Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/22095
appointed by Congressman Alcee Hastings to the White House Conference on Tourism; founded and hosted the Annual International African-American Hotel Ownership/Multicultural Tourism Summit & Trade Show; created & designed the first multicultural tourism collateral piece in the State of Florida for Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau to attract African-American tourism. Andy alsowas a consultant for theDutch Island of St. Maarten working specifically to increase the islands visi- bility among African-Americans. ROY JAY is one of themost well- knownAfrican-American icons of the convention and tourism busi- ness. Although he is based in Portland, Oregon you will find Roy Jay’s his footprint and influ- ence all over the country. He has been identified by friends, col- leagues and even competitors as one of the guiding lights in the industry. Whether it’s mentoring the next generation or being part of a competitive bid, his deep baritone voice can be heard nearly a block away. Jay serves as a business advisor and has been a con- tributing factor to the growth of TPOC (Travel Professionals of Color) and also serves on the board of the Association of African American Meeting Professionals which is basically centered on education and empowerment and supports the International Hispanic Meeting Planners Association. Jay’s has a long standing contractual partnership agree- mentwithTravelPortland inwhich heworks in tandemwith the bureau to help attract minority and other significant organizations to the City of Roses. But that’swhere it just starts...When you getRoy Jay,you get an entire team of people that will help make even the smallest of conferences a success. He has been the recipient of the Spirit of Portland award, the highest recognition of the City for these ongoing efforts which has helped thou- sands of individuals get back on track by expunging minor criminal convictions and converting delinquent traffic fines to well thought out community service. Jay is a speaker, a motivator and inspiration. The guy wears multiple hats every day.When asked how many jobs he really has,he simply smiles and replies“I don’t have jobs, I have opportunities and I have tomake the best of them”. Known for his no-nonsense but comedic style,Roy has bro- kered not only convention and meetings, but has become a pivotal player on the national scene through his active par- ticipation with the National Alliance of African American Chambers and theAlliance ofMinority Chambers. ROBERT JOHNSON is the Founder and Chairman of The RLJ Companies, an innovative business network that pro- vides strategic investment and direction in and for a diverse 60 portfolio of companies in the financial services, real estate, hos- pitality/restaurant, professional sports, film production, gaming and recording industries. Under The RLJ Companies umbrella, Johnson owns or holds interests in companies operating in the professional sports, hospi- tality/restaurant, real estate, finan- cial services, gaming and recording industries. Core assets of The RLJ Companies include RLJ Development, a privately held hotel investment company, which acquires and develops upscale select-service hotels, including Hilton-branded and Marriott-branded hotels in major North American urban markets. In February 2006, RLJ Development entered into an agreement to acquire 100 hotels for approximately $1.7 billion, bringing total holdings to 111 hotels. Other assets include RLJ Urban Lodging Fund, a pri- vate equity hotel investment company, RLJ Asset Management Group, RolloverSystems, a financial services company in Charlotte, NC. OSCAR MCGASKEY, JR., is the exec- utive director of the Kansas City Convention and Entertainment Facilities, which consist of the Convention Center, Music Hall, Kemper Arena and the American Royal Center. McGaskey has responsibility for a $40 million operating and capital maintenance budget and 120 employees. Under McGaskey’s leadership, the Convention Center has been rec- ognized as one of the best man- aged facilities in the country and has received several Prime Site awards from Facilities and Destinations Magazine in New York City. McGaskey was recently honored by the Hotel and Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City with the 2010 Hospitality Leadership Award. Previously, McGaskey was the general manager of the Dallas Convention Center from1992-2002. HOWARD MILLS, SR. CMP is a dynamic, results-oriented execu- tive with an extensive business background that includes over 35 years as a chief meeting/confer- ence planner for the National Urban League, from which he retired in 1995. He is a founding member of theNationalCoalition of Black Meeting Planners and continues to be a tireless advocate for inclusion and advancement of Black Meetings & Tourism November/December 2010: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com