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B M & T ••• July/August 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 19 "It' s about our value system. It's being able to really engage our guests and understand who we are. We are a company that really embraces luxury. We embrace health and wellness. We embrace the entire person." So says Sheila C. Johnson, entrepreneur extraordinaire, and the dynamic force behind the Salamander Collection. As the founder and CEO of the col- lection and the president and manag- ing partner of Monumental Sports, Johnson's achievements traverse the hospitality and sports sectors. Her per- sonal passion delves into TV/film, arts, and humanitarian initiatives. Founded in 2005, the Salamander Collection's inaugural property wel- comed guests in 2013 and was ranked #1 on the (i)USA Today(ei) Experiential Travel list in 2023. Johnson, the only African American woman to own a Forbes Five-Star resort, marked the 10th anniversary of the Middleburg, VA resort with her memoir, Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph. Johnson has an unwavering com- mitment to diversity and inclusion in every aspect of her business. "As I have continued to build the company, even from one hotel going into two, my executive team has known from day one that this was my goal," she states. "I was focusing on diversity and that meant hiring people of color, both men and women. And I've never strayed from that." Johnson began her professional career as a concert violinist and music teacher whose children's orchestra captured hearts around the world. She went on to co-found Black Entertain- ment Television (BET) with former hus- band Robert L. Johnson. After her divorce and the sale of BET to Viacom, Johnson went on to create her next chapter. A love of travel led her to the hospi- tality industry. "I just decided that it was a natural flow, wanting to get into the hospitality business because I love traveling, I love staying in the finest hotels," Johnson observes. "I really focus on luxury, and I just felt as though this was just a good area for me to explore and to bring in the best minds I could find that would help me build a company." After a stint living in the Washington, DC area, Johnson moved to the small town of Middleburg, VA in 1996. "I just fell in love with the town. I fell in love with the people," she states, "I fell in love with the whole area, and I knew it was a natural fit." Johnson was offered an opportunity to purchase a 340-acre parcel of land near the town. It was then that her vision began to coalesce. "Upon walk- ing up [the hill] and looking down onto the town," Johnson says, "I realized that this property could become the economic engine of Middleburg." The Salamander Collection: Economic Vitality Thoriugh Visionary Leadership & A C O N V E R S A T I O N W I T H S H J O H N S O N BY PATRICE A. KELLY E I L A