John Dufour Award

The Virginia Association of Hospitality Sales and Meeting Professionals has announced Gary W. Brown as the recipient of the 2010 John R. Dufour Lifetime Professional Achievement Award.

Brown has an extensive, and impressive, hospitality background.  A native of New Jersey and raised in New York, Brown attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas College of Hotel Administration. He began his career as a trainee for Hilton Hotels and subsequently moved on to Hyatt Hotels where he was Director of Sales and Marketing at 5 different properties before moving to open the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City. He came to Colonial Williamsburg in 1990 as Director of Hotel Sales, and later worked for Westin Hotels and the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association. He was recruited to return to Colonial Williamsburg in 2002 and was involved in the 5 year renovation of Colonial Williamsburg’s Hotel facilities. Brown is currently Director of National Accounts with The Venetian/Palazzo. Burke is active in VHSMP, PCMA, ASAE, AMP’s and the AMC Institute.  He has also served on many industry committees and is an ASAE Fellow.

The inaugural Lifetime Professional Achievement Award was presented at the 2004 Annual Conference.  As John Dufour so exemplified the very essence of this award, the award presented was then named the John R. Dufour Lifetime Professional Achievement Award.  Given the high standards this award was founded on, presentations of this award will only be given to the most deserving candidates and may or may not be given on an annual basis. Criteria for the Award includes but is not limited to, a minimum of 10 years in the hospitality industry, Involvement and Leadership with other related organizations, as well as displays of professionalism, integrity, leadership and dedication. The recipient must also be a member of VHSMP in good standing.

Past Recipients:
 
• 2004 – John R. Dufour, CHME (Deceased)
• 2005 – Howard Feiertag, CMP, CHME, CHA
• 2006 – Harriet M. Harris
• 2007 – Peter Kipp, CHA, CHSE, CHSP
• 2008 – Don Bruce (Deceased)
• 2009 – Jeff Ford

Criteria for the John R. Dufour Lifetime Professional Achievement Award: 
• Dedication     
• Professionalism    
• Integrity
• Leadership
• Extended service to VAHSMP
• Involvement and Leadership with other related organizations
• Minimum of 10 years in the hospitality industry
• Member of VAHSMP in good standing