ATLANTA, Ga. – Officials of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association ("HAMA") today announced that they have appointed a new board of directors for 2017.

The new members include:

  • SCS Advisors' Melissa Silvers, CHAM (Certified Hotel Asset Manager), as president
  • CHMWarnick's Maxine Taylor as vice president
  • Fulcrum Hospitality's Larry Kaminsky as secretary
  • Host Hotels & Resorts' Christopher Ostapovicz as treasurer
  • Pinnacle Advisory Group's Matthew Arrants as marketing chair
  • hotelAVE's Kim Gauthier, CHAM, as head of the education chair
  • CHMWarnick's Larry Trabulsi as head of the international chair
  • Three Wall Capital's Tim Dick as industry chair
  • Noble Investment Group's Steven Nicholas as an at-large board member
  • Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc.'s Joseph Bello, CHAM, as an at-large board member
  • KSL Capital Partners' Greg Kennealey as an at-large board member

"The new board of directors is made up of prestigious industry figures, bringing nearly 170 years of hospitality asset management experience and diverse experiences from various industry divisions," said Silvers. "As we enter the peak phase of this hotel business cycle, the need for asset management becomes increasingly important for owners looking to maximize their investments. With this in mind, we look forward to introducing and inducting more participants into the Certified Hotel Asset Manager (CHAM) program, the world's only advanced certification available to accomplished hotel asset management professionals."

"In addition to being our 25th anniversary as an organization, 2017 will see a number of new and innovative programs and opportunities for our membership," said Taylor. "We recently launched a brand new, dynamic website, with the goal of becoming the most trusted online resource for asset management in the world. Additionally, as we work together to represent the interests of hotel owners with management companies and the government, HAMA has a number of planned initiatives, including partnering again with the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) to publish the 5th version of 'A Study in Capital Expenditures in the Hotel Industry,' the preeminent publication on the topic. We also intend to greatly increase the organization's presence at major industry events and conferences, making for a very full year, indeed."

New HAMA president Melissa Slivers brings 25 years of hotel experience, 16 in hotel asset management specifically, to the group, serving as principal at SCS Advisors' and previously working at such prestigious companies as Marriott International as director of finance and assistant controller and analyst at Interstate Hotels & Resorts. She is certified in hospitality asset management and previously served as HAMA's education chair. Slivers received a Bachelor of Science in business at Pepperdine University.

Newly appointed senior vice president of asset management at CHMWarnick, Maxine Taylor also served as executive vice president of asset management at Chartres Lodging Group and vice president of asset management at Capital Hotel Management. Prior to that, Taylor also worked with Horwath Landauer Hospitality Consulting, The Ritz-Carlton hotels in Fla. and Ga. and served as a professor of hospitality management at Edison Community College. She formerly served as HAMA international chair and continues to be affiliated with other industry organizations such as the Starwood Owners Advisory Council, the Association of Sheraton Franchisees of North America (ASFONA) and the Consumer Innovation Forum (CIF). Taylor received her master's in Hospitality Management from Florida International University in Miami and is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA).

About HAMA

HAMA members are involved in asset management, acquisition, financing and disposition of hotels and resorts and are directly responsible for making decisions concerning capital investments, renovations, asset repositioning, operational policies and management selection. The association's mission is to, "Further the knowledge and skills of our members, facilitate peer relationships, and serve as the collective voice of members and hospitality asset owners." Its U.S. members represent more than 3,500 hotels and resorts across every major brand, accounting for 775,000 hotel rooms, 250,000 employees, $40 billion in annual revenue and $3 billion in capital expenditures. The organization boasts an additional 245 international affiliate members, as well.

Sonia Abdulbaki
Daly Gray Public Relations
(703) 435-6293
HAMA

Related