Washington, D.C., July 22, 2015 - Neil H. Shah, President & COO of Hersha Hospitality Trust, and his wife Juhi Saigal-Shah contributed $5,000 to the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation's (AH&LEF's) 2015 Annual Giving Campaign. This is the couple's first gift at the six-diamond donor level. 

Neil is an active member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), serves on the Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council (IREFAC), and is a member of AH&LEF's Board of Trustees. Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT) is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates 50 upscale hotels in urban gateway markets including New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Miami and Los Angeles.

"I have had the privilege of serving the Foundation for many years, and Juhi and I are grateful for the opportunity to personally and financially support young students passion for learning and their commitment to become leaders in our dynamic industry," said Shah. "The hotel business offers incredible occasions for both personal and professional growth generally, but we believe that education provides a foundation for leadership and outperformance."

"The hospitality workforce continues to grow, and we need to encourage and support the next generation of hospitality leaders," said Joori Jeon, CPA, CAE, AH&LEF president/COO. "We are thrilled that leaders like Neil and Juhi understand the importance of investing in AH&LEF's annual giving campaign, which directly contributes to the future success of the hospitality industry by training and educating some of the most passionate and bright hospitality students every year."

The Annual Giving Campaign is AH&LEF's 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 of dollars have 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 2014, AH&LEF disbursed approximately $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 $19 million has been distributed through its scholarship, education, outreach, and research programs.