We are pleased to feature MD Energy Advisors - a new Gold Partner of MHLA for 2025 - in this month's Partner Spotlight. Read below to learn more!

Company Overview
MD Energy Advisors is a client-centric energy management firm providing solutions to utilities, private companies and higher education clients. Since 2010, the Company has identified opportunities to reduce energy-related operating expenses, outlined and implemented strategies that improve environmental impact and provided financial vehicles to help execute these strategies for customers throughout the country. MD Energy Advisors’ solutions have demonstrated improved quality and cost savings, including identifying innovative financing solutions for energy-related projects that meet clients’ strategic and funding needs.
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MD Energy Advisors makes energy choices simple – for everyone. They have a demonstrated track record of helping clients achieve their desired energy goals, taking a comprehensive approach to both short- and long-term energy planning by delivering a personalized solution utilizing their expertise in commercial, utility and financial solutions. They work alongside their customers to help them determine their needs and identify options that support their strategic initiatives, from beginning to end. MD Energy Advisors assist or manage the entire process with customized solutions, project oversight, and if needed, project management resources.

MDEA Promise: “To Deliver Energy Solutions with unparalleled customer service.”

How does your business positively impact the lodging industry?
At MD Energy Advisors, they positively impact the lodging industry by focusing on energy efficiency improvements resulting in lower operating costs. Through benchmarking, building tune-ups, and optimizing building systems, they help reduce operating expenses. The company’s energy management strategies enhance sustainability while lowering costs, ensuring better resource utilization. By specializing in energy efficiency, they complement existing services and provide a tailored approach to boosting performance and reducing long-term energy expenses for lodging businesses.

Recent Achievements & Accolades 

• MD Energy Advisors is a nationally certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and a federally certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE).
• The team was honored to be named one of The Maryland Daily Record's 2024 Empowering Women award winners. 

Primary Contact Information
Contact Person: Andrew Schreiber      
Title: Director of CPACE Financing 
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 301-664-2221

Company website
www.mdenergyadvisors.com

Social Media
LinkedIn

​Annapolis, Md. (January 15, 2025) – On Friday, January 10, 2025, members of the Maryland Hotel Lodging Association (MHLA) – including General Managers, industry associates, partners and vendors from Maryland’s statewide lodging industry – gathered at the Maritime Conference Center for the MHLA Annual Meeting & Member Appreciation Breakfast. The Premier Event Sponsors for this event were TownePark and Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County.

Following the breakfast, MHLA’s Chair Linda Westgate called the meeting to order and shared updates with the group. In her remarks she stated, "MHLA is starting out 2025 incredibly strong in terms of membership with a record number of total organizations belonging to the Association, including more than 32,000 hotel rooms across the state.  MHLA continues to grow and increased support by members helps to strengthen our voice and advocacy on behalf of Maryland's lodging industry." ​Additionally, the 2025 Board of Directors was announced, and the slate was approved during the meeting. Click here for the full list of the MHLA Board of Directors.

Linda took time to thank the sponsors for the event as well as members for their continued support.  Platinum Partners have shown significant support for the association by contributing $15,000 or more in partner dues and sponsorship of MHLA events throughout the year.  Four Platinum Partners were announced and given a certificate of recognition for 2025: Ecolab, the Maryland Office of Tourism, Sunlight Energy Group and Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County. 

Special thanks and recognition was also given to Liz Fitzsimmons, Managing Director of the Department of Commerce, Office of Tourism and Film.  Liz has been an integral part of Maryland's tourism industry for more than 30 years and will be retiring on February 1.  MHLA President & CEO Amy Rohrer commented, "Liz has provided tremendous support to MHLA over the years.  She has a depth of knowledge and history of Maryland's tourism industry that few can surpass and has always gone above and beyond to share her insights for the benefit of all.  Liz will surely be missed, and we wish her all the best in retirement."  

Each year, MHLA announces its Ambassador of the Year at the Annual Meeting.  And for 2025, we were pleased to recognize two partners for their contributions and efforts that led to significantly increased MHLA lodging membership this past year!

​Guest Speaker Chirag Shah, American Hotel Lodging Association (AHLA) Executive Vice President for Federal and Political Affairs and Counsel took the stage to share a Federal Update with the group and allowed time for questions following his overview.

MHLA President and CEO, Amy Rohrer then took the stage to also thank members and to introduce the members of MHLA’s 2025 Legislative Committee click here for the list of committee members. Consisting of a diverse group of representatives from hotels across the state, the committee meets weekly during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly Session, to monitor legislation and actively advance and protect the interests of MHLA members as bills are proposed and potentially passed into law. The MHLA Legislative Committee is co-chaired by Chuck Chandler, General Manager, Residence Inn Fulton at Maple Lawn and Jim Starke, VP of Hotel Operations, Best Western Plus BWI Airport-Arundel Mills.   

​As the Maryland General Assembly convened its 2025 session on January 8, MHLA lobbyists Frank Boston and Ari Plaut from Boston Plaut: Attorneys at Law and Chuck Chandler joined Amy on stage as a panel to discuss the upcoming Maryland General Assembly session and issues they are already monitoring in Annapolis that could impact hotels.

The event provided an exciting start to a promising new year for MHLA, uniting members for an inspiring kick off of this year’s legislative session. With continued engagement through membership and MHLA events, the association is confident that 2025 will be a year of continued growth and impactful connections. Click here to see photos from the event.
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The MHLA Legislative Committee serves as the vehicle for hotel members and the Association’s lobbyists to work together and protect the industry’s interests throughout the Maryland General Assembly Session.  We are pleased to announce our 2025 Legislative Committee Members.

CO-CHAIRS
Chuck Chandler, Residence Inn Fulton / Maple Lawn
Jim Starke, Best Western Plus BWI Airport - Arundel Mills

VOTING MEMBERS
Ernesto Carrero, Embassy Suites Bethesda - SAGE Hospitality Group
Skip Cerf, Sheraton Baltimore North
Elizabeth Delens, Crestline Hotels & Resorts
Mark Elman, Hilton Ocean City Oceanfront Suites
Len Goodman, Courtyard Baltimore Hunt Valley
David Hendrix, Annapolis Waterfront hotel
Michael Howard, Hyatt Place Baltimore
Adam Jackson, Jackson Hotel Management
Daniel Jasinski, Stonebridge Companies
Pete Mangione, Turf Valley Resort
Deepak Patel, Baltimore North Hotel LLC
Sandip Patel, Crossroads Hospitality
Bridgette Sloan, Sonesta Select Columbia
Donnie Sutton, BWI Airport Marriott
Mike Weaver, MGM National Harbor
Joel Weiss, Marriott Owings Mills Metro Centre
Linda Westgate, The Hotel at The University of Maryland/Cambria College Park

NON-VOTING MEMBERS
Mia Blom, Visit Baltimore
Mike Radike, Crowne Plaza College Park - Washington DC
Ben Seidel, Real Hospitality Group
Dave Ziedelis, Visit Frederick

ADVISORY MEMBERS
Ryan Albers, Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)
Travis Cutler, Marriott International
Scott Greenberg, Marriott International
Daniel New, Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)
Scott Nowak, Hilton
Sharon Sykes, American Hotel & Lodging Association
Dustin Weatherby, Hilton

On behalf of the 2024 Nominating Committee, we’re pleased to present the slate of proposed nominees for the 2025 MHLA Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
 
Nominations for Executive Committee:
Chair: Linda Westgate, Southern Management Companies
Vice Chair: Donnie Sutton, Marriott BWI Airport
Secretary: Skip Cerf, Sheraton Baltimore North
Treasurer: Jim Starke, Best Western Plus BWI Airport / Arundel Mills
Immediate Past Chair: Michael Henningsen, Plamondon Hospitality Partners

Nominations for Board of Directors:
Chuck Chandler, Residence Inn Fulton at Maple Lawn
Mark Elman, Hilton Ocean City Oceanfront Suites
Len Goodman, Courtyard Baltimore Hunt Valley
Ian Harvey, Residence Inn Baltimore at The Johns Hopkins Medical Campus
*Michael Howard, Hyatt Place Baltimore Inner Harbor
Peter Mangione, Turf Valley Resort
Patrick Miner, Courtyard Baltimore Downtown Inner Harbor
Tracey Omogbehin, Hyatt Regency Baltimore
Sandip Patel, Crossroads Hospitality
Ben Seidel, Real Hospitality Group
Junaid Siddiqi, Presidential Hotel Advisors
*Bridgette Sloan, Sonesta Select Columbia
Sandeep Thakrar, Neema Hospitality
*Joel Weiss, Marriott Owings Mills Metro Centre Hotel & Conference Center

Baltimore City Council of MHLA: (appointed)
Onahlea Shimunek, Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel

Nominations for Allied Directors:
*Regina Boston, Hilton Supply Management
Darryl McCallum, Shawe Rosenthal LLP
Josh Marshall, Ecolab
*Jim Mumm, Sunlight Energy Group

Maryland Destination Marketing Organization Representative:
Amanda Hof, Visit Howard County

Hospitality Education Representative:
*Elizabeth DeRose, Frederick Community College

* denotes new member to the Board.
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The slate will be presented for a voice vote by members at the Annual Meeting on January 10, 2025 at the Maritime Conference Center.  If you have not already done so, CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. Each member receives one complimentary attendee.  

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) hosted its annual Hotels on the Hill fly-in event September 23-24, drawing more than 200 hoteliers and industry leaders from 36 states to Capitol Hill to lobby for a variety of important policies.

America’s nearly 64,000 hotels are a bright spot for America’s economy and include more than 33,000 small businesses. The hotel industry supports nearly 1 in 25 American jobs, and in 2024, hotels are projected to pay employees a record $123 billion in wages, salaries, and other compensation while generating nearly $83.4 billion in tax revenue.
 
To maintain these positive economic contributions in communities across the nation, hoteliers are calling on lawmakers to:

• Grow the hotel workforce by co-sponsoring and passing the Closing the Workforce Gap Act (H.R. 7262), from Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Jack Bergman (R-Mich.). The bill would replace the arbitrary annual cap of 66,000 available H-2B temporary visas with a new, needs-based system.
• Protect small businesses by extending the pass-through tax deduction (199A), which is set to expire in 2025 and provides crucial tax relief to franchisees and other hotel small businesses.
• Help to create jobs and support hoteliers by maintaining the like-kind exchange (section 1031), which allows hoteliers to defer capital gains taxes when they sell one property if they roll the proceeds into the purchase of a larger one, thereby helping create new jobs and contributing to economic growth.
• Protect the franchise business model by opposing any efforts at the federal level to weaken the franchisee-franchisor relationship – a cornerstone of the hotel industry.
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“Nothing is more effective at shaping public policy for our industry than when hoteliers and their employees tell their stories directly to legislators,” said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey. “From tax policies that promote small business growth, to expanding the hotel workforce, to challenging burdensome regulations, there’s no limit to what hoteliers can achieve when we’re united and speak with one voice. Hotels on the Hill gives us a unique opportunity to do just that.”

Monday, September 16, 2024 was a great day for MHLA members and friends who joined together for MHLA's Annual Golf Tournament at the Whiskey Creek Golf Course in Frederick, MD. This year tremendous support was shown, with great golfer turnout and sponsorship at one of the highest levels in recent years.  Ecolab  was the Title Sponsor for the 10th year in a row and Sunlight Energy Group was the Presenting Sponsor. All proceeds help to fund MHLA's mission and core services, including advocacy representation and corporate campaign contributions that help to make sure the voice of Maryland's lodging industry is heard throughout the state.  We appreciate all of the support by sponsors and golfers!

Top Left: Amy Rohrer (MHLA), Josh Marshall (Ecolab), and Linda Westgate (Southern Management Companies, MHLA Chair)
Top Right: Kristen Pironis, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, Helicopter Ball Drop Sponsor
Bottom Right: MHLA Golf Committee L-R Michael Henningsen, Michael Howard, Amy Rohrer, Jim Starke, Melissa Simpson, Pete Mangione, & Dennis David. (not pictured Regina Boston, Brian Rash, ​Josh Marshall & Rodney Gooden)

​Click here to view more photos from the day.

1st Place Team
Avendra    
CORY DELLINGER    THOMAS BUCKLEY    SEAN WHALEN   LEONARD QUEIROZ

2nd Place Team 
Turf Valley Resort/ Best Western Plus BWI Airport - Arundel Mills
PETE MANGIONE   GREG GUTHRIE    JIM VANCE   TONY ERRERA
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3rd Place Team 
HD Supply
REED WHITE   KEVIN SPARKS    MIKE DRNEC   BRANDON MARTINEZ      

Longest Drive - Women
NICKI VASQUEZ - TownePlace Suites Frederick 
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Longest Drive - Men
REED WHITE - HD Supply

Closest to the Pin
NICKI VASQUEZ - TownePlace Suites Frederick 

Straightest Drive
KIRK WAGNER- Complete Mechanical and Electrical Solutions​

Helicopter Ball Drop
ERIC TEISCH - Visit Howard County

Putting Contest
SCOTT DIBELLA - Diversey
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We wish to thank everyone listed below for your contributions to the success of this annual event!

GOLF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
CHAIR - Michael Henningsen, Plamondon Hospitality Partners  
Regina Boston, Hilton Supply Management
Dennis David, RGS
Rodney Gooden, Westin Annapolis
Michael Howard, Hyatt Place Baltimore                          
Pete Mangione, Turf Valley Resort   
​Josh Marshall, Ecolab
Brian Rash, Avendra                           
Jim Starke, Best Western Plus BWI Airport - Arundel Mills   

VOLUNTEERS
Sharon Bear, Plamondon Hospitality Partners
Regina Boston, Hilton Supply Management 
Pete Chambliss, MHLA Volunteer Staff
Kent Franklin, Best Western Premier Rockville Hotel & Suites 
Diane Girgenti, Plamondon Hospitality Partners
Emily Gutierrez, Plamondon Hospitality Partners
Kathy Konopik, HotelPro
Chrissy Mayhew
Patrick Miner, Courtyard Baltimore Inner Harbor
Jim Starke, Best Western Plus BWI Airport - Arundel Mills   
Sandeep Thakrar, Neema Hospitality
Linda Westgate, Southern Management Companies
Veronica Whitley, B. F. Saul Company Hospitality Group
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DONORS
Click here to see the list of companies who donated prizes and giveaways.

SPONSORS
Click here to see the list of sponsors for the event.

Earlier this month, the GSA released FY 2025 per diem rates, which take effect October 1. See the press release below for more information.

MHLA created a chart to show the FY25 vs FY24 changes to per diem rates in Maryland.  Click here to view it.  

​August 16, 2024
Washington -- Today the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) released the fiscal year 2025 continental United States (CONUS) per diem expense rates, effective October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. Federal agencies use these rates to reimburse their employees for lodging and meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) incurred while on official travel. 
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A standard rate applies to most of CONUS. For FY 2025, the standard lodging rate will increase from $107 to $110, and there will be 296 non-standard areas with individual rates that are higher than the standard rate. The M&IE reimbursement rate tiers were also revised for FY 2025; they were last revised in FY 2022. The M&IE NSA tiers are revised from $59-$79 to $68-$92, and the standard M&IE rate is revised from $59 to $68.

For more information on FY 2025 per diem reimbursement rates, visit GSA’s per diem rates web page; methodology information can be found under the “Factors influencing lodging rates” tab.

We are proud to feature Hilton Supply Management in this month's Partner Spotlight.  The company is a new Gold Partner of MHLA as of 2024.  Read below to learn more!

Company Overview
Hilton Supply Management (HSM) is the world’s leading hospitality procurement, logistics and end-to-end supply chain provider service more than 140 unique hotel brands across the globe.
Established in 1967, HSM is a global procurement powerhouse. They leverage their size and reach to drive economies of scale, forge partnerships with best-in-class suppliers and negotiate industry-leading prices on the products and services your business needs most.
The program includes:

• $13B purchasing power
• 145+ countries and territories
• 3K+ suppliers worldwide
• 17K properties served globally
• 500K+ unique products sourced

The strength, services and support offered by HSM are designed to enable their customers to drive substantial savings, gain insight into real-time spend visibility and provide quality experiences for guests.
 
How does your business differentiate itself from others in your industry?
As the industry’s only hospitality-focused procurement organization, every program HSM introduces is directly relevant to their customers. Their FF&E Project Services offerings and turnkey solutions are an industry standout, and their laser focus on hospitality means HSM’s brand engagement expertise is incredibly strong. HSM recognizes that luxury, lifestyle, focused-service and independent brands have widely different program needs—and they are experts in bridging the gap for customers between product quality and operational value.
 
Share any recent achievements, accolades or awards your company has received that are applicable to hotels.
 
Recent industry achievements and awards include:

• Ranked #1 on Fortune’s World’s Best Workplaces for 2023
• Ranked #3 on DiversityInc’s 2023 “Top Companies for Supplier Diversity” list
• Recognition as NMSDC’s 2023 Corporation of the Year
• Naming as WBENC America’s Top Corporation for Women’s Business Enterprises, 2023
• Named 2023 NBIC Internal Inclusion Advocate of the Year
• 2023 Gold Stevie Winner for Women in Business
• 2023 EcoVadis Gold Sustainability Rating
• BIG 2023 Sustainability Award winner

 
How does your business positively impact the lodging industry?
HSM is advancing positive impact both within the lodging industry, and across the world’s supply chains, through our global Source with Purpose strategy. In pursuit of Hilton’s Travel with Purpose 2030 goals, their experts are promoting responsible travel and tourism through their commitment to responsible, sustainable and inclusive procurement—from human rights and animal welfare due diligence, to landfill waste/GHG emissions reduction efforts, to their investments in supplier equity and local sourcing initiatives.

Primary Contact Information
Regina Boston
Director, Account Management
[email protected]
Phone 240-220-1464

​Company Website
https://mysupplymanagement.com/
​Social Media
LinkedIn

​We are proud to feature Visit Frederick in this month's Partner Spotlight.  The company has been a Gold Partner of MHLA since 2021 and first joined the Association in 2015.  Read below to learn more!

Company Overview
Visit Frederick is a public-private Destination Marketing Organization partnership dedicated to enhancing the economic benefit of tourism for Frederick County's businesses, attractions, local governments, and residents. Visit Frederick plays a key role in generating the $518 million (2022) in tourism-related revenues which are generated for local businesses and attractions.

How does your business differentiate itself from others in your industry?
Visit Frederick is the official Destination Marketing Organization for Frederick County, Maryland.

Share any recent achievements, accolades or awards your company has received that are applicable to hotels.
These are the most recent MHLA awards for hotels in Frederick County: Plamondon Hospitality Partners received two MHLA Stars of the Industry awards in 2023

• Rick Clayton (MHLA Manager of the year- Select Service Division 1) – Residence Inn Frederick – Plamondon Hospitality Partners
• Colleen Howell (MHLA Guest Service star of the year- Select Service Division 1) Homewood Suites by Hilton - Plamondon Hospitality Partners.

How does your business positively impact the lodging industry?
As the Destination Marketing Organization for Frederick County, their mission is to drive visitors to spend the night in their destination. They market Frederick County as an overnight destination for leisure visitors, group tours, student travelers, and meeting attendees.
 
Furthermore, Visit Frederick provides advertising and development grant funds to Frederick County non-profit organizations or government agencies through their Tourism Reinvestment in Promotion & Product (TRIPP) program.  This competitive program allocates a portion of the hotel tax revenue received by Visit Frederick back to the community in the form of tourism product development and advertising grants. These grants allow Visit Frederick to cultivate overnight experiences for visitors to Frederick County.
 
Visit Frederick is an Allied Member of Capital Region USA (CRUSA), the official regional destination marketing organization promoting Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland internationally. This partnership encourages overseas travelers to stay longer and spend more money, through the leveraging of public and private investments.
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Primary Contact Information
Dave Ziedelis
Title: Executive Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 301-600-4041
Address: 151 S. East Street, Frederick, MD 21701

Company website
VisitFrederick.org  

Social Media
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube

​The Maryland Hotel Lodging Association (MHLA) Annual Golf Outing has served as a fundraiser for scholarships given through the Maryland Tourism Education Foundation (MTEF) for many years, and MHLA has managed the foundation since 2019. We're pleased to share that members of the MTEF Board of Directors attended the Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM) Annual Membership meeting on June 11, 2024 and presented a $60,000 donation to RAM’s Education Foundation scholarship fund. For over thirty years RAM has been providing scholarships and financial support to individuals looking to advance their careers in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

“This significant donation will ensure that we can continue to help young people pay for their post-secondary education in culinary arts and hospitality management”, stated Marshall Weston, President & CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland. “We are also able to help individuals looking to advance in the hospitality industry in different ways”.

Since 2007, MTEF also raised money and offered scholarships of their own to individuals looking to advance in the tourism industries. However, as the Hospitality industry continues to grow and includes restaurants, foodservice, hotels, lodging, tourism and entertainment, the MTEF Board of Directors felt it was best for the industry to have one place to go when looking for scholarships, rather than having numerous different programs. 

Amy Rohrer, President & CEO of the Maryland Hotel and Lodging Association and also a MTEF Board member agreed that “It makes sense to consolidate our industries scholarship programs. We’ll be able to have a larger impact and increase awareness that scholarship funds are available. MTEF has worked with RAM for many years, so it was an easy decision to support their scholarship fund”.

Scholarship information can be found at marylandrestaurants.com.