Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1528810
20 B M & T ••• November/December 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com what it was prior to COVID. What has helped us is sports. COVID did not seem to affect sports. People still come out, regardless. For the most part, sports happen outside. It has kept the doors open. Faith-based is our biggest business but church- es have been reluctant to come back. There are a lot of elderly people in the church. We want to ensure that everything is being done to provide a clean environment." Initially, the travel and tourism industry was not on Gunn's radar. Seven years before he entered the industry, he worked at a bottled water company, became an apprentice electrician for about a year, and was a headhunter at an executive search firm. His introduction to the hospitality industry was for a very practical reason. "I was broke," he said. "I grew up in West Texas (Midland), then moved to Minneapolis in 1982. I ran out of money. My brother worked for The Marquette Hotel in Minnea- polis. They had an opening for a bellman at a sister hotel. I got the job as a bell captain." When his boss was transferred to Washington, D.C., he soon called Gunn to join him. "I moved to D.C. in 1983 to work at the Omni Shoreham Hotel," Gunn said. "It was the big city. The biggest thing to me was the diversity of the people. There were more than 100 races represented in the Washington, D.C. hotel." After six years at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Gunn moved to the Omni in Charlottesville, VA, then the Omni Charlotte Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. From Charlotte, he went to work for Aramark on the campus of Tuskegee Institute as the director of sales. "That was my introduction to Alabama," said Gunn who moved to Birmingham in 1996. "I had heard bad things about Alabama. I didn't know what to think. I had some fears. When I got here, I realized it was a beautiful state. I've been in Alabama for 29 years now. I've really enjoyed it here." Gunn encourages everyone to visit Birmingham, affection- ately known as the "Magic City" due to its rapid growth. "Birmingham is a great place to raise your kids," said Gunn, a married, father of two and grandfather of three. "I put my kids through college doing what I do. I like the people. It's full of regular people. There is a reasonable cost of living and it's in a central location, so we're easy to get to." During his tenure as a hospitality professional, Gunn never lost sight of wanting to see more African Americans in man- agement positions. "We have come a long way, but in the scheme of things we are way below the norm," he said. "We need more African American CEOs at convention bureaus and hotels." Gunn believes one of the reasons there aren't more African Americans in the C-suite is because they're not exposed to the hospitality and travel industry at an early age. "Growing up, when I thought of working in a hotel, I thought I would be working in the kitchen or something similar," Gunn said. "I never thought about management because you didn't see it much. We need to do a better job of advocating to young- sters that it is a great career. It's fun and you get to meet people and travel. A boss told me, 'You'd never be rich in the hotel industry but you can live like you are.'" For his years of commit- ment to and passion for the industry, Gunn, who sits on var- ious boards and is affiliated with several industry associations, has received several accolades including being named "Supplier of the Year" by NCBMP in 2001, and being honored with the Venus de Milo Award from the Meeting Industry Ladies Organization, Ltd. In 2007, he received the Apex Award from Black Meetings & Tourism magazine, in 2009, The Alabama Tourism Department named him "Tourism Executive of the Year" and in 2019 he received the Pioneer Award from the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals. He is a member of the American Society of Association Executives, the Religious Conference Management Association, the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives, and the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals. After 40 years in the business, Gunn said he has done what he wanted to do. "This is it," he said. "I'm trying to wind it down. I'm not looking for another challenge but I'm not ready to stop yet. Considering where I started, I'm proud to have made it this far." When he's not working, Gunn can be found on the golf course. When he's not golfing, he loves to travel to San Diego, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Capetown, and Johannesburg. "I have a great life," Gunn said. I have a great career. I love living in Birmingham. I've had a ball. I've enjoyed every ounce of it." "I'm trying to wind it down. I'm not looking for another challenge but I'm not ready to stop yet. Considering where I started, I'm proud to have made it this far."