TRAVEL & TOURISM

GEORGE AQUINO

Vice President, Managing Director AHC+Hospitality

TORY RICHARDSON

President, CEO Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority Over the course of his nearly 30-year career at AHC+Hospitality, George Aquino has taken on numerous roles at the Grand Rapids-based hotel company, which manages fi ve local hotel properties and their respective restaurants within the Hotel District, a hotel in Detroit, a restaurant in Ann Arbor, two hotels in The Villages, Florida, and Peter Island Resort and Spa in the British Virgin Islands. The Filipino native began his career at AHC+Hospitality in 1992 as the assistant director of food and beverage for Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids. Then he headed to the Caribbean, where he served as director of food and beverage, and later the general manager at Peter Island Resort. In 1996, Aquino returned to the Grand Rapids area, where he became the corporate director of operations at the Amway Grand. Before resuming duties here, he completed the executive management program at Cornell University and took cooking classes at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School, now the Institute of Culinary Education. Now, Aquino and AHC+Hospitality are looking to grow the hotel company by building a three-story, 37,000-square-foot, 24-room hotel in the Village of Ada called The Ada House.

EDUCATION:University of Iowa, Cornell University and Institute of Culinary Education

PETER BEUKEMA

CEO, partner Suburban Inns, Hudsonville

Although Tory Richardson began leading the Ford Airport in September 2019, he took on the executive leadership role with almost three decades of aviation experience. He served as the executive vice president and chief operating offi cer of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority for the past seven years. Prior to his time in Columbus, Richardson served as the executive director of airports for Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority in Indiana for more than eight years. He also was the executive director of Rapid City Regional Airport in Rapid City, South Dakota, and an airport operations offi cer at the Dubuque Regional Airport in Iowa. Despite his lengthy resume, Richardson said, right now, the COVID-19 pandemic has been his biggest challenge yet. To adjust to the circumstances, he said the airport authority was forced to downsize the airport while rebuilding trust with the fl ying public. In its efforts to rebuild trust, Richardson led the airport in becoming the fi rst airport in the country to test a new autonomous robot that disinfects by using ultraviolet technology to ensure the health and safety of its passengers and guests.

EDUCATION:University of Dubuque (B) FIRST JOB:At the age of 12, I spent my summers de-tasseling and roguing corn HOBBIES:I love spending time outdoors and with my family, whether it’s biking, walking, running, skiing or boating

DOUG SMALL

President, CEO Experience Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Peter Beukema leads Suburban Inns, a family-owned and -operated hotel and restaurant management and development company founded more than 40 years ago. He serves on the board and various committees of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Owners Association and is a part of the IHG Rewards Club Committee and the Emerging Leaders Network. Beukema also is on the Holland SmartZone Board and the boards of the American Hotel Lodging Accusation and the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association. In October 2018, he was named to the Business Journal’s 2018 class of 40 Under 40 Business Leaders.

EDUCATION: Northwood University, West Palm Beach, Florida (B) FIRST JOB: My fi rst job outside of the family business was a dishwasher position for Galley Restaurant in St. Ignace. INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: “If someone o ers you an amazing opportunity, and you are not sure you can do it, say yes, then learn how to do it later.” Sir Richard Branson TOUGHEST CHALLENGE: The transition from fi rst generation to second generation in the family business and keeping everything together. In the end, we must all stay family. Too often, families and great companies fall apart because of lack of planning and communication. This needs to start early on, not at retirement. HIDDEN TALENT: I have my pilot’s license.

Doug Small began his tenure with Experience Grand Rapids, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, in 2008. He has 38 years of experience in the hospitality, tourism and destination marketing industries with an emphasis on destination marketing and management for several large-to-midsize destination marketing organizations throughout the country. Experience Grand Rapids operates with an annual budget of $11 million generated through private and public partnerships. Since Small’s arrival, hotel performance has seen record level attainments in room revenue and occupancy for nine consecutive years. In 2008, annual hotel occupancy stood at 48%. In 2019, it reached 66.8%, eclipsing the national average of 66.2%. Hotel room revenue has grown from $96 million in 2008 to over $216 million in 2018. Small’s community and industry involvement includes serving on the board of directors for the U.S. Travel Association, Economic Club of Grand Rapids’ executive committee, West Michigan Sports Commission, the Regional Air Alliance of West Michigan, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and Downtown Market Grand Rapids.

EDUCATION: Siena Heights College (B) FEW PEOPLE KNOW: In college, I could jump over a bar nearly 7 feet in the air. Also, I have 13 siblings. GRAND RAPIDS ATTRACTION: It will be the completion of the Whitewater project.