The International CHRIE Election Committee is pleased to announce the candidates for the 2023 ICHRIE Leadership Election.

For the position of Vice President

Perry Hobson
Director, Academy of Tourism
Breda University

Check out my candidate video!

Bio
Perry is Director, Academy of Tourism, Breda University in The Netherlands. He has lived and worked in 6 countries, holds a Bachelor in hospitality from OBU (UK), a Masters from UMass-Amherst (USA) and a PhD in tourism from Southern Cross University (SCU) in Australia. He started his academic career at SIU-Carbondale. Moving to Asia-Pacific, he contributed to establishing ApacCHRIE. After holding various Board positions, twice hosting their conferences (Perth/KL), he served as President. After working at HKPolyU, he became HoS at SCU, Dean and then Pro-Vice Chancellor of Global Engagement at Taylor’s University and later at Sunway University in Malaysia. He served as co-Editor of ICHRIE’s Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education – in addition to being Editor of the Q1 Journal of Vacation Marketing for 20-years. Recognized for his contributions to T&H, he has been made a ‘Fellow’ CAUTHE (Australia), CHME (UK), and THE-ICE accreditation body.

Platform Statement
I have served ICHRIE in various roles over the years, and been a member of Federations in North America, Asia and Europe. First, I aim to contribute with helping ICHRIE live up to the ‘international’ part of its name. While I support strong Federations, I also see that ICHRIE needs to further enhance its connectivity amongst all members. Second, I see we need to engage more widely with a new generation of younger academics to join ICHRIE as our ‘New-Gen’. Third, is for ICHRIE to engage more closely with industry - and to focus not only on employability of our students, but also on the sustainability of our industry. I support the strategic plan and its implementation. I believe I am a ‘good-fit’ for this role given my global perspectives, coupled with the experience I have gained from holding senior positions at various institutions and with other professional associations.

Professor and Chair, Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management
University of North Texas

Check out my candidate video!

Bio
Dr. Kim H. Williams currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management at the University of North Texas. She is The Robert Dedman Chair in Club Management. Dr. Williams was selected as a UNT Leadership Fellow and Board on Health and Human Sciences Leadership Fellow. She serves on industry boards including the Disney College Program Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and Travel and Tourism Research Association Board of Directors. Dr. Williams’ research interests include hotel operations, human trafficking, human resources, and hospitality healthcare. Dr. Williams has served on the SECSA and West Federation CHRIE Boards. She has served on the ICHRIE Global and Multi-Cultural Project Task Team, 75th Planning Conference Committee Team, Annual Summer Conference Moderators Team, and ESD 2021 Virtual Conference Committee. Dr. Williams has participated in ICHRIE panels including the Educators Expert Panel Discussion: Reshaping Hospitality Education and Diverse Women in Leadership.

Platform Statement
ICHRIE strives to be the global leader of hospitality and tourism education, industry engagement, and talent development. As Vice President, I vow to utilize the strategic plan’s growth areas and values to fulfill this vision. Since joining ICHRIE over 16 years ago, I have made lifelong colleagues, exchanged knowledge with our global community, engaged with industry partners, and treasured our global reach. I have served in leadership roles within SECSA and West Federation CHRIE, contributed to the strategic planning process, aided the 75th Planning Committee, worked with conference planning committees, served as conference panelist, and much more. Leveraging these experiences, I vow to engage members by enhancing resources related to research and pedagogy and to improve institutional cohesion on a global level. I believe my passion, collaborative spirit, and adaptability will bolster ICHRIE into the next stage of its growth as a global leader in hospitality and tourism education.

For the position of Secretary:    

Jean Hertzman, PhD
Professor and Director, School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
New Mexico State University

Check out my candidate video!

Bio
Jean Hertzman, Ph.D., CCE, CSW, CSS is a Professor and Director of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management at New Mexico State University. Previously, she was an associate professor and administrator for UNLV and a culinary educator at Sullivan University. Jean holds an Educational Leadership Ph.D. from UNLV, an MBA from Tulane University and a BS Hotel Administration from Cornell University. Dr. Hertzman held many board positions for West Federation CHRIE including Director of Membership, Secretary, Vice-President, and President and Immediate Past President each twice. While President she served on the Board of ICHRIE. She has also served on the Strategic Planning, Awards, Membership, and Conference committees. She is one of the founders of the Beverage Education Special Interest Group.

She received the 2013 Chef Herman Breithaupt, the 2014 W. Bradford Wiley Best Research Paper of the Year, and two best conference paper awards.

Platform Statement
I have been a member of ICHRIE since 2005. My membership facilitated my progression through P&T and into administration by providing the opportunity to learn from and network with the leaders, faculty, and industry supporters of global hospitality education. I served West Federation CHRIE in several positions, including Secretary and President twice. I participated on the ICHRIE board and several committees, such as membership and strategic planning and in many meetings which revised the organization bylaws. I am a very detail oriented and organized person. I will carry out the duties of Secretary; taking minutes, overseeing records, communicating with members, and chairing the Bylaws Committee, efficiently and effectively. Recently, ICHRIE has made great strides in its vision to be the global leader of hospitality and tourism education, industry engagement, and talent development. I believe my commitment to and knowledge of ICHRIE will allow me to provide leadership for its future growth.

Chris Woodruff
Program Chair and Professor, Hospitality Management
Lake Michigan College

Check out my candidate video!

Chris serves as the Program Chair and Professor of the Hospitality Management program at Lake Michigan College. In this role he is responsible for cultivating meaningful relationships with students, community, and industry to strengthen and grow the Hospitality industry in SW Michigan. Chris is an established author, presenter, and educator. He has written numerous textbook chapters on Guest Service, and Casino Management. Chris is a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) and Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) and serves on the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Advisory Board. Chris is President of the Michigan Hospitality Foundation (MHF) and CentralCHRIE Secretary.

Chris is focused on education for a variety of audiences. “Regardless of if I am educating college students ready for a career in Hospitality, or High School students still weighing all their options, current industry professionals seeking certifications, or training, making sure they get value from my work is most important to me.”

Platform Statement
Greetings Fellow ICHRIE Members from Around the World! My name is Chris Woodruff, and I am proudly running for Secretary of ICHRIE. I have been a member of ICHRIE since 1999, and have had a passion for ICHRIE ever since, and consider my ICHRIE membership an important part of my educational successes. I have previously served on the Board of CentralCHRIE, serving as President for three terms, and am currently serving my second term as Secretary.

The main responsibility of any association secretary is to collect information and then communicate that information to the membership. I feel I am very capable of this not only as currently serving as such, but also my attention to detail, and a working knowledge of Collaborative Decision Making (CDM), which combines input from all stakeholders, to make choices that will objectively benefit and grow ICHRIE. Thank you for considering me for ICHRIE Secretary.

Catherine Curtis
Director and Associate Professor
Florida Gulf Coast University

Check out my candidate video!

Bio
Catherine Curtis, Ph.D., is the Director and Associate Professor in the School of Resort and Hospitality Management at Florida Gulf Coast University. Dr. Curtis’ research focuses on employee and managerial performance in the hospitality industry. She completed her doctoral studies at the University of Central Florida, where she also completed a master’s in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Prior to joining FGCU, she was a tenured faculty member at Oklahoma State University and started her career at Florida International University.

Dr. Curtis has taught courses in Organizational Behavior, Accounting, Management, Leadership, and Food and Wine. She has over fifteen years of industry experience including beverages, multi-unit management, events, and accounting. She has previously served as Secretary and Director of Education for the International Council of Hotel and Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) and performed both of those roles in Central CHRIE. Currently, she is a Co-Chair of the Project Management SIG.

Platform Statement
I am honored to have been nominated for the position of Director of Conferences for the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) Board of Directors. I have been an active member of ICHRIE for the past 15 years, and I currently serve as the co-chair of the Project Management SIG. Previously, I have served as Secretary and Director of Education for both ICHRIE and Central CHRIE. In my professional career, I have planned many events ranging from meetings to musical performances in the live events industry. I was the host and co-conference planner of the 2nd Annual Central CHRIE conference and have organized the Career Academies at two ICHRIE conferences. I remain committed to representing our members and suggesting innovative ways to develop the future of our organization. I would be privileged to represent and serve the members of ICHRIE as your Director of Conferences.

Dean, School of Business and Management
The Culinary Institute of America

Check out my candidate video!

Bio
I have been an active and engaged member of ICHRIE for 30 years. I served ICHRIE as President of NENA, two terms as President of OhioCHRIE (pre-federations), and on the Election and Strategic Planning Committees. Additionally, I reviewed papers for the ICHRIE conference. I am the Dean of the School of Business and Management at the Culinary Institute of America. Before joining the CIA, I was a tenured professor and coordinator of Food, Nutrition, and Hospitality at Ohio University. I have extensive experience developing innovative academic programs and curricula at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including online course and program delivery. My scholarly contributions have focused on the scholarship of teaching, including grant-funded program development. I hold a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University; an MS from Purdue University; a BBA from Morehead State University; and an AOS from the Culinary Institute of America.

Platform Statement
My educational journey as a student and academic has well-prepared me to become the Director of Education for ICHRIE. I have experienced the campuses of various types and levels of higher education institutions, from a small regional state university to a private non-profit technically focused college to R-1 universities (rural regional and land grant state). The focus of my research has been the scholarship of teaching. I understand the opportunities of delivering innovative curricula and the challenges of location in offering tangible industry engagement within the classroom. I also understand the challenges of balancing teaching, scholarship, and service as a faculty member and academic administrator. I wish to serve the membership of ICHRIE, engaging the ICHRIE Strategic Plan by working with the Education Committee and other committees to provide programming and develop resources to support faculty and enhance the hospitality student experience.

Bethune-Cookman University

Check out my candidate video!

Bio
Dr. Ruth Annette Smith is an internationally certified and experienced hospitality educator and industry professional, serving as the Department Chair and an Associate Professor of Hospitality Management at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. She holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership (Walden University), an M.S. in Hospitality Management (Florida International University), a B.A. (Hons.) in Hospitality Management (University of North London, England), and a B.Ed. in Technological Studies and Hospitality and Tourism ( University of Toronto, Canada).

As a fervent leader and educator, Dr. Smith served as SECSA’s Federation Vice President, President, and Immediate Past President, 2019-2021, and Director of Education, 2018-2019. Her international exposure, academic portfolio, industry experience, and passion for teaching, service, scholarship, and creativity have cemented her transformational leadership skills and pedagogical expertise. Dr. Smith is dedicated to lifelong learning, advocates for students’ success, and commits to inspiring students to achieve their full potential.

Platform Statement
I am honored to be nominated for the ICHRIE Director of Education position, and I thank Drs. Cain and Dickerson for considering me for the board. Serving as a SECSA Federation leader (2018 - 2021) allowed me to purposefully engage federation members before, during, and after the landfall of the pandemic, particularly during the SECSA 2019 Conference season. The experiences and insights I garnered during my unique term, combined with my international melting pot of diverse educational and industry backgrounds, have grounded me well to serve the needs of ICHRIE’s educators globally.

I am zealous about advancing 21st century hospitality education and collaborating on pedagogical resources that align with the engagement needs and learning styles of Generations Z and Alpha in preparation for industry. My passion for technological and academic advancement will drive and strengthen ICHRIE’s pillar of teaching and learning through global collaboration with ICHRIE members and industry partners.

Vice Rector of External Affairs
Dusit Thani College

Check out my candidate video!

Bio
John has been serving the world of hospitality education and training for over 15 years. After studying in Switzerland and working in multiple industry positions in Thailand and India, John moved to Europe to represent the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) where he helped the organization build partnerships, sales, and brand recognition in Europe and abroad. From there John jumped to Hosco, based in Barcelona, Spain to help the then startup now full scale “LinkedIn for Hospitality” do the same. In ICHRIE, John has been an active member since 2015, first joining the EuroCHRIE board as an industry area consultant and later serving two successful terms as the Director of Membership. John is now planning to move to Bangkok, Thailand to become the Vice Rector of External Affairs for the Dusit Thani College, the largest, oldest and most respected hospitality and culinary school in Thailand.

Platform Statement
My goal as the Director of Marketing will be to further enhance the brand recognition of ICHRIE among potential members, hospitality employers and organizations and to help produce actions and products which will help further establish ICHRIE as the go to source of hospitality education and training for the hospitality industry and study opportunities for future students.

Some of my initial ideas:

1. Establish an Industry Application Award, recognizing the most impactful and relevant industry research produced by ICHRIE members and promote these achievements through industry relevant channels.
2. Help attract new ICHRIE members and establish “win-win” partnerships with other organizations by utilizing my vast network of NGO’s and hospitality associations.
3. Create an ICHRIE recruitment platform to help our members share their programs and successes with young potential student audiences to build interest in studying hospitality and to deliver direct student leads.

Director, School of Hospitality Management
Penn State University

Check out my candidate video!

Bio
Donna Quadri-Felitti is the Marvin Ashner Endowed Director of Penn State University’s School of Hospitality Management (HM), one the oldest US. programs awarding B.S., M.P.S, and PhD degrees. She earned a Ph.D. in HM from Iowa State, a M.S. in hospitality industry studies, (Hotel Asset Management), and a B.S. in social studies education both from NYU. Prior to Penn State, Quadri-Felitti served as faculty in NYU Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism and academic chair.

Quadri-Felitti’s industry experience includes working for STR, Horwath Landauer Real Estate Advisors, Loews Hotels, Aramark, and benchmarking startup HotelRevMAX. As the first faculty president of HSMAI GNY Chapter, she spearheaded the inaugural Special Interest Group and Award in Revenue Management.

She has been recognized as a HSMAI Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds and one of “10 to Watch in 2016” by Hotel Business, her research involves improving consumer experiences from destinations such as wine regions to boutique hotels.

Platform Statement
As a long-standing believer in ICHRIE’s mission and supporter of others in service to that mission, I hope to more directly contribute to ICHRIE’s relevance and renaissance by serving as the Director of Marketing. In the past, I was active in the ICHRIE Academies, the Research Committee, and served as co-chair of the search committee for the new director. In addition, I spearheaded the hosting of NENA’s 2019 Conference at Penn State. It has been a privilege to be able to financially sponsor and support various ICHRIE initiatives, webinars, and awards. During the pandemic I enlisted my network to help produce ICHRIE webinars with presidents of AHLA and National Restaurant Association. It is important to strengthen ICHRIE as the representation of all levels of hospitality-related higher education and I would be committed to bringing my full complement of resources and talents to doing so.

Tony Kim, PhD
Associate Professor, Hart School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management
James Madison University

Check out my candidate video!

Bio

Dr. Tony Kim, an associate professor at James Madison University, Hart School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management, received his Ph.D. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University in 2016. He got his Master of Tourism Administration from George Washington University, concentrating on meeting and event management. In addition, Dr. Kim earned a BS in Chemical Engineering and Engineer Chemistry from Han Yang University in Seoul, South Korea, and a BS in Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Before joining the Ph.D. program, Dr. Kim worked as an Assistant General Manager in an international franchise restaurant for 8 years. Dr. Kim has published in peer-reviewed journals since his master's program and his research interest is food safety/sanitation and consumer behavior in restaurants. Dr. Kim has been an active member of ICHRIE since 2014 and joined NENA Federation in 2016.

Platform Statement
It is my great honor to be nominated to run for the Director of Networking for ICHRIE. I am a well-organized and detail-oriented person, and I believe in collaboration, teamwork, and proactive leadership. As I am committed to serving as an active member of ICHRIE and with the experience of serving as the Director of Networking and Conference for the NENA federation from 2020 to 2022, I want to add continuous efforts to the current board and contribute to adding value to what is already existing.

If elected, I will expand the opportunity to connect ICHRIE members by working with all federations. I will create an environment that welcomes everyone and encourages networking opportunities from a small group to a bigger group for hospitality educators. Also, I will work with SIG Chairs to design and provide more opportunities for cross-collaboration among SIG members.

Assistant Professor, Director of Event Management Program
Iowa State University

Check out my candidate video!

Bio
Ken Tsai is an assistant professor and the director of the Event Management program at Iowa State University. He has been an active member of the Central CHRIE Federation for years and has served in various leadership positions, including Director of Research for the Central CHRIE Federation. Ken's experience as an educator and researcher has given him a deep understanding of the importance of networking and collaboration among industry professionals, educators, and researchers to advance the field of hospitality and tourism. If elected, he would diligently seek to enhance the strengths of ICHRIE's networking initiatives and explore ways to connect and engage with members across ICHRIE.

Platform Statement
As a candidate for the Director of Networking position in ICHRIE, I am committed to promoting networking opportunities that benefit all ICHRIE members. My contributions would include enhancing year-round networking opportunities using websites, social media, and online forums, as well as creating other opportunities for members to connect and collaborate. I have previously served as the Director of Research and Award Committee for the Central CHRIE Federation. These roles have given me a deeper understanding of the ICHRIE's mission and values, as well as the importance of networking and collaboration among its members.

I believe my experience and passion for promoting networking opportunities, along with my commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity, make me an excellent fit for this role.

If elected, I would work diligently to build on the strengths of ICHRIE's networking initiatives, while also exploring new and innovative ways to connect and engage with members across ICHRIE. I look forward to the opportunity to serve and contribute to the continued success of ICHRIE.