Hospitality Financial and Technology

Professionals(HFTP®) will honor Jeanne Blair, CHTP as the 2014 Certified Hospitality Technology Professional(CHTP) of the Year at HITEC 2014. The CHTP of the Yearhonors the individual that scored the highest on the CHTP certification exam in a given year. HITEC 2014 will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, June 23 – 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Blair's hospitality career began when she moved to beautiful Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada.

Banff boasts grand hotels, such as the Fairmont Banff Springs that draw millions of tourists each year. After arriving in Banff, Blair found work as an IT manager at a ski resort and has spent the past 20 years working hard to provide the best IT services to the hospitality and ski tourism industry.

During those 20 years she took time to learn all the aspects to the industry, including the technologies,

the applications and the culture of hospitality and tourism. Blair has also completed a Master of Science in Information Systems (MSc IS) and the Project Management Professional designation (PMP).

"After years in the industry, I decided to finally test my

hospitality IT knowledge by taking the CHTP exam. I am proud of my association with the hospitality and tourism industry sector," said Blair (pictured right). "Earning the CHTP of the Year is certainly a great accomplishment."

Developed jointly by HFTP and the Educational

Institute(EI) of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA), the CHTP designation is the ultimate achievement in hospitality information technology by showing a dedication to both the hospitality and technology industries. The CHTP exam was first given in 1994 at HITEC in Dallas, Texas. Since then, more than 340 professionals have earned the CHTP designation around the world. HFTP also administers the examination and awards the Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive(CHAE).

About HFTP

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), established in 1952, is a hospitality nonprofit association headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with offices in the EU and Middle East. HFTP is recognized as the spokes group for the finance and technology segments of the hospitality industry with an international network of members and stakeholders. HFTP uniquely understands the industry's pressing issues, and assists its stakeholders in finding solutions to their challenges more efficiently than any organization. HFTP offers expert networks, educational resources, career development programs, research, leadership opportunities and conferences and events. HFTP produces international events throughout the year, including the world's largest hospitality technology tradeshow and conference brand: HITEC. In addition, it oversees the hospitality-specific Pineapplesearch.com® and the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI). For more information about HFTP, visit www.hftp.org. For the latest news, visit the HFTP News page at news.hftp.org and the HFTP Connect blog at blog.hftp.org.

Sara Shafer
Public Relations Manager
+1 (512) 249-5333
HFTP