Skal International Greater Washington, D.C.

Save the Date! Stay tuned to more details! Don’t forget to follow us: Skal International Greater Washington, D.C. Skål International Official Skål International USA

Exciting Job Opportunity! Our member Miguel Gonzalez, CHA shared this great job opening for a Dual Brands Hotel General Manager. If you are looking for an exacting new challenge and want to join a dynamic team, this could be the perfect fit for you! Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity! Feel free to reach to Miguel Gonzalez, CHAif you have any questions! #JobOpening #Hiring #SkalBenefits #Career #Hospitality

🌟 #Member's Monday Spotlight 🌟 This week, we're thrilled to feature Barry Biggar President and CEO of Visit Fairfax (Fairfax County, VA). Biggar came to #Fairfax County Virginia from Bryan-College Station Texas where he held the position of President & CEO for their Convention & Visitors Bureau for over five years. He went to Texas after serving for four years as Vice President, Sales and Marketing for the Lexington Convention & Visitors Bureau in Kentucky. Prior to Lexington, Barry was with the Calgary, Alberta, Canada Convention & Visitors Bureau for seven years where he held the positions of Manager responsible for Europe, Manager responsible for all of Asia and Asia Pacific, Director of Sales for both leisure and business #travel markets and ultimately the role of Senior Vice President of all sales, marketing and research responsibilities. Before joining the Bureau in Calgary, Barry worked in the hospitality sector of the #tourism industry for three years, in a variety of departments and positions at two of Calgary’s most recognized hotels. Prior to entering the #Hospitality and #Tourism industry, Barry worked in both the retail sales industry and banking. Biggar has a degree in Commerce from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and prior to joining the Tourism Industry completed and received a diploma in Hotel & Restaurant Management at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary, Alberta. He holds the internationally recognized Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME), a program of Destination Marketing Association International. He has served on the Board of Directors of Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) the international association for Convention & Visitor Bureau’s, is a Past Chair and the Founding Chair of DMAI’s Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) the Accreditation program for Destination Marketing Organizations worldwide, was the Chair of Education for DMAI for three years and is a Past Chairman of the Board of Trustee’s for the international Destination and Travel Foundation. Biggar is currently the Past Chairman of the Board of the Virginia Restaurant Lodging and Travel Association and served as Chairman of their Government Affairs Committee. He is a past Chairman of the Texas Tourism Advisory Council for the Office of the Governor, is a past Board Member of the Texas Association of Convention & Visitor Bureau’s, and is active on many other State, Regional and National organizations, boards and task forces related to the Tourism Industry. A member of Skål International Official, Past President of Skal International Greater Washington, D.C., currently serves as on the Skål International USA board. Join un celebrating Barry Biggar's remarkable achievements and dedication to shaping the future of #Travel and #Hospitality! #MembersMonday #SkalInternational #SkalUSA #SkalDC

🌎 Exciting International Connections! 🌎 We were thrilled to meet Aimee Lentz, a distinguished member of Skal International Cape Town, during her visit to Washington, DC. It was a fantastic opportunity to exchange insights and strengthen our global network. 🌟 Aimee’s visit underscores the importance of international collaboration and the value of our Skål membership in foresting these meaningful connections. We look forward to continuing our conversations and exploring new opportunities together! Safe travels, Aimee Lentz, and we (Ana G. Lopez, Roxana Rivera, CTIS, CSTP, Bill Moyer, and Sam Mohammadi) hope to see you again soon! ✈️✨ #InternationalRelations #SkalDC #SkalCapeTown #Networking

🌟 Member's Monday Spotlight 🌟 This week, we're thrilled to feature Bill Moyer, Senior Vice President, Hotel Brokerage at Donohoe Real Estate Services. Bill Moyer, is a 25 year member of Skal International Greater Washington, D.C. a Membre D’ Honneur from Skål International Malaga Spain for distinguished services to Skål International Official Movement and Past President Skal International Washington DC. Bill has enjoyed a 40 year career in the Hotel Tourism and Brokerage business having completed over One Billion Dollars in hotel transactions over that career. A graduate of East Stroudsburg University and U.S. Navy Veteran. Bill is currently Senior VP Hotel Brokerage with Donohoe Companies, Bethesda, Md. Join us in celebrating Bill Moyer's remarkable achievements and dedication to shaping the future of travel and hospitality!  #MembersMonday #SkalInternational #SkalUSA #SkalDC

Wow, what an amazing Skal International Greater Washington, D.C. May event it was! We are filled with gratitude for the invaluable insights, connections, and memories we shared this past week at our monthly event. Hosted at the beautiful Patterson Mansion, the evening was enhanced by the fine culinary delights provided by the catering of the Tabbard Inn. Our wonderful guest speaker, Emily Cassell MBA, CDME, Director of the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service (All in Arlington) inspired us with her passion and expertise in #Sustainability in Hospitality. Additionally, Skål International Official Director Andres Omar Hayes and Skål International USA Barry Biggar shared important updates about the current state of Skål. We were also honored to welcome and induct our newest Skal International Greater Washington, D.C. member, Emma Keserich from Airtifae Group, Welcome, Emma! It was a memorable and enjoyable evening filled with meaningful conversations, idea exchanges, and professional growth. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting in June! #Hospitallity #Networking #SkalDC #SkalInternational

Emma, We are so happy to have you as a member. Welcome to the Club.

🌟 Member's Monday Spotlight 🌟 This week, we're thrilled to feature Sam Nhairy, CTIS. Sam has more than twenty-five years of experience in the hospitality and travel and tour industries in the US, England, and Morocco. Mr. Nhairy is the founder of NHAIRY & LAWRENCE CORPORATION, INC , the parent of Hospitality Marketing Services (HMS) and Morocco Destination Management (MDM). Nhairy began his career at the American Language Center in Casablanca where he taught beginning English classes. Prior to founding his own companies, he held sales and operations management positions for a variety of U.S. hotels such as Marriott, Best Western and Choice Hotels as well as tour and travel firms. Mr. Nhairy is an active member of a number of industry associations including the American Bus Association (ABA), Skal, and the North Carolina Motorcoach Association (NCMA). Mr. Nhairy is also a member of several civic organizations including the American Moroccan Professional Association and Atlas Foundation. For most of his professional career, Mr. Nhairy has promoted bilateral tourism and cultural exchange between the United States and Morocco. A native of Casablanca, Morocco, he has served as a Morocco tourism expert for TravelTalk Media radio. Some activities he has organized include cultural student exchange programs to Morocco, product development fam trips, Moroccan musical events in Washington, DC, wheelchair donations to Morocco, and sponsorship of the first annual Moroccan American Professional Association conference. Mr. Nhairy is a graduate of the Hotel Professional School of Marrakech, Morocco and the Cal Simmons Travel School's travel agent program. He earned his certified travel industry specialist certificate from Purdue University. He speaks fluent French and Arabic. He resides in the Washington, DC area. Join us in celebrating @Sam Nhairy's remarkable achievements and dedication to shaping the future of travel and hospitality! #MembersMonday #SkalInternational #SkalUSA #SkalDC #travelexpert

🌟 Member's Monday Spotlight 🌟 This week, we're thrilled to feature Andres Omar Hayes, president and CEO of Airtifae Group. Andres has 25 of years of experience in #hospitality, banking and #marketing. He worked for Visa International for eleven years-seven years in Miami and four in London, England. Andres is one of the principal founders of PRIMAPACT, a consulting conglomerate specializing in #travel and #tourism. One of the youngest regional managers, he was selected as one of the key staff members to open a new operations center for Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 1994. After Visa International, Andres managed two major card operations centers in the Americas and Europe as Senior Vice President. He was the General Manager for B. Smith’s in Washington DC for four years. He was the General Manager for The Mansion on O Street. He is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Andres was a Board Member of both the DC Chamber of Commerce Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and currently a Board Member and Past President (2018) of the Skal International Greater Washington, D.C. Club, and a Skål International Official Director Region 1 . Andres has the vision and experience to work internationally on major projects. Join us in celebrating Andres Omar Hayes's remarkable achievements and dedication to shaping the future of travel and hospitality! #MembersMonday #SkalInternational #SkalUSA #SkalDC