The Board of Directors of Best Western
International, Inc., has named Larry McRae as chairman, effective January
4. Other Board announcements include Raymond Johnston as vice chairman and
Charles Helm as secretary/treasurer. McRae, who has served on the Best Western Board since 2002, was most
recently vice chairman, after holding the position of secretary/treasurer.
He replaces former chairman Nils Kindgren, who remains on the Board as a
director. McRae owns and operates the Best Western Grant Creek Inn in
Missoula, MT, and has been a member of Best Western since 1985. He has
held several hospitality association positions, including three terms as
president of the Montana Innkeepers Association and chairman of the
Montana Tourism Advisory Council. In 1990, he was appointed to a four-year
term on the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Commission. He
represents Best Western hotels in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho,
Montana, North and South Dakota, as well as British Columbia, Alberta,
Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. McRae began his career in the
hospitality industry in 1961, and has operated hotels in Colorado, Montana
and Texas.

Johnston is a veteran hotelier and owner of the Best Western Las Brisas,
Palm Springs, and the Best Western Big Bear Chateau, Big Bear Lake, both
in California. He was named to the Board in 2003 and represents Best
Western hotels in California, Nevada and Hawaii. Prior to joining Best
Western in 1993, he held key executive positions with several major hotel
chains, including Westin, Princess International Hotels, Americana Hotels
International in Aruba and Holiday Inns of Mexico.

Helm, owner of the Best Western Trail Dust Inn, Sulphur Springs, TX, and
the Best Western Crown Colony Inn & Suites, Lufkin, TX, was named to his
first three-year term on the Board. He will represent Best Western members
in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Active in the
business and civic communities of northeast Texas, Helm is a former member
of the Texas Hotel Motel Association’s Board of Directors. He also served
as president of the Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation.
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