Washington, D.C., (December 7, 2017) – Allen Hermansen contributed $5,000 to the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation’s (AHLEF) 2017 Annual Giving Campaign. This is Hermansen’s fourth personal gift at the six-diamond level.

A former Hilton Hotels & Resorts vice president, Hermansen was promoted to vice president of franchise operations in 1987 and held this position for many years until his retirement. A 40-year industry veteran, Hermansen began his hospitality career as a room clerk in the 1950s.

“I saw firsthand in my career how crucial industry support is to our success,” said Hermansen. “It’s my privilege to do my part to give back to the next generation of hospitality leaders.”

“As a continued supporter of AHLEF, we are grateful to Allen for his generous gift,” said Rosanna Maietta, AHLEF interim president. “As AHLEF continues to advance its efforts to bring more support to scholars around the country this kind of generosity is invaluable to its success.”

The Annual Giving Campaign is AHLEF’s yearly fundraising initiative supported solely by the hospitality sector. Initiated in 1997, the program generates funds for AHLEF’s core programs that provide hospitality management students with academic scholarships, offer grants for pertinent industry research, and promote hospitality as a career of choice. Since the Foundation’s inception, more than $21.5 million has been distributed through its scholarship, education, outreach, and research programs. and the Foundation disbursed $851,500 in academic scholarships this year alone.