Washington, (August 4, 2014) - Randy and Carolyn Smith contributed $5,000 to the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) 2014 Annual Giving Campaign. This is their second personal gift at the six-diamond level. Randy Smith is CEO of Smith Travel Research, Inc. (STR), a long-time corporate donor to AH&LEF's Annual Giving Campaign. STR has made seven six-diamond level donations to the Campaign, and before that contributed to the Foundation's New Century Fund Campaign from 2001-2005.

As an allied member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) for more than 25 years, STR tracks supply and demand data for the hotel industry and provides valuable market share analysis for all major international hotel chains and brands. Randy Smith has served on AH&LEF's Research and Project Funding Committee for more than 18 years.

"It is a privilege and an honor to be able to support the Foundation," said Randy Smith. "We have benefited so much from the industry that it is a pleasure to able to give back in this manner. The Foundation has done so much to support education throughout the industry and we know that more knowledge leads to a better industry for owners, employees and guests. Thanks for this opportunity"

"We are grateful to Randy and Carolyn Smith for their support in funding programs that promote the industry's future growth," said AH&LEF President/AH&LA CFO Joori Jeon. "We need more industry leaders like the Smiths who understand that their financial contributions ensure the future of our industry."

The Annual Giving Campaign is AH&LEF's key yearly fundraising initiative supported solely by the hospitality sector. Initiated in 1997, the program generates funds for AH&LEF's core programs that provide hospitality management students with academic scholarships, offer grants for pertinent industry research such as diversity and technology advancement, and promote hospitality as a career of choice. Hundreds of thousands has been raised through the campaigns, and the Foundation is scheduled to disburse more than $1 million this year.

AH&LEF is the not-for-profit affiliate of AH&LA and is funded solely by charitable donations from progressive hospitality leaders and companies within the industry. In 2013, AH&LEF disbursed more than $1 million to prepare promising college students for a career in hospitality, to attract and retain talented industry professionals, and to fund valuable research for the industry. Since the Foundation's inception, more than $18.5 million has been distributed through its scholarship, education, outreach, and research programs.

Support the Foundation by visiting www.ahlef.org/AnnualGiving. All AH&LEF contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. For more information, contact Michelle Poinelli, senior vice president of Foundation programs, at (202) 289-3181 or mpoinelli@ahlef.org.

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