Stuart BoweBahamian hotelier Stuart Bowe was named the 2016 Caribbean Hotelier of the Year by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). Bowe, the Senior Vice President and General Manager, Resort Operations of Atlantis Paradise Island, received the coveted honor at the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF), hosted by CHTA, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico on Sunday. Bowe's contribution to the hospitality and tourism industry spans more than 27 years, having "cut his teeth" in customer service and management working at McDonald's in his teenage years and entering the industry as a management trainee. He subsequently worked his way up the ladder, storing and absorbing every experience to hone his leadership skills. Over the years he has worked in every department and in nearly all job categories, from dishwasher to busboy, from bartender to laundry attendant, from housekeeping to maintenance, and from front desk to landscaping. Stuart earned a BA in accounting in 1986 from Florida State University, an MBA in marketing summa cum laude from Walden University in 2009 and is currently pursuing a PhD in applied management and decision sciences with a focus on leadership and organizational change.