John Kelly

Best Western® Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has elected John L. Kelly of Yukon, Oklahoma, as Board Vice-Chairman for 2021. Kelly, who previously served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Board of Directors, brings decades of hospitality experience and 27 years of Best Western ownership to his role as Vice-Chairman.

Kelly has owned and operated the Best Western Hensley's in El Reno, Oklahoma since 1993 and the Best Western Inn & Suites in Yukon, Oklahoma since 2000. Both properties have achieved incredible inspection scores since the time of opening, with the Best Western Yukon property achieving nine perfect scores in the past nine years. The property has also received numerous accolades from Best Western Hotels & Resorts including eight consecutive outstanding quality awards and four MK Guertin Awards.

During his time as a Best Western owner, Kelly has served in numerous leadership roles for the brand, receiving the All Star Governor Award in 2007 and 2011; he served as a member and former Chairman of the Best Western Reservation and Technical Committee; and currently serves on the brand's Membership Development Committee. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 2016 to represent the interests of hotel owners in District V, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

In addition to Kelly's work with Best Western, he has also been an active member of his community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association, the State of Oklahoma Tourism Advisory Committee, the El Reno Airpark Authority, the El Reno Visitors and Tourism Advisory Committee, and was elected to the El Reno City Council.

Kelly's diverse background in hospitality includes serving as the managing partner of a restaurant company; designing, building, operating, and owning hotels; and initiating sales strategies to favorably position hotels for potential contracts. Kelly received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Oklahoma and served as a Naval Aviator in the US Navy for 12 years (active and reserve).

Together with his fellow Board members, Kelly will drive Best Western Hotels & Resorts towards further success in 2021.