On July 21, 2004, Carlson Hotels Worldwide today announced the appointment of Carmen Baker to the position of Vice President, Diversity for Carlson Hotels Worldwide. Baker reports directly to Jay S. Witzel, president and CEO for Carlson Hotels Worldwide, and is be responsible to lead the hotel group’s strategy and tactics in support of diversity and inclusion. Baker previously served as General Manager of Worldwide Reservations Services for Carlson Hospitality Worldwide.
Baker works closely with all of Carlson hotels’ functional leaders on diversity initiatives in such areas of the business as employment, property ownership, vendor relations, advertising and marketing, community relations and philanthropy, in support of the company’s five hotel brands. Carlson Hotels Worldwide’s brands include Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson and Park Inn.
Carmen is a proven and well-respected leader in the industry and has extensive experience working with a diverse, multicultural and multilingual workforce supporting our more than 1,700 hotel, resort, restaurant and cruise ship operations in 82 countries.
Under her leadership, the Reservations Center, with over 550 employees, has established a Diversity Committee, including human resources, training and other management representatives. They also recently established a Multicultural Committee that includes a cross-functional group of employee volunteers to provide an educational forum to discuss the business case for diversity and celebrate differences and similarities.
Carlson Hospitality’s Reservations Center has long been involved with the community and continues to work to overcome low-unemployment in the area by reaching out to the community for help with recruitment and building relationships with entities such as the Urban League and the Mexican Consulate to attract diverse employees. They have conducted mock interview sessions to offer the experience to individuals that might not otherwise have the opportunity. They have also coordinated discussions with other local business and with the Metro Area Transit to urge development of a “hub and spoke” transportation program to establish major drop-off points linked to shuttle services for new employees to get to corporate offices.
Under Baker’s leadership, the Carlson Hospitality Worldwide Reservations Sales and Services center in Omaha, Neb. was named the number one “Best Places to Work in Omaha” in 2003 by the Great Place to Work Institute.
Growing up in a family that has championed diversity, Baker’s father served as a mentor for her as he developed and implemented Equal Opportunity Employment programs for the U.S. Air force and for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Her parents come from the Caribbean islands of St. Thomas and Tortola, and being part of a military family she moved six times throughout her early school years to multiple locations, including Guam and Puerto Rico, and was exposed to great diversity.
Baker is also an active member of her community. She has served on the Board of Directors of Family Services of the Midlands, for the past two years. During her time on the board she also served on the Finance Committee. The non-profit, non-sectarian organization focuses on the needs of the community in Omaha and provides a wide range of services including counseling, emergency services, crime prevention and intervention, domestic abuse and homeless shelters and neighborhood services such as senior and childrens centers. The organization also founded the first Girls Club in the city.
Carlson Hotels Worldwide and its parent company Carlson Companies, have a supplier diversity program and councils to promote diversity in all areas of the business including development, marketing, sales, purchasing, recruitment, training and advancement, and charitable giving. Carlson Hospitality Worldwide has been an active member of the MultiCultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance (MFHA); the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers (NABHOOD); the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA); the Urban League; and has sponsored numerous student scholarships at many leading hotel schools and through the United Negro College Fund.
Curtis Nelson, president of Carlson Companies, launched the Experience Lodging Initiative of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) to implement strategies that attract and retain diverse and talented workers for America's hospitality industry and is a recipient of the Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute (HIDI) Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to advancing the cause of diversity in the hospitality industry. The Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute (HIDI), housed at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston, focuses on diversity education, training and issue resolution affecting the hospitality industry and its workforce.
