ST. PAUL (February 21, 2006) — Members of the Minnesota Restaurant Association (MRA) and Minnesota Hotel & Lodging Association (MH&LA) have named their first-ever Restaurateur of the Year and Hotelier of the Year.

The MRA named longtime chef John Schiltz of the Lake Elmo Inn as its 2006 Restaurateur of the Year, and the MH&LA named Jim Waldvogel of the Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel as its Hotelier of the Year. The honorees were recognized by their industry peers at the Crème de la Crème fundraising event on February 20. This event was to raise money for the Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation and the Toby Landgraf Hospitality Scholarship Program. Both organizations prepare and promote the next generation of the hospitality workforce.

HOTELIER OF THE YEAR: JIM WALDVOGEL, CROWNE PLAZA NORTHSTAR HOTEL
He wanted to be a Certified Public Accountant, but once he sat behind a desk with his adding machine and sharpened pencils, Jim Waldvogel knew the life of a CPA wasn’t for him. After graduating from Marquette University, he was offered a management trainee position with Holiday Inn Worldwide in Chicago. The experience rekindled his passion for hospitality, and Jim set a goal to become a general manager. Five years and six different positions later, he was appointed to his first GM job. After 14 years with Holiday Inn, Jim was hired as the general manager of the Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel, where he improved profitability by $1 million in the first year.

Waldvogel thanked everyone for the award and said he was excited the MH&LA was doing something for the foundation. “I want to thank everyone for coming to help fund the Association’s education foundation,” he said. “These are our next generation of leaders.”

For more information, visit www.hospitalitymn.com.

Press contact information:

Kevin Moe, Communications Specialist
Minnesota Hotel & Lodging Association, (651) 778-2400, kevin@hospitalitymn.com