CHS Updates from Annual General Meeting

Hello Hotelies! 

We are energized after a wonderful few days on campus for the Cornell Hotel Society's Annual General Meeting and Hotel Ezra Cornell 101!

The Global Board, Regional Vice Presidents, Chapter Presidents, Chapter Boards, Global Committee members, and volunteers have all been hard at work for a great start to the year! 

Here are a few updates from our CHS meeting at HEC:

1. CHS Engagement is Up!  

• Total event attendance was up 4% in 2025, growing to 2,809 from 2,693.
• YTD April attendance is also up over YTD March 2025, growing from 654 to 816.  
• CHS is expecting to have more than 150 events this year - please come join us!  

2. New Iberian Peninsula Chapter!  

• The CHS Global Board is excited to welcome the Iberian Peninsula Chapter as our 55th Chapter. Special thanks to Ashwin Kamlani for being the founding President of the Iberian Peninsula Chapter. We are excited about all the upcoming events in Portugal & Spain! 

3. Mentoring is now available!

• Hotelie Office Hours, our pilot program for mentoring, is now live. 12 people have signed up so far, and we are excited for Hotelies to help each other learn & grow in this program.  
• Action Item: Please sign up to be a mentor or a mentee via The Lobby by May 31. We will be matching mentors & mentees the first week of June!  

4. Cayuga Classic Golf Tournament: Open for Sponsorships & Registration!  

• The Cayuga Classic is open for sponsorship & registration. 
• Early Bird Pricing starts at $1,250 per golfer and $4,500 per foursome.  
• Lots of activities for Hotelies and friends who don't want to golf. Guest pricing starts at $750/person. 
• Led by John Longstreet '77 and the amazing golf committee of Mark VanStekelenburg '03, Michael Cortelletti MMH '99, Julia Greenman '03, Jeff Manno '01, and Jackie Lee '02  
• Action Item: Register today! 

5. Hotelie Hall of Fame - Save the Date for Saturday, November 7th, 2026 

• The Hall of Fame returns for its 5th class. Announcements coming soon!  
• We will be at The Times Center in NYC. 
• Save the Date and keep your eyes out for all the updates 
• Special thanks to Ted Teng '79, Deniz Omurgonulsen '00, the Nominating Committee, the Production Committee, the Auction Committee, and the dozens of volunteers who make this amazing event happen. Thank you again to Ted Teng '79 for the vision to create this and help direct it.  

6. Ferrero Rocher Samples!

• Danny Sickle '21 and Ferrero Rocher have generously donated sample boxes for chapters across North America. 
• Chapter Presidents: reach out to coordinate a chocolate tasting for the upcoming CHS 98th Birthday celebrations!

7. Upcoming Events 

• April 29: Dean Walsh in Boston!
• April 30: Dean Walsh in DC!
• May: CHS 98th Birthday Party (Global)
• May 14 - 17: APAC Regional Meeting (Hanoi, Vietnam)
• May 18: Cocktail Party at the National Restaurant Association event in Chicago
• Summer: Summer events! (New Student Process)
• September 17 - 19: Cayuga Classic Golf Tournament (Palm Springs, CA)
• October 15: Zinck’s Night
• November 7 - 8: Hotelie Hall of Fame Ceremony + YNTM Reception Saturday, CHS General Meeting Sunday (NYC) 
• December: Holiday Parties (Global)

8. Phil Miller Hotelie For Life Finalists

• Each of the finalists from the class of 2026, Will Aepelbacher, Théo Belin, Matthew Merrill, & Samantha Salto, received a Lifetime Membership and $1,000.
• The winner of the Phil Miller Hotelie for Life Prize was Nicole Beamon, who received the Lifetime Membership and $5,000. Congratulations, Nicole - you truly exemplify the Hotelie Spirit, and we are all so proud of you!  
• Special thank you to John Longstreet '77 for moderating the discussion and sharing such wonderful memories of Phil. Keeping Phil's memory alive in the hearts and minds of the next generation is so important, and we are so lucky that so many of us who knew Phil get to share his legacy and stories with so many students. 

9. Big Change at the School

• Thank You, Dean Walsh: We extend sincere gratitude to Dean Kate Walsh for her leadership and unwavering commitment to the School of Hotel Administration and Cornell. Her dedication has strengthened the "Hotelie" bond and ensured that Cornell remains the gold standard in global hospitality education.
• Welcome, Dean King: As we transition to a new chapter for the School in July, we are excited to welcome Ceridwyn King as the next Dean.

10. Volunteers Needed!   

• CHS doesn't exist without dedicated alumni volunteers. Please check the Open Volunteer Positions in the Lobby to see what's available.
• If you have a desire to volunteer and don't see something available, Rohan Gopaldas '02 has volunteered to help you find a way to volunteer. Email Rohan to talk about what you'd like to do!

As E.M. Statler said, "Life is Service!"

Cheers,

The CHS Global Leadership Team

#HotelieForLife