In order to expand the activity and improve the efficiency of its scholarship program, the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) has confirmed the appointment of a new leadership team for the Caribbean Hotel Foundation (CHF) with a new Chairman, Antigua’s Rob Sherman leading the new Board of Trustees, and Coordinator, Gill Titcombe. The two appointments mark a new phase in the CHF, which can now rely on a dynamic leadership and a dedicated administrative structure to achieve its ambitious plans.

“The new Board of Trustees is composed of highly productive and driven professionals who will no doubt contribute to giving the Foundation a much broader profile” said new Foundation Coordinator, Gill Titcombe.  “We are committed to re-energising the scholarship program and devising new fundraising projects, eventually increasing the number of scholarships awarded, so that more Caribbean students can have the opportunity of furthering their education in the hotel and tourism sector” she added. CHF will also seek to stimulate greater participation from every member destination - from Bermuda in the North, to Guyana in the South, from Barbados in the East to Mexico and Belize in the West - in order to reflect Caribbean diversity.In 2003, CHF, recognised as one of the largest scholarship programs in the hospitality industry, has awarded 17 scholarships and grants, totaling $45.000, to promising students from Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago. ” This program represents an invaluable opportunity for individuals who want to pursue a career in the industry to enhance their skills, as well as for member hotels to improve their quality of service.” said Rob Sherman, CHF’s new Chairman.Rob Sherman, managing director of Curtain Bluff Hotel in Antigua, was elected Caribbean Hotelier of the Year in 2001 for his dedication to improving training and education standards for the Caribbean tourism industry. He is currently the 4th Vice-President of CHA and is part of the CHA Product Development Committee. In addition, Sherman represents CHA at national association meetings and acts as a spokesperson for the organisation. Sherman began his career in the hotel industry managing Glacier Bay Lodge in Alaska.  Afterward, he moved to the Caribbean region, where he first served as resident manager of Curtain Bluff Hotel. Later on he served as general manager of Cotton Bay Club in Eleuthera, The Bahamas, for two years, after which he returned to Antigua as managing director of Mill Reef Club for six years.  In 1987, he returned to Curtain Bluff in his current position as managing director.Now filling the newly created position of Foundation Coordinator, Gill Titcombe will focus on raising the profile of the Foundation and its programs to the CHA membership and other stakeholders, in order to increase the number of scholarships to be awarded. Before moving to Puerto Rico Ms. Titcombe worked with the Sunday Times Newspaper in the UK, where she was the database manager and customer service coordinator for The Sunday Times Enterprise Network, a membership organisation helping small to medium businesses find new marketing initiatives and ways to develop their companies. 

——-