Columbia, SC - The School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management at the University of South Carolina will honor Bert Pooser, President and CEO of IMIC Hotels, as the 2002 Hospitality Leader of the Year at a gourmet awards banquet in Columbia, SC on Friday March 15, 2002.

Pooser founded Interstate Management & Investment Cooperation, I.M.I.C. Hotels, in 1981 and has since acquired over forty hotels. Headquartered in Columbia, SC the company operates 33 hotels in six southeastern states. In addition to accommodation ventures, I.M.I.C. owns The Lighthouse Marina and Powerboat Sales and The Rusty Anchor Restaurant on Lake Murray. They are dedicated in achieving their mission - "Proving Southern Hospitality Still Exists."

Bert Pooser is actively involved in the hospitality industry in serving as Chairman of the Deans Council of The School of Hotel, Retail and Sports Management. Pooser is helping The Capital City to grow by being a member of the Greater Columbia Convention Center Authority and serving as Chairman of the Convention Center's Design Review Committee. He is the former Chairman of the South Carolina Hotel and Motel Association and former Chairman of the Lexington Medical Center Foundation. His illustrious list of current memberships includes - Member of the University of South Carolina Educational Foundation Board of Directors, Vice Chairman of the Columbia/Lexington Bank of America Advisory Board. In 2000, Pooser pledged a $1 million gift to HRTM hoping to insure the education of future leaders in the hospitality industry.

The annual Hospitality Leader of the Year Award acknowledges hospitality industry professionals that are committed to the education of future business leaders. The 2001 recipient was H.P. Rama, Chairman and CEO of JMH Hotels. The School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Industry sponsors the award.

A gourmet award's dinner will be held Friday, March 15, 2002 at the Capstone House in Columbia, South Carolina. Cocktails and canapés begin at 7:00 pm. The chefs and students of the Culinary Institute at Carolina will prepare a five-course epicurean feast honoring Pooser. Tickets are available to join national leaders of the hospitality industry for this scrumptious award's gala. Please call 803-777-7111 for more information.

The University of South Carolina's School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management's mission for the 21st century is to endow students with the leadership abilities needed to succeed in the competitive hospitality industry. Over the last 30 years, 3000 alumni have passed through the halls of the Hospitality School. In its continuing quest for excellence, the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management is now offering four different undergraduate tracks - restaurant, hotel and club management, meeting and convention planning, and tourism. Many of these programs rate among the nation's top 10.

Julie Huffman
803-777-7111