During his 12-month appointment, Birtha will lead the executive board of CHS, the 82-year-old alumni association that represents 12,750 SHA graduates in 56 active chapters worldwide. Birtha, who has more than 18 years of experience as a renowned gaming and hospitality executive, is currently president and chief development officer of SOL Casinos and AVA Amphitheater, an enterprise of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. In this role, he focuses on the strategic vision for the company and has general operations management responsibilities for Casino Del Sol, Casino of the Sun, and the AVA Amphitheater in Southern Arizona. He also oversees the design, construction, and operations of Casino Del Sol's $130M resort development. Prior to this, Birtha was vice president of development with Marriott International. He has also held executive positions with W Las Vegas, Las Vegas Sands Corp., and Mirage Resorts.
Since graduating from Cornell in 1994, Birtha has maintained strong ties with the university. He has been a regular lecturer at SHA and is a trustee of the Cornell Hotel Society Foundation. He was also president of the Cornell Alumni Association and Cornell Hotel Society of Nevada for ten years. General Management USA & Canada United States New York Ithaca