UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The 2024 Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society (PSHRS) Industry Awards and Reception will be held on Tuesday, April 2 at the Penn State School of Hospitality Management on the University Park campus.
The event, a tradition of the PSHRS and School of Hospitality Management since 1960, will honor Jim Risoleo, president and CEO of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., with the Hospitality Executive of the Year Award and Ted Balestreri, chairman and CEO of Cannery Row Company and Sardine Factory Restaurant, with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Risoleo is president and CEO of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., the world’s largest lodging real estate investment trust. Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and one of the largest owners of luxury and upper-upscale hotels, partnering with premium brands and leading management companies to manage its portfolio of hotels.
Balestreri is chairman and CEO of Cannery Row Company and Sardine Factory Restaurant, for which he formed a partnership in 1968. He also founded Pacific Hospitality, which was incorporated from 1983-2007, and held the franchise rights for Wendy’s International, covering a tri-county area in northern California.
The PSHRS Industry Awards and Reception is the marquee fundraising event of scholarships for students studying hospitality management at Penn State and programming support for the School of Hospitality Management by its dedicated alumni society.
The following corporate sponsors and individuals are gratefully acknowledged. Sponsors of the gala as of March 15:
Old Main Sponsor:
Host Hotels & Resorts
Nittany Lion:
Velma & Ted Balestreri, Cannery Row Company, The Sardine Factory, Inns of Monterey, Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa
DirecTV
HEI Hotels & Resorts
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Marriott International
PepsiCo
PJT Partners
Blue:
KSL Capital Partners
Noble Investment Group
Pebble Beach Company
Rockbridge Capital
Sightline Hospitality
Wells Fargo
White:
Akerman LLP
Aon Hewitt
BNY Mellon
Booking.com
Chef Bert Cutino
Davidson Hospitality Group
Eastdil Secured
Ecolab
Goldman Sachs
Hodges Ward Elliott
Hyatt Hotels
IFMA
JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group
MCR Hotels
Steve Metzger & Nancy Albertini
Morgan Stanley
Nestle
PENN Entertainment
Sage Hospitality Group
SH Hotels & Resorts
SMBC Group
Thayer Ventures
Willis Towers Watson
Patrons:
American Express
American Hotel & Lodging Association
Areas USA / Rich Schneider
Bank of America
Budge & Co.
Crédit Agricole
Curacity
Stephen Dart and Jane Dart Tucker
Patrick and Barbara Deming
Gordon and Rhonda Eubanks
Hawkins Way Capital
IFBTA/Rob Grimes
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Ron and Lynn Johnson
Bill & Kim Kohl/Greenwood Hospitality Group
KPMG International
John Metz
National Restaurant Association
Leon & Sylvia Panetta
Park Hotels & Resorts
Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association
Shari Reams-Henofer
Rich’s Products Corporation
Shaner Hotel Group
Truist Financial
Regynald Washington
Yum! Brands
About the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society:
The Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society (PSHRS) was founded to strengthen all hospitality professions and enhance the reputation of the Hospitality Management (HM) program. PSHRS is an Affiliate Program Group of the Penn State Alumni Association and the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society. PSHRS provides a means for achieving closer fellowship among alumni, faculty and students. PSHRS serves those who are currently attending Penn State in HM or who are graduates of the program, as well as those who work within the HM industries and have attended Penn State or are friends of the program.
About the School of Hospitality Management:
The School of Hospitality Management is home to the third-oldest hospitality management program in the United States. Since its beginning in 1937, the program has grown to now be recognized as one of the most respected and distinguished hospitality management programs in the nation. By combining a broad educational foundation with specific courses designed to build strong leadership, business, and communications skills, and by requiring undergraduate students to accumulate professional, real-world experience to graduate, students gain the theoretical, managerial, quantitative, organizational, and technical skills they need to become the next generation of leaders in the hospitality industry. The students’ relationships with faculty members and alumni serve to bolster this learning experience. Likewise, the renowned doctoral degree program in the school has been confirming doctorates since 1971 and places faculty and researchers in prestigious institutions around the world. New to the school’s portfolio in Fall 2023 is an innovative and focused Master of Professional Studies degree in Hospitality Management program.
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ben Jellison, director of industry and alumni relations, at [email protected] or 814-865-6728.
About Penn State School of Hospitality Management
Established in 1937 Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected. Its top-ranked undergraduate and doctoral programs prepare global leaders with a rigorous, diverse curriculum focused, since its inception, on engaged scholarship, featuring partnerships with Penn State’s Hospitality Services, Housing and Food Services, and top global hospitality brands. It’s also home to the oldest Penn State alumni program group, The Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society.
Ben Jellison
Director of Industry and Alumni Relations
814-865-6728
Penn State School of Hospitality Management
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