Shelly Weir The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF) today announced the appointment of two new hires who will focus primarily on career development for the hospitality industry as well as oversee the new partnership between AHLA and the National Restaurant Association (NRA), which will enhance hospitality training, certification capabilities and educational products. Tapped as Senior Vice President of Career Development, Shelly Weir will oversee the strategic vision of workforce development. She will support the AHLA and Foundation agenda through career development to help strengthen the lodging industry workforce, and will lead efforts to engage with community, non-profit, and governmental organizations where strategies to upskill American workers in the lodging industry align, including grants and contract management programs, such as the Department of Labor’s Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship (HSRA) initiative, which supports the growth of apprenticeship programs in the hospitality sector. In addition, Shelly will be spearheading efforts to expand apprenticeship opportunities in the hospitality industry through the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. AHLA, in partnership with NRA’s Foundation (NRAEF) and Jobs for the Future, recently received a $1.8 million award in which the three organizations are working with restaurant operators and hotel and lodging employers nationwide to recruit and place individuals in paid apprenticeships focused on management-level positions. Shelly will lead AHLA’s efforts to ensure new apprenticeship training regimens are created as well as working to build on existing programs already in place. Shelly will serve as liaisons to bridge the work at AHLA and the Foundation with the NRA, ensuring the organizations will continue to provide hospitality professionals with the critical education and training that fosters long-term career opportunities.