Leadership in the Family

Eris T. Sims is the Chief of Staff for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In this role, Ms. Sims oversees the day-to-day activities of the Executive Office and supports the President & CEO and the Chairman of the Board of Directors in the areas of external positioning and reporting. Prior to serving as Chief of Staff, she served as the NAACP’s Senior Director of Events Planning. 

Before joining the NAACP team, Ms Sims served as Executive Director of The Links Incorporated and The Links Foundation. She received the 2019 Medgar Evers Award for Executive Leadership from the NAACP and was named a 2016 recipient of Connect Magazine’s 40 under 40.  

Ms. Sims holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and a Certificate in nonprofit leadership from Boston College. She is a member of the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE) and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).

Gracelyn Goodridge is a sophomore in The Hotel School at Cornell from Saratoga Springs, New York. Outside of the classroom, Gracelyn is involved as the administrative lead teaching assistant for Business Computing, the VP of Membership for Cornell Equity Research, the VP of Professional Development for Women Leadership in Hospitality, a beverage manager for Hotel Ezra Cornell, and a mentor for new students in The Hotel School.

Kate Walsh is Dean of the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration and E. M. Statler Professor. A professor of management, Dean Walsh has been a member of the Hotel School’s faculty since 2000. She received her Ph.D. from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and her MPS degree from Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Fairfield University.

Dean Walsh’s primary research is in identity, leadership, and career development. She also conducts research examining the impact of strategic human capital investments. In addition to contributing to numerous books, Dean Walsh’s articles have appeared in such outlets as Journal of Management, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Human Resource Management Review, Organization Science, Career Development International, The Service Industries Journal, Trends in Organizational Behavior, Research in Management Consulting, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, The Learning Organization, International Journal of Hospitality Management, and The Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.

Dean Walsh has extensive industry experience. She is the former director of training and development for Nikko Hotels International, corporate training manager for the former Bristol Hotels, and senior auditor for Loews Corporation. Dean Walsh is also a former New York State Certified Public Accountant.

Dean Walsh began her second term as dean on July 2, 2021. Since the beginning of her administration, she has focused on positioning Nolan for the future of hospitality business education as well as contributing to the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. This includes undertaking a comprehensive renewal of the graduate and undergraduate curricula, developing Nolan’s online global presence, launching two new graduate degree programs, and providing thought leadership for the hospitality industry, most notably through the creation of industry-based webinars to guide the industry during the pandemic as well as supporting extensive outreach and engagement through Nolan’s six centers and institutes.

Dean Walsh serves on the boards of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, including serving on its Educational Foundation’s DE&I committee, and Yonsei University’s School of Business.

Rafael Bitanga is a 1.5-generation Filipino-American from Kodiak, Alaska. He is a second-year undergraduate student at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration interested in digital marketing. Rafael serves as the National Public Relations Director for National Society of Minorities in Hospitality and serves on the SHA Dean’s Student Advisory Board. Outside of the hotel school, Rafael founded Kalayaan Collective to help Filipinx students apply for scholarships and colleges. He is also a photographer/videographer for Bitanga Productions, where he strives to help brands and businesses succeed in engaging their audience through powerful messaging and strategic storytelling.

My name is Vikas Reddy and I am a sophomore in the Hotel School from Palatine, IL, right outside of Chicago. On campus I am the Vice President of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality, Vice President of Alumni Affairs for the Cornell Hotel Society, Vice President of Public Relations for Cornell Equity Research, and am a Hotel School Ambassador. In addition, outside of the Hotel School, I am involved with the Cornell Voice Program and am a Cornell Tradition Fellow