At its recently held Annual General Meeting (AGM) on January 2013, 17th and 18th, prior to Caribbean Travel Marketplace, members of the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE) elected its leadership and Board of Directors to guide the region’s association executives during the 2013-2014 term. Mrs. Gilda Gumbs-Samuel, Executive Director of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association was elected as Vice President for the year 2013 and President Elect for 2014. Mrs. Gumbs-Samuel will assume the position of President of Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives at the January 2014 Leadership Conference. Mrs. Lisa Hamilton, President, of the United States Virgin Islands Hotel and Tourism Association, was reseated as President of CSHAE 2013.
President of the AHTA Delroy Lake on behalf of his Board, expressed great pride in this significant achievement which he indicated would provide Anguilla greater visibility and input in the development of Tourism in the Caribbean region. Mrs. Gumbs-Samuel indicated that she was very humbled by the confidence expressed by the region’s Executive Directors in her ability to lead them for a two year tenure, an especially important milestone for Anguilla given that this would be the first time that the CSHAE President would be seated in Anguilla. In the past, both Mimi Gratton and Trudy Nixon, past AHTA Executive Directors have held the distinguished title of Executive Director of the Year, and Gilda expressed heartfelt gratitude to them both for forging the way and laying the ground work for her to continue the trail of professional excellence. Mrs. Gumbs-Samuel was also selected as the Executive Director of the Year in June of 2012 at the CHTA Summit conference which was held in Jamaica. Mrs. Gumbs-Samuel commended the AHTA Board of Directors and indicated that they provide tremendous support in her professional growth and continue to give her “wings to fly”.
The two day conference covered a wide list of agenda issues including:
• Growing the local association membership
• Sourcing and identifying benefits to membership
• Advocacy
• The benefits of social media
• Customer service to the industry
• Best Practices
Prior to the CSHAE AGM, hotel and tourism association executives across the region met to develop a work plan designed to guide their efforts over the next several years in strengthening the work and roles of associations both at the local and regional levels.
Following the CSHAE meeting on January 20th, members of CSHAE attended the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Board meeting, which preceded the official opening ceremony of the much anticipated 2013 Market Place. Both conferences were held at the Atlantis Hotel in The Bahamas.
Other elected officers to the CSHAE Board of Directors include:
Neil Forrester Treasurer Antigua
Stacey Cox Secretary Turks and Caicos
Frank Comito Past President The Bahamas
Clarissa Jimenez Director Puerto Rico
Sue Springer Director Barbados
Jim Hepple Director Aruba
Anguilla congratulates Mrs. Gumbs-Samuel on her outstanding work within the Hospitality industry both in Anguilla and the wider Caribbean and wish her well as she continues to take her leadership role to a regional level.
