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•pg_39-53_mj__BMT_pg3-58 1/8/14 10:39 PM Page 42 of color, and the Hospitality Career Fair, an annual event which opens the doors to employment opportunities within Atlanta's hospitality industry to graduating seniors, to those within the industry looking to change, and to those persons from other industries with transferable skill sets looking for entre into the hospitality industry. Bertrand is also a well-known and honored jazz recording artist/writer, with performances ranging from two Olympic Games to performances before two presidents and jazz concerts world-wide. A three-time Montreux Jazz Festival performer, most recently she was the headliner, along with jazz great Roy Ayers, at the 35th Atlanta Jazz Festival. Bertrand's discography includes 5 CDs, including her newest 2011 CD release "Katharsis. ERNEST P. BOGER, CHA, FMP, CHE, is tenured associate professor and chairman of the Hotel & Restaurant Management(HRM) Department within the School of Business and Technology at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore(UMES), Princess Anne, MD. Dr. Boger exercises CEO accountability for a thriving Bachelor of Science Degree Program, designed to produce entry level managers for a variety of Foodservice, Lodging and Travel/Tourism related professional careers. Prior to UMES, he held leadership roles with Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina, West Indies and Wiley Universities as well as The Jamaica Hotel School/Hotel Casa Monte, Kingston, Jamaica and Parry Property Management Co. of Dallas, TX. Under his recent leadership, UMES was accredited by the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) as the 20th University nationwide, and the First HBCU, to offer the Bachelor of Science Degree in Professional Golf Manage-ment. With 40+ years of industry operations and training expertise, he is recognized as the "Dean" of Black 42 College Hospitality Educators. Dr. Boger regularly provides consulting services in hospitality marketing and training to U.S., Caribbean, and African companies and governments. He has held leadership positions with more than 20 major industry organizations, including currently, the Professional Certification Commissions of the American Hotel & Lodging Assoc-iation (AH&LA), and the National Restaurant Association (NRA). Dr. Boger was presented with the H.B. Meek Award by CHRIE during its 2013 Summer Convention in St. Louis. It is the highest award the organization bestows for lifetime achievement. He is only the 2nd African American to receive the award in the 68 years of the organization's history A prolific writer, Dr. Boger has authored 10 book chapters and more than 100 articles on industry subjects. Among other things, he has received the BM&T/TPOC APEX Award and was designated a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) Emeritus by the AH&LA. The first African-American to be so recognized. BENNISH D. BROWN serves as the Tacoma Regional Convention + Visitor Bureau's [TRCVB] president and CEO. Brown has a strong background in the destination marketing industry and served the 12 years as the executive director of Rock Hill/York County Convention and Visitor Bureau in South Carolina before assuming his current post. Brown, who began his work at the TRCVB in June, 2012, leads the TRCVB's staff of 15 and reports to the TRCVB's board of directors. While at Rock Hill/York County CVB, Brown grew the organization's budget from $200,000 to $1.1million in seven years, led the organization to become the first Destination Marketing Association International [DMAI] accredited CVB in the state, managed a merger between the CVB and Sports Commission, hosted a Ladies Profess-ional Golf Association [LPGA] event and more. DR. BEVERLY BRYANT is professor, founder and director of the Bachelor of Science degree program in Hospitality and Tourism Administration at North Carolina Central University's School of Business. She has over 29 years of higher education experience and over 16 years of association conference planning. She is a Certified Hospitality Educator and a Corporate and International Etiquette Consultant. As an outstanding leader in her field, she has participated in the National Leadership America Women's Forum, and has published articles in refereed journals and contributed chapters in university textbooks on hospitality and tourism. Dr. Bryant is currently the president of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP) located in Silver Springs, Maryland. NCBMP is the premier professional organization for educating African-American meeting professionals. As a meeting planner, she has planned and implemented the National Head Start Association Nutrition Institute and statewide training conferences for Head Start associations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama. She has also utilized her meeting planning experience to facilitate conferences for the National Cancer Institute on the campuses of Tuskegee University, Dillard University and North Carolina Central University. Dr. Bryant is the president and managing partner of the Protocol School of North Carolina and Management and Training Development. She holds the BS, MS and Ed.D. degrees from Tuskegee BRENDA L. BRYANT is the new president of Travel Professionals of Color Black Meetings & Tourism November/December 2013: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com