THE NEW YORK CITY ASSOCIATION OF HOTEL CONCIERGES
ANNOUNCES THEIR 2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
New York, January 31, 2017
At the January 30 Hotel Excellence Awards at Cipriani Wall Street, New York City of Hotel Concierges Association (NYCAHC) President Ms. Loida Diaz announced the new Board of Directors of the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges for 2017. Ms. Diaz and five board members are continuing their service, and one Board seat was filled at the Association’s January election. We are pleased to present the 2017 NYCAHC Board of Directors.
PRESIDENT
Ms. Loida Diaz
Concierge, The Trump International Hotel and Tower
Loida Diaz, Concierge at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, continues her two- year term as President of the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges (NYCAHC).
Ms. Diaz has served on the organization’s Board of Directors since 2003, in several leadership positions including Social Director, Membership Director, Public Relations and Vice President. Ms. Diaz is presently in her third and final term as NYCAHC President. Ms. Diaz was the recipient of the 2009 Concierge of the Year Silver Plume Award. A longtime member of Les Clefs d’Or USA. Ms. Diaz currently serves on the Les Clefs d’Or Retirement and Recognition Committee, and was a member of the Tiger Raffle committee for several years, a fundraising raffle associated with the annual Congresses of Les Clefs d’Or.
Ms Diaz takes great pride in the progress the Association has made in revitalizing the organization and increasing its programming. “The Concierges are the ambassadors for this great city, and we take great pride in giving back to the community through the Association.
“Likewise, I am very fortunate to be once again working with a dynamic and visionary Board of Directors. I strongly believe that the success of our organization depends on its Board members’ hard work and the seemingly never-ending dedication of our members. I sincerely thank every single one of them for their passion and support.”
Ms. Diaz and her Board will undoubtedly bring the organization to a new level of professionalism and respect across the New York City community.
VICE PRESIDENT
Ms. Regena Falling
Chef Concierge, Park Hyatt New York
Ms. Regena Falling continues her two year Board of Directors term, and has been reappointed Vice President of the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges.
Ms. Falling has been a member of the Association since 2010. She has participated in many of the Association’s charity events and served on our Ethics Committee. Her duties in 2017 will focus on developing the Association’s relationship with its Corporate Members, to assure that these important partners to our Concierge members continue to be an integral part of the Association’s activities.
Ms. Falling has previously served on the Board of Les Clefs d’Or USA as Director of Membership, Vice President and President. She has also served as President of the Concierge Guild of Seattle and Co-Chair of the Les Clefs d’Or Pan American Congress Seattle. She was honored by her peers with the Silver Plume Award for Chef Concierge of the Year at the 2015 Hotel Excellence Awards/Silver Plume Awards in January, 2016.
SPEAKER and SECRETARY
Michael Cerrato
Concierge, The Surrey
Mr. Michael Cerrato continues his two year Board term, and has been appointed Secretary of the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges, and continues as our Speaker as well.
A concierge for 29 years, Mr. Cerrato, Concierge at The Surrey, will continue his role in assuring that the administration of NYCAHC is efficient and effective, and that our General Membership Meetings are productive and enjoyable for our members and guests. Michael has been a member of the Association since 2001 and has served as Chair of the Bylaws Committee, Chair of Membership, and on the committee for the annual Concierge Choice Awards.
Mr. Cerrato has been a member of Les Clefs d’Or since 1995, serving on the Board of LCD as Treasurer for one year.
TREASURER
Mr. Marco De Los Rios
Concierge, Lotte New York Palace
Mr. Marco De Los Rios who continues his two-year Board term has been appointed the Treasurer of the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges for 2017, taking over these duties from Ms. Aisha Thomas, who has concluded her service on the Board of Directors. He has been a member of the Association since 2013. During his time in the Association, he has been an active participant, serving on both the Membership and the Concierge Choice Awards Committees from his induction in 2013. Mr. De Los Rios served as the Social Director during his 2016 NYCAHC Board of Directors term.
Mr. De Los Rios has worked in a number of leading hotels in New York City since 1999. He is originally from Lima, Peru, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management.
As the Treasurer, Mr. De Los Rios plans on developing a clear financial path for the organization to grow and contribute more to New York City and the Concierge community. “As Treasurer, I do not just view my job as a simple exercise in counting money. In addition to adhering to strict accounting principles and being a good steward of the money for this Association, I plan on developing a clear plan for a more sustainable financial structure for the organization,” he states. “It is critical that we continue to find new sources of revenue to fund our charitable outreach and our operations to advocate for the Concierge community in New York City.
SOCIAL DIRECTOR
Mr. Graham Thomas
Chef Concierge, The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel
Mr. Graham Thomas has been appointed the Social Director of the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges. Graham Thomas, Chef Concierge at The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel, continues his two year Board term, and has been appointed Social Director of the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges (NYCAHC). Graham has been a member of the Association since 2011. He has participated in many Association-sponsored events, particularly the Association’s annual Trade Show, in which representatives of vendors, attractions, restaurants and other service partners are afforded the opportunity to meet members of the Association face to face. He is excited to continue in his community service efforts. Mr. Thomas was the organization’s Secretary during the 2016 term.
Mr. Thomas joined the pre-opening team for The Beekman last year–the hotel opened its doors on August 23rd, 2016. Previously, Mr. Thomas worked at the Waldorf Astoria for nine years as a Concierge and eventually, Chef Concierge. Mr. Thomas has been a member of Les Clefs d’Or USA since 2015.
Mr. Thomas is thrilled to be in this new role as Social Director and plans on organizing the calendar such that the Association’s partners and vendors have the opportunity to showcase their products to as many concierges as possible. With a bevy of relationships from his years in Midtown, and now working in the New Downtown, Mr. Thomas hopes to incorporate and introduce relevant and destination venues and contacts to the membership.
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
Mr Kevin Howard
Assistant Chef Concierge, Hôtel Plaza Athénée
Mr. Kevin Howard was elected by the membership to a two year term on the Board of Directors at our January 24 Election at the Carlyle Hotel, and has been appointed Membership Director for 2017.
Mr Howard is the Assistant Chef Concierge of the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, where he has worked since 2009. Prior to that, Mr. Howard has worked at other top New York City hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park, The Lotte New York Palace, and the Marriott World Trade Center.
Mr. Howard has been a member of the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges since 2006, and previously served on the Membership Committee. Mr. Howard was accepted into Les Clefs d’Or in 2010, and served on that organizations’s Membership Committee in 2015.
As the Membership Director, Mr. Howard hopes to seek out new candidates for Concierge membership in NYCAHC, and to work on developing new ways to enhance participation for our current members.
COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR
Mr. William Hawkins
Concierge, Mandarin Oriental New York
Mr. William Hawkins continues his two year term on the board as the Director of Communications and Community Outreach (formerly styled as “Director of Public Relations and Media”) for the 2017 term.
A member of NYCAHC since 2010, Mr. Hawkins previously served on the Association’s Membership Committee. He has participated in many of the Association’s charitable endeavors, including the MillionTreesNYC campaign, the Fare Share Friday dinner with Crossroads Community Services, and was the captain of the 2016 NYCAHC AIDS Walk Team, which broke fundraising records last year (more than $14,000 raised), making the NYCAHC team a “Gold Team” for the 2017 walk.
Prior to working in hospitality, Mr. Hawkins was a licensed attorney and commercial litigator for seven years before leaving that career in 2006 to follow a passion for service. He began this new career at the Mark Hotel, then served as a Concierge at The Alex Hotel for more than five years before he moved to Mandarin Oriental New York in 2012. Mr. Hawkins was honored to have been accepted as a member of Les Clefs d’Or USA in 2014, and again honored to have been nominated for the “Concierge of the Year” award at the 2016 Silver Plume Awards, held in January 2017.
Mr. Hawkins said that the new title for his position “reflects that the Director of Communications and Community Outreach has the responsibility for both internal and external communications, and is also the point person for many of the Association’s charitable endeavors.” He hopes to again lead the NYCAHC Gold Team to breaking the AIDS Walk NY fundraising record, as well as to continue NYCAHC’s other important community work, including the Caldwell Soup Kitchen, Toys for Tots, Million Trees NYC, Fare Share Friday, and other opportunities for service that may present themselves during the year.
Finally, Mr. Hawkins hopes to enlist the membership in making the Association’s social media presence more vital and engaging, and to encourage our membership to contribute content to generate interest in the Association’s activities.
ADVISOR/PAST PRESIDENT
Mr. Domenic Alfonzetti
Concierge, St. Regis New York
Mr. Domenic Alfonzetti will continue to serve as the Advisor to the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges.
Domenic Alfonzetti presently serves as concierge at the St. Regis Hotel, and was formerly the Chef Concierge of the InterContinental New York Barclay. He remains the Board of Director’s Advisor for the sixth year in a row.
Mr. Alfonzetti is one of the most distinguished and experienced concierges in New York City. He first served on the Association’s Board in 1995, was a past Vice President of the Association and served as President from 2010-2012. He has been a hotel Chef Concierge for the past 25 years in New York City. He is currently serves as a committee member on the Les Clefs d’Or Foundation of the Americas.
Mr. Alfonzetti is best known for his warm, engaging personality and his ability to communicate to his guests and colleagues the hidden secrets that make New York City the world’s top tourist destination. Mr. Alfonzetti is passionate about developing the concierge community and its relationship with New York City at large. He states, “As one of the pioneer members of the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges and past President, I will continue to mentor and help the Board of Directors take the Association to a new level of excellence through service.”
Media Contact: Bill Hawkins, Director of Communications and Community Outreach, New York City Association of Hotel Concierges. PR@NYCAHC.ORG
FDR Station PO Box: 905
New York, NY 10150-0905
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The New York City Association of Hotel Concierges is a not-for-profit organization that works to foster the professional development of concierges in the hotel industry by promoting tourism and the highest standards for our guests. To learn more about NYCAHC and our profession please visit our website at: www.nycahc.org