Black Meetings and Tourism

BY SHEA SCOTT Sheila Johnson is one of America's best kept secrets. A trailblazer in all of her endeavors, Johnson is a successful businesswoman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Succinctly, this over-achiever is the only African-American woman to have ownership in three profes- sional sports teams, and is a major partner in Lincoln Holdings, ProJet Aviation and Mistral. In addition, she is a force to be reckoned with in Entertainment as one of the founding partners of Black Entertainment Television and as a film producer. Johnson broke the mold once again in 2005 when she became the founder and CEO of Salamander Hospitality, serving as the over- seer of three exclusive luxury properties. Johnson believes in serving all people and her goal is to bring five-star quality to anyone who enjoys priceless properties and gourmet dining. The Woodlands Inn is located in Summerville, SC and is one of only four properties in the United States to receive the prestigious Mobil five-star rat- ing for both lodging and dining. In 2008, Travel & Leisure selected Woodlands as the #1 hotel for service in North America and #3 in the world, not to men- tion it was the only US hotel ranked in the Top 10. In 2007, Johnson acquired Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, a 900- acre, 72-hole resort in the Tampa, Florida area. Striving for uniqueness, the company started construction on Salamander Resort & Spa in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Middleburg, VA (where the company was founded) in 2008, which will feature an equestrian pro- gram and an executive chef who recently prepared a special dinner for Barack and Michelle Obama. While each of her properties are suitable for kings and queens, this Resort is poised to become one of the most unique and sought after retreats in the world when it opens in spring 2010! One of Johnson's greatest strengths is her ability to bring the best people around her. Standing firm on the values of trust and loyalty, she believes gender and racial diversity is essential and collaboration is key. As she strives to provide opportunities for African-Americans, Innisbrook Resort, which hosts the annual PGA TOUR Transitions Championship, recently appointed Rodney Green as the first African-American director of golf at a major resort or gulf club. She is very excited for the stellar quality of expertise Green will bring to this resort. Furthermore, she attributes much of the major recognition and success of her properties to Patty Tang and her awesome sales team. Johnson is naturally adept at connecting with people and inspiring others. A major driving force for her philanthropy was birthed out of her conviction that women should be self-suffi- cient; expressing strength within themselves with compassion, love and grace. In 2006, Johnson was named the global ambassa- dor for CARE, a leading human- itarian organization fighting global poverty by empowering women. CARE is internationally based in 72 countries all over Africa, Latin America and Asia. Johnson is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Often using her properties for women's retreats, she believes, "women are the backbone and fabric of the world and should be able to take responsibility for themselves and negotiate their own destiny." In addition to her philanthropic efforts with CARE, Johnson is preparing to shoot a film about AIDS in order to bring awareness to this epi- demic as it relates to African- American women. Through her service and dedication, this protean paceset- ter will to continue to raise the bar in all of her endeavors. Receiving a Bachelor of Arts in music from the University of Illinois and having numerous honorary degrees from other institutions, Johnson has achieved what most only have the courage to dream about. Johnson can be reached at (540) 687-3710. SHEILA JOHNSON: SHEILA JOHNSON: MAKING US PROUD MAKING US PROUD Black Meetings & Tourism February/March 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 28

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