI working with such organizations as Coca-Cola, Unilever, News Corp and the United Nations in Singapore. They are passionate advocates for the read more

Dan Gregory & Kieran Flanagan are behavioral researchers and strategists, specializing in behaviors and belief systems–what drives, motivates and influences us. They have won business awards around the world for Innovation, Creativity and ROI working with such organizations as Coca-Cola, Unilever, News Corp and the United Nations in Singapore. They are passionate advocates for the read more

Paul Kesman is a marketing and public relations professional with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He assists hotel owners, management companies, capital providers and suppliers to the industry define and articulate what separates them from the competition and develop strategies to convey their messages in the right manner, to the right read more

Paul Kesman is a marketing and public relations professional with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He assists hotel owners, management companies, capital providers and suppliers to the industry define and articulate what separates them from the competition and develop strategies to convey their messages in the right manner, to the right read more

Eliza Selig is the Director of Communications for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), a global professional association for financial and technology personnel working in hotels, clubs and other hospitality-related businesses.  She has been with HFTP since 1999, overseeing the association’s communications endeavors, including serving as editor/managing editor of the association’s journal The Bottomline. HFTP read more

Eliza Selig is the Director of Communications for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), a global professional association for financial and technology personnel working in hotels, clubs and other hospitality-related businesses.  She has been with HFTP since 1999, overseeing the association’s communications endeavors, including serving as editor/managing editor of the association’s journal The Bottomline. HFTP read more

Howard Feiertag, CHA, CMP, CHSE, is an industry veteran, with more than 50 years of service to the industry. He is currently on the faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, where he teaches Hospitality Sales as well as Meetings and Convention Management. A prolific writer, read more

Howard Feiertag, CHA, CMP, CHSE, is an industry veteran, with more than 50 years of service to the industry. He is currently on the faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, where he teaches Hospitality Sales as well as Meetings and Convention Management. A prolific writer, read more

Gregory L. DeShields, CHO, CHE currently serves as the Executive Director at PHLDiversity Multicultural Affairs Congress a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), adjunct instructor for Temple University School of Tourism and Hospitality and Hospitality Educators. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, Greg earned an A.S. Degree read more

Gregory L. DeShields, CHO, CHE currently serves as the Executive Director at PHLDiversity Multicultural Affairs Congress a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), adjunct instructor for Temple University School of Tourism and Hospitality and Hospitality Educators. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, Greg earned an A.S. Degree read more