HR0434 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0434 LRB094 12362 CSA 46469 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Gerhard (Gary) Seibert of Chicago has been named area vice-president and managing director for Hawaii, overseeing the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa, Doubletree Alana Waikiki and Hilton Waikoloa Village; a farewell party is planned for Mr. Seibert on May 26, 2005; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Seibert has been serving as area vice-president for Hilton Hotels Corporation and general manager of the historic Palmer House Hilton since 2000; in his 32 years at Hilton, he has earned a first-rate reputation not only for his professional contributions to the company, but also as a dedicated community leader, a vocal proponent of workplace diversity, and one of the industry's top authorities on hospitality, tourism, and hotel operations; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Seibert received his undergraduate degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management from Purdue University; in 1989, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue's School of Engineering and Technology at Indianapolis; and

WHEREAS, He began his career at Hilton in 1973 as a front desk clerk at the Indianapolis Hilton; the company gave him his first general manager position in 1982 at the Northfield Hilton in Troy, Michigan; in 1988, he was named general manager of the Hilton Chicago and Towers, where he earned the distinction of being named the Hilton General Manager of the Year for three consecutive years from 1990 to 1992; in 2000, he became area vice-president, Midwest Region, Hilton Hotels Corporation and general manager of the Palmer House Hilton; and

WHEREAS, He has been the Illinois representative to the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) for more than ten years; in addition to serving on the association's executive committee for a number of years, he served on the political action committee of AH&LA and the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA); he has served as an IHLA board member for 15 years, four of them in officer positions; he has been vice-chairman of the IHLA's Education Foundation since 1994, working to distribute over $200,000 in scholarships to deserving college students pursuing careers in the hospitality industry; he has attended every Legislative Action Summit in Washington, D.C., since its inception, and has helped lead the Illinois delegation each year; he was also elected chairman of the board of Chicago's Convention and Tourism Bureau in 1995 and 1996; and

WHEREAS, The three words that best describe Mr. Siebert are "determined, tireless, and committed"; he will be relocating to Hawaii with his wife, Kathryn; he has three grown sons; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Gerhard (Gary) Seibert on his promotion within the Hilton Hotels Corporation and wish him and his wife the best in their move to Hawaii; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Gerhard (Gary) Siebert as an expression of our admiration and esteem.