| Orlando,
FL � June 2004 � The Educational
Institute (EI) of the American Hotel & Lodging Association is helping
Towne Park Ltd. to fulfill its mission to provide hotels with �the very
best people � guaranteed� by providing targeted training programs and professional
certification for the company�s line-level staff and managers.
Employees
of Towne Park, the nation�s leading provider of contracted hospitality
services and parking systems, complete the Educational Institute�s Hospitality
Skills Certification for Valet Attendants as part of their required training.
Towne Park is the first organization to adopt EI�s valet attendant training
and certification program on a company-wide basis. In addition, the company�s
supervisors and managers complete EI�s Supervisory Skill Builders program,
which prepares them to earn the Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS)
designation.
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�Towne
Park�s valet attendants are the first and last impression a guest sees
when staying at the hotels we service. It is important to us that the guest
views our associates favorably as hospitality professionals, not just car
parkers,� stated Bob Valentine, vice president of organizational development
for Towne Park. �By adopting the EI programs in conjunction with our own
internal programs, our hotel partners are assured our employees are receiving
quality training that is aligned with the hotel industry. EI designed the
valet program to be site-specific to ensure we adopt the service standards
that are in tune with each of the brands and communities we serve.�
Towne
Park, headquartered in Annapolis, Md., provides valet parking and other
uniformed services to hotel operations in over 18 markets nationwide. Its
clients include many four- and five-star properties including the Gaylord
Opryland Resort in Nashville, Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, and Gaylord
Texan Resort near Dallas; Walt Disney World�s Swan and Dolphin; Mandarin
Oriental in Washington, D.C. and Miami; and Hyatt Hotels in Baltimore,
Houston, Philadelphia, Cambridge, Md., and Jersey City.
John
Kisel, CHS, assistant contract manager for Towne Park�s Philadelphia district,
said that completing the Supervisory Skill Builders course and earning
professional certification helped him to grow as a professional and become
a more valuable employee.
�I
definitely feel more confident as a result of going through the Supervisory
Skill Builders series. It is because of this confidence that my hotel feels
comfortable allowing me to deal with certain situations, which allows them
to focus on other important issues that the hotel may be dealing with,�
said Kisel.
Towne
Park�s commitment to training and certification begins at the top of the
company. President and CEO Jerry South holds the Master Hotel Supplier
(MHS) designation, the hospitality industry�s professional certification
for those who supply products and services to the industry. South is also
a member of EI�s Certification Commission.
For
more information on the Educational Institute�s complete range of professional
certification programs, contact EI at 888-575-8726 or 407-999-8100, or
visit EI�s web site at www.ei-ahla.org
and click on �Certification.�
About
Educational Institute (EI)
Established
in 1953 as a nonprofit educational foundation of the American Hotel &
Lodging Association, the Educational Institute is the premier source for
quality hospitality education, training, and professional certification,
serving the needs and advancing the excellence of hospitality schools and
industries worldwide.
Contact:
Elizabeth
Johnson
Academic
and Allied Marketing Manager
www.ei-ahla.org
517-318-2359
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