Celebrating Champions

Honoring the 2022 ORLA Hospitality Award Recipients

Each year, the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association recognizes the outstanding contributions of individuals and businesses serving the hospitality industry and communities throughout the state. Four ORLA Hospitality Award recipients were honored in front of over 270 industry peers during the Hospitality Conference in Eugene on September 11, 2022.

The following honorees represent some of the best qualities of what makes this industry great: exemplary service, professionalism, and commitment to supporting the industry. They each have a story to tell–whether getting their start as a housekeeper or loading buses at a hotel–and every one of them has a passion for this industry that shines in everything they do. In case you missed the event, visit OregonRLA.org/nominate to view video profiles of this year’s recipients. You are also welcome to submit a nomination for next year’s awards that will be presented in September 2023.  LORI LITTLE, ORLA EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR Jodi Doud, Server, Southern Oregon Elmer's Jodi epitomizes what hospitality is truly about. As a longtime server with over two decades’ experience, she knows the power of a smile. Jodi provides exceptional service and brings her kindhearted demeanor to every customer, during every shift. Being able to make positive, lasting connections with her customers simply comes naturally to her. During the past 20 years working for Southern Oregon Elmer’s, Jodi has played an integral role in helping create memorable experiences for her customers time and again. Jodi serves as the consummate coach and mentor to new staff that join the team, providing excellent training and leading by example with top-notch service. Her employers recognize that frontline employees truly are the heart and soul of our industry. Jodi, however, consistently stands out above the rest. “Jodi has reached more lives with her heart felt service and positive attitude than anyone,” said Trina Gillen, Vice President, Southern Oregon Elmer’s. To no one’s surprise, the staff love her as much as customers do.

LODGING OPERATOR OF THE YEAR Nick Pearson, General Manager, Jupiter & Jupiter NEXT Without a doubt, Nick Pearson is a people person with a genuine sense of care for those he interacts with. During the first weeks of Covid shutdowns, Nick and his team immediately looked for opportunities to help out Portland’s most vulnerable population. They jumped into action to convert the original Jupiter hotel as a temporary voluntary isolation shelter for houseless folks who were experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 to rest, recuperate, and receive treatment. On a daily basis, Nick exemplifies exceptional leadership by not only supporting the community but also his employees and guests. “He takes care of people naturally,” said Kelsey Bunker, owner of Jupiter and Jupiter NEXT. “Nick is loyal, dedicated, and a great communicator.” When asked what keeps him inspired to stay in this industry, he says it’s his love of hospitality and the unique, authentic interactions with people from all over. Nick’s advice for new operators coming into this industry: “Don’t be afraid to take risks, there are so many opportunities to think outside the box.” After following his own sage advice, Nick recently became a new hotel owner himself. RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR Emma Dye, Founder + Chief Salad Officer, Crisp When people first meet Emma, they are drawn in by her big smiles and positive energy–which may be, in some part, contributed to her uncanny love of vegetables. “Emma has an amazing energy that never quits,” said Kasey Morales, Marketing Director for Crisp. “She also is very feisty and that makes everybody’s day better.” Though she grew up in Alaska, Portland has been her home since 1996 and there’s no where she would rather be. When she started Crisp, she had a vision to create a restaurant that offered healthy options that were also served fast and catered to what the customers really wanted. Crisp is all that for sure; they also source from local partners and farmers, something that truly resonates with Portlanders. Emma’s first priority, however, is making sure she is providing a place that is welcoming, respectful, and safe for her employees as well as for every customer that walks into the door. Emma and her staff are very proud of the culture at Crisp and the fact that it is a woman-owned, local startup that gives back to the community. Her vision and message about inclusivity also resonates through partnerships with locally owned businesses and nonprofits where Crisp contributes 10 percent of sales every month. ALLIED PARTNER OF THE YEAR Matthew D. Lowe, President, Jordan Ramis PC Like many professionals in this industry, Matt got his start in hospitality early on, with his origin story set in D.C. loading buses for a destination management company. His passion for hospitality has grown over the past few decades, dedicating over 20 years specifically helping restaurant and lodging operators achieve success in what they do. Jordan Ramis prides itself as a company with a deep level of expertise and bench to support the industry’s needs and challenges. One area where Matt and his team have been working hard on behalf of the industry is keeping local jurisdictions accountable in how they expend lodging tax dollars. “The work Jordan Ramis does to protect our industry is really unprecedented,” said Buggsi Patel, President & CEO, BHG Hotels. “We’ve had some great success in how we’ve battled this (lodging tax issue) all across the state and he does a fabulous job.” Matt is consistently recognized as a friend of the industry by his clients, proving time and again the value of his representation on critical issues impacting the industry.