Atlanta Hospitality Alliance (AHA) Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Michael G. Murphy

       ATLANTA, GA,  Dec. 4, 2019—The Atlanta Hospitality Alliance (AHA), the premier peer-to-peer learning and networking organization for current and future hospitality investment leaders in Atlanta, today announced its 10^th anniversary of promoting the hospitality industry through networking and education.  

Caroline Karlberg Royster

To celebrate the occasion, the organization hosted a distinctive event at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia hotel that included a special decade anniversary toast, “Year in Review” presentation by CBRE America Hotels Research and a unique panel discussion on “The Rebirth of a Flagship.”

Colin Macdonald

            “When the original members of AHA came together in 2009, our main goals were to advance the causes and expansion of the hospitality industry within the Greater Atlanta Metro area, and as we celebrate our first decade of existence, we believe we have taken meaningful steps towards accomplishing those goals,” said Michael G. Murphy, president, AHA.  

Michael Ritz

“We take great pride in not only advancing the industry locally, but in helping others achieve their hospitality goals by way of numerous scholarships and educational programs throughout the year.  With the hospitality industry enjoying one of its most profitable points to date, we very much are looking forward to what the next decade brings.”

James Savier

            AHA also named the following Board Members:

Caroline Karlberg, Legacy Ventures, Director of Business Development; Karlberg is responsible for identifying new business opportunities that meet Legacy Ventures’ investment objectives, including opportunities in acquisition, ground-up development, and third-party operations management. She underwrites and reports on targeted business opportunities, providing market research, entitlement analysis, operating projections, and discounted cash flow modeling and sensitivity analyses. Karlberg holds an undergraduate degree in business administration from Bucknell University and a Master of Science in hospitality management from Florida International University.  She also is a board member of the Atlanta Hospitality Alliance and is active in Georgia Women in Lodging, the American Hotel and Lodging Association and the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association.

Will Woodworth

Colin Macdonald, InterContinental Hotels Group, chief of staff to the CEO and director of growth;  Macdonald is responsible for strategic initiatives in the Americas and day-to-day management of the office of the CEO.  He also serves as a liaison to the IHG Owners Association and is an active member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.   He graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois with concentrations in philosophy and business economics and a minor in theology.

Michael Ritz, Peachtree Hotel Group, director of investments; Ritz is responsible for managing financial analysis and deal execution on Peachtree’s acquisitions, development, and joint-ventures.  Michael graduated from Stonehill College with a Bachelor of Science in finance. later earned his Master of Management in hospitality from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, concentrating in real estate. During his time in college, Michael worked with hotel owner operators, such as Hilton Worldwide, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

James Savier, JLL, vice president; Since joining JLL, Savier has been involved in the sale of more than 20,000 hotel rooms totaling over $5 billion. Before joining Jones Lang LaSalle, Savier worked at Deloitte Consulting as a consultant with a core focus in financial modeling. During his tenure, he served clients in several industries, including banking, aerospace and defense, technology and telecommunications.  Savier completed his undergraduate work at the University of Georgia where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a concentration in Finance. James also is an active member of JLL’s Young Guns program and a founding member of Atlanta’s Young Guns Alumni Organization.

Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia hotel

Will Woodworth, Stormont Hospitality Group, vice president of investments; Woodworth brings over 10 years of experience to his role as vice president of investments for Stormont Hospitality Group. He has managed the sourcing, structuring, and underwriting processes for hotel opportunities, deploying capital via debt and equity vehicles, with experience evaluating opportunities across the U.S. and representing over $1.5B in debt originations and $500M of asset value in equity investments across hotel segments and brands.  Woodworth is a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology (B.S. in Management) and Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management (M.B.A. with a minor in Real Estate). 

“Of all the goals we’ve accomplished over the past decade, providing educational opportunities to tomorrow’s hospitality experts has been one of the most fulfilling for our organization,” Murphy added.  

“To date, we have donated more than $50,000 in scholarships to students attending such institutes of higher learning as Georgia State University, Kennesaw University and Michigan State University, all of which have phenomenal hospitality programs, as well as the Castell Project, which is dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry.  We look forward to seeing what these future stars will accomplish.”

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CHRIS DALY

PRESIDENT

DALY GRAY PUBLIC RELATIONS, INC.

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