Santa Ynez Valley Hotel Association Names New Board President
Santa Ynez Valley Hotel Association (SYVHA) Executive Director Mary Harris announced, “Today at our regular meeting, the SYVHA board of directors accepted with regret the resignations of President Bill Phelps, General Manager of the Hadsten House Inn & Spa in Solvang and Vice-President Paul Navratil, Owner of the Solvang Gardens Boutique Country Inn; both due their departure from the area for new opportunities. Then, the board unanimously voted to appoint Mike Hendrick, General Manager of the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott as President and to leave the position of Vice-President open. At the next board meeting on February 2, 2012, current directors will appoint two new directors to fill out Phelps and Navratil’s terms that expire in June 2012.”
Phelps remarked, “I have accepted a position outside of the Santa Ynez Valley with Aegis Living, a leader in the senior housing industry. I am proud to be one of SYVHA’s founding directors and honored to be the first president; as well as to have served as a former director of the Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association. I’m sad to be leaving all my colleagues, friends and staff members that I have worked with here over the last nine years. I know that the SYVHA will continue to thrive under the leadership of Mike Hendrick and look forward to keeping in touch from points north.”
Navratil stated, “I are retiring, and my wife Diana and I are moving to Palm Desert, California. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as the first vice-president of SYVHA as well as on the board of directors of the Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau during my eight years in Solvang. I wish everyone the best as this area continues to prosper.”
A farewell party for Bill Phelps and Paul Navratil will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2012 from 5:00-7:00pm at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott, 555 McMurray Road in Buellton. The public is welcome to attend this no-host event to honor these two outstanding community volunteers according to organizer Mary Harris, “The energy, enthusiasm and commitment of these two fine gentlemen will be sorely missed throughout the hospitality community here.”
Current members of the Santa Ynez Valley Hotel Association 2010-11 Board of Directors are President Mike Hendrick (Santa Ynez Valley Marriott; Buellton); Secretary Linda Johansen (King Frederik Inn, Solvang and Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn, Buellton); Treasurer Douglas Ziegler (Santa Ynez Inn, Santa Ynez); Carol Clearwater (Hotel Corque, Solvang); and Bent Olsen (Solvang Inn & Cottages; Solvang).
SYVHA was formed in 2010 and is comprised of 32 member hotels in the communities of Solvang, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, Los Alamos, Buellton and Ballard to administer funds collected by the Santa Ynez Valley Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) promoting overnight stays and economic vitality in the region.
For more information about the Santa Ynez Valley Hotel Association, please contact Executive Director Mary Harris at 805- 325-3528 or mary@SYVHA.com or visit www.SYVHA.com.
