The Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT) Advisory Board named Wendy Kallergis, President & CEO of the Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association and member of the Chaplin School’s Dean’s Advisory Council, the 26th South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year at its annual recognition luncheon on November 17, 2016.
Wendy has worked in South Florida’s hospitality industry for over thirty years, including some of the region’s top hotels, such as the Biltmore Hotel and the Delano Hotel. She works closely with various tourism and hospitality partners to continue to grow Miami as a top-tier worldwide travel destination.
In the last two years, Wendy has proven her leadership abilities even further by successfully developing a new partnership with The National Immigration Forum’s New American Workforce, a program promoting new American Citizenship in the workplace. For this initiative alone, she managed to partner with 27 hotels and businesses- including Miami Dade College, Baptist Hospital and the City of Miami Beach. Wendy has surpassed all expectations and continues to build bridges of collaboration between local businesses, hotels and other partners. As a result of her leadership and sustained efforts to make Miami a premier global destination, Wendy had the privilege of being recognized at the White House as a Champion of Change, along with two other industry leaders from Miami. In May of 2015, Wendy was awarded the New American Workforce Ambassador of the Year by the National Immigration Forum.
