Press room

California Hotel & Lodging Association Announces 2020 Board of Directors

BERKELEY, CA – The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) elected its 2020 Board of Directors during its annual meeting on November 21, 2019, at the Claremont Club and Spa.

Bijal Patel (Vice President, Coast Redwood Hospitality) is stepping in as the 2020 CHLA Board Chair, with Michael Pace (General Manager, InterContinental Mark Hopkins) becoming immediate Past Chair. Patel will be supported by Tom Patton, CHA (General Manager/Partner, Ramada Santa Barbara) and Secretary/Treasurer, James Lim (General Manager, Omni San Francisco Hotel).

“As members of the California lodging industry, our board continues to evolve and reflect the diverse interests of our state,” said Lynn S. Mohrfeld, CHLA President & CEO. “I know that our new leadership will continue to move our industry forward and respond to the issues that matter most to California’s hoteliers.”

The board also voted to add Dhruv Patel (President and COO, Ridgemont Hospitality) and Todd Hersperger (Vice President, Sunstone Hotel Investors) as new board members and renew the terms of twelve board members with expiring terms.

These members are:

• Bhupen Amin, Lotus Hotels & Investments
• Javier Cano, JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE
• Vipul Dayal, Days Inn San Francisco Airport West
• Laurenne Douglas, Pacific Plaza Hotels
• Paul Gibbs, CHA, Crowne Plaza LAX
• Jon Handlery, CHA, Handlery Hotels, Inc.
• Hee Won Lim, Pacific Palms Hotel
• James Lim, CHA, Omni San Francisco Hotel
• RJ Mayer, Jr., The Robert Mayer Corporation
• Pragna Patel-Mueller, Samata Management, Inc.
• John Spear, Hotel Drisco
• Scott VandenBerg, Hyatt Regency Sacramento

In response to the strong board participation, Mohrfeld noted “Our board’s diversity and reinvestment into the lodging industry keeps us looking ahead to challenges of the future, while ensuring we address the pressing issues of today. I am excited to see how CHLA’s board and members can shape 2020.”