Following a unanimous vote by the AAHOA board of directors, Ken Greene has officially been named the new president and CEO of the association. Greene has been serving in that role on an interim basis since June.
“AAHOA has been a part of my life for years, so when the opportunity came up to become interim president and CEO, it was an easy decision to make,” Greene said in a statement. “These last few months have exceeded my expectations, and I’m looking forward to continuing to build relationships with our officers, board, members, and industry partners.”
During his interim period, Greene oversaw the association’s return to in-person events with the 2021 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show in Dallas. The convention, which drew more than 6,000 attendees, was the first such event in the city since the start of the pandemic. He also oversaw the launch of the American Hospitality Alliance with the American Hotel & Lodging Association in June, a coordinated effort to support the industry through collaboration.
Related: AAHOA's Staton, Humphrey leaving; interim CEO named
“As a former brand executive in the hospitality industry, Ken has significant experience working with AAHOA members and a solid understanding of what hoteliers need,” said AAHOA Chair Vinay Patel. “He knows what drives our members and how our association can assist them as the industry recovers.”
Before joining AAHOA, Greene served as a global leader of many hotel brands, including president, Americas for Radisson Hotel Group, president and CEO for Delta Hotels and Resorts and in various roles at Cendant Corp., Wyndham Worldwide and many of its divisions. Greene also recently founded Greenehouse Consulting, which focuses on acquisitions, management and advisory services to the hospitality industry.
Greene recalled his first AAHOA convention during this year's event.
"In 2003, I remember meeting hundreds and thousands of people at the convention in Long Beach, [Calif.], and before getting getting there, I wasn't really quite sure what to expect," he said. "But what happened is something that I will never forget. Many, many of the people that I met there took me under their wing. They helped guide me as I navigated the hospitality field and they taught me what it meant to be a hotel owner. Now many of us are still friends to this very day and I want to continue to make strong connections and give back to an organization that has helped me over the years and the entire industry over so many years."
Leadership
AAHOA's previous president and CEO, Cecil P. Staton, announced his departure in June, a year and a half after taking on the role. Staton, formerly the chancellor of East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., took over the 18,500-member organization in late 2019 from Rachel Humphrey, who had been serving as interim president and CEO since the departure of William "Chip" Rogers, who had held the role since 2014. Rogers left AAHOA to become the new president and CEO of the AHLA in December 2018
Related: AAHOA taps educator Cecil Staton as president/CEO
Humphrey returned to her former role as the association's COO and executive VP when Staton took over, but left the association on Aug. 7 after working with the association for more than 20 years.