The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) elected its 2011 Board of Directors at its annual meeting last week in San Diego at the Hilton Torrey Pines Hotel. The 2011 chair will be Pam Richardson, Barmaper & Associates. In addition, the elected officers for 2011 were announced as Rick Anderson, Casa Tropicana Inn (Vice Chair); Allan Farwell, Hyatt Grand Champions Resort & Spa (Secretary/Treasurer); and René Boskoff, Monterey Marriott Hotel (Immediate Past Chairperson). Along with Tony Bruno, Disneyland Resort Hotel & Downtown Disney (AH&LA Director); Steve Robbins, Los Angeles Waterfront Business Development (Audit & Investment Committee Chair); and Lynn Mohrfeld, CHA, President & CEO of CH&LA, these Officers make up CH&LA’s Executive Committee.

Additionally, CH&LA members voted to add three new members to the Board of Directors. Carl Doughty of Pacific Plaza Hotels, Michael Pace of W Hotel in San Francisco, and Bimal Patel of Concept Hotels joined the CH&LA Board of Directors for three year terms.

Also, Don Johnson, CHA was elevated to Director Emeritus status after being on the CH&LA Board of Directors for 16 years. “As a Past Chair of CH&LA and the association’s director on the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Board of Directors, Johnson will be sorely missed,” stated Lynn Mohrfeld, CAE, President & CEO of CH&LA. “Don has been an integral part of CH&LA’s growth and development and has been an excellent resource for us.” Cindy Power, CH&LA’s Chair in 2002, was also elected as a Director Emeritus.

Returning directors include Bhupen Amin - Lotus Hotels & Investments, Luis Barrios – Best Western Hacienda Old Town, Ed Bear – AutoClerk, Inc., Tom Costello – University of San Francisco, Mary Crowe – Vintage Inn/Villagio Inn & Spa, Lowell Daniels – Victorian Inn, Fred De Stefano – Larkspur Hotels & Restaurants, Mike Getto, CHA – The Hills Hotel, Tom Glidden, CHA – La Playa Hotel & Cottages by the Sea, Jon Handlery, CHA – Handlery Hotels, Inc., Steve Klein, CHA – Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, Chris Korologos – Red Lion Hotel, Mark LeBlanc – Rim Hospitality, Inc., Larry Link – Hospitality Resorts, Inc., Peggy Mosley – Groveland Hotel, Pragna Patel-Mueller – Samata Management, Inc., Tom Patton, CHA – Ramada Limited, Candace Savage, MHS – USA Today, Pat Seminario – Marriott Ventura Beach Hotel, Wes Tyler, CHA – Chancellor Hotel on Union Square, and Carl Winston – San Diego State University.

“CH&LA is excellently positioned as the voice of the lodging industry and to protect the industry under the guidance of these leaders,” stated Mohrfeld. “CH&LA is poised for yet another successful year with the 2011 Board of Directors and a strong membership, working as hard as we can for the industry.”

The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) is the largest state lodging industry association in the nation and a Partner State Association of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Its members comprise all segments of the lodging industry including the California Association of Bed & Breakfast Inns - California’s largest association of professional innkeepers and certified bed and breakfast inns. CH&LA is the leading resource for communicating and protecting the rights and interests of the California lodging industry. CH&LA was established in 1893. CH&LA is on the web at .

Jennifer Flohr
916-554-2667
CH&LA