Robinson's School of Hospitality Honors Industry Leaders; Celebrates 30 Years
ACVB President, Spurgeon Richardson One of Four Lifetime Achievement Recipients

October 22, 2003 (Atlanta, GA) Four prominent hospitality industry executives will receive the Hospitality Lifetime Achievement Award from the Robinson College of Business' Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality at a gala event celebrating the School's 30th Anniversary on Thursday, November 6, at the Georgia World Congress Center. Award recipients include: Spurgeon Richardson, president of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB); John Jordan, general manager of the Cherokee Town & Country Club; Patti Shock, chair of the Tourism and Convention Administration department at the Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada; and Dr. Kaye Chon, head of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. This is the inaugural year for the award which will be given annually to individuals whose accomplishments have had a significant impact on the hospitality industry. "Spurgeon Richardson, John Jordan, Patti Shock and Kaye Chon are four of the most influential and respected leaders in the hospitality industry in Atlanta and around the world" said Debby Cannon, director of the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality. "We are proud to recognize their stellar accomplishments and contributions to our industry." Richardson's career in hospitality spans more than 30 years including major leadership positions in the Atlanta community. He has been president and CEO of the ACVB since 1991.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors and Foundation Board of Trustees of the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Richardson has been named one of the "100 Most Influential Atlantans" by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and one of the "100 Most Influential Georgians" by Georgia Trend magazine. Jordan began his career with the Cherokee Town & Country Club in 1960 as an assistant manager. In a recent national poll, Cherokee was voted the best private country club in America. Jordan is a leading force in designing education for club managers through Club Managers Association of America (CMAA). In addition to his position with Cherokee, Jordan also serves as senior partner in Master Club Advisors, a search consulting firm for the private club industry. Shock is the author of several books and has written articles for a variety of industry publications. She has been named one of the 25 most influential people by Meeting News magazine. She is on the Board of the Foundation of the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) and the Board of the International Special Events Society Education Foundation. From 1979 to 1987,    Ms. Shock was the Director of the School of Hospitality at Georgia State University. Dr. Chon is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, the Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, the Haworth Hospitality Press and the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. In addition, he has authored over 50 books, monographs and journal articles. Dr. Chon is an alumnus of Georgia State having received his undergraduate degree in hospitality in 1984. The Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality, named for Cecil B. Day, founder of Days Inns, is ranked among the top 25 hospitality programs in the nation by the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education. It is the only accredited program in Georgia offering a four-year BBA degree, a certificate program for undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students and an MBA concentration. __________________________________________________________ The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of the nation's top business schools. The College's Flex (part-time) MBA program has been listed in the top ten by U.S. News for the past eight years and its undergraduate business program is ranked among the top 50 in the nation. The College's Executive MBA program is listed on The Financial Times list of the world's top ranked offerings and BusinessWeek magazine ranks it 20th in the world. Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business has an enrollment of more than 8000 students and is located in downtown Atlanta. For more information, contact: Tammy Demel Associate Director, Communications and External Affairs J. Mack Robinson College of Business Robinson College of Business 404/413-7078 404/702-9743 (cell) tdemel@gsu.edu