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Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City
announce Hotelier of the Year, Hotel Supplier of the Year and
Hospitality Leadership Award Winners
Hotelier of the Year, Hotel Supplier of the Year and Hospitality Leadership Award winners to receive honors at annual Recognition Dinner on February 16, 2019
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Jan. 24, 2019) – The Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City (HLA) announces Brad Verkamp, of Four Points by Sheraton, as the Hotelier of the Year, Anthony Brancato, of Excel Linen Supply, as Hotel Supplier of the Year and Bridgette Jobe, Executive Director of Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau as Hospitality Leadership Award recipient. These esteemed awards are the highest honors a member can receive from the HLA.
The Hotel and Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City Awards
Association members and guests will gather for the annual awards gala to celebrate the hotel industry and the men and women that make it great. This event recognizes the Hotelier of the Year, Supplier of the Year, and Hospitality Leadership awards and winners at this year’s Recognition Dinner on Saturday, Feb. 16 at Harrah’s North Kansas City. Leaders in the Kansas City hotel industry are nominated each year by employers and peers.
Hotelier of the Year Award
Name: Brad Verkamp, General Manager
Name of Business: Four Points by Sheraton
Graduating from Purdue University with a degree in Restaurant and Hospitality Management, Verkamp has been in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years. Over the years, Verkamp has held numerous managerial positions in the hotel industry. Verkamp was awarded the full-service leadership excellence award in 2009, and in 2011 was awarded the General Manager of the Year award by Aimbridge Hospitality. Verkamp currently serves on The Four Points by Sheraton General Managers Advisory Council. He has been on the HLA board of directors for several years and is currently the President-Elect.
Hotel Supplier of the Year
Name: Anthony Brancato, Owner
Name of Business: Excel Linen Supply
Anthony Brancato is one of four owners of Excel Linen Supply, a family-owned and operated business founded by his father in 1931. He has worked for the company since he was a young child. Currently, Brancato is the Customer Service and Sales Manager for Excel Linen. Brancato takes great pride in customer service and always puts the customer first. Brancato strives to make Excel Linen Supply a household name in Kansas City’s hotel and restaurant community.
Hospitality Leadership Award
Name: Bridgette Jobe, Executive Director
Name of Business: Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau
Starting as the Tourism Manager, Bridgette Jobe has been with the Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau since 1998. During her tenure as Executive Director, Jobe has led the Kansas City, Kansas, bureau through significant organizational transformation, spurred by the phenomenal growth of tourism in Kansas City, Kansas. Jobe serves on several tourism related boards and is the Chair of the Kansas Governor’s Task Force on Tourism. Jobe was the 2017 President of the Travel Industry Association of Kansas and continues to serve on the board.
About the Hotel & Lodging Association
The Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City’s purpose is to develop an effective working relationship between the hotel general managers, ensure that members adhere to the highest ethical standards of the lodging industry, provide legislative and regulatory representation, and create a favorable climate that promotes travel, tourism, and convention business. For more information on the HLA, “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HLAGKC .
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