Restarting the Hospitality Industry

Chip Rogers serves as president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). The Association serves as the unified voice of the lodging industry with more than 27,000 members. He previously served as the president and CEO of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the largest U.S. hotel owners association. Chip also serves as a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council, the California Hotel and Lodging Association Board of Directors, and the Community Leaders of America Board of Directors.

Prior to joining AAHOA, Chip had a long career as a public servant. He was elected to the Georgia General Assembly six times and was unanimously elected to serve two terms as the Senate Majority Leader. He was elected the first national chairman of the Majority Leaders conference and served on the national boards of directors for the State Legislative Leaders Foundation, The American Legislative Exchange Council, and Community Leaders of America.

Chip earned his undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Georgia State University.

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.

Raymond D. Martz has led $13 billion of capital market transactions during his 26-year career in the real estate and hotel industry. Pebblebrook is a publicly traded REIT and the largest owner of lifestyle hotels and resorts in the United States.

Prior to his current role, Ray served as Chief Financial Officer for Phillips Edison & Company and Eagle Hospitality Properties Trust (NYSE:EHP). He was Treasurer at LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE:LHO) and worked in asset management at Tishman Hotel Corporation.

Ray received his Bachelor of Science from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia University.

He is also the co-chair of the Financial Management Committee of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the co-chair of the Global Finance Committee for the Association and HFTP. He is a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED User Group for Hospitality & Venues.

Roger G. Hill II is Chairman and CEO of The Gettys Group, a leading hospitality design, development, branding, and procurement company that he co-founded in 1988. A vanguard of the philosophy “Beautiful design is good business,” Mr. Hill has led through more than three decades of growth by continually raising the bar in his endeavors as Chief Executive Officer — a role that encompasses the strategy and analysis of the company’s own development efforts, including the acquisition and repositioning of assets throughout the United States. A respected hospitality industry veteran, Mr. Hill’s expertise and influence have helped place The Gettys Group amongst the most recognized firms in hospitality design.

A seasoned industry speaker, Mr. Hill frequently shares his insights on the development, renovation, and repositioning of hospitality real estate, regularly contributing to media outlets such as Bloomberg TV, Crain’s Chicago, Hospitality Design, Boutique Design, Hotel Business, and The Wall Street Journal. His achievements have earned him accolades that include Hospitality Design Magazine’s prestigious Platinum Circle Award and The Cornell School of Hospitality Innovator of the Year award.

A graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Mr. Hill is a member of the Urban Land Institute, International Society for Hospitality Consultants, and the Young Presidents Organization. He also serves as a board member for the Lincoln Park Zoo and is both a past president and past trustee of the Auxiliary Board for the Art Institute of Chicago. In addition, he has served as an appointed delegate for the White House Conference on Small Business. Mr. Hill lives in Chicago with his wife Eva and his two children, Getty and Madelyn. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, scuba diving, skiing, and playing golf.