PAII CEO Elected to U.S. Travel Association Board of Directors
This will be the first time a representative from the bed and breakfast industry will serve the organization in this capacity.
Jay Karen, president and chief executive officer of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII), was elected by peers in the travel industry to serve a two-year term as an at-large member of the U.S. Travel Association board of directors.
“U.S. Travel is pleased to welcome Jay to our board,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “Jay is a champion for the travel sector, and our board will benefit by having a voice for the bed and breakfast industry,” finished Dow.
Jay has fifteen years of experience in organizational and association management and leadership, fourteen of which has been in the hospitality and leisure market. Since 2007, Jay has served the bed and breakfast industry as president and CEO of PAII. For ten years prior to that, he served in senior staff positions with the National Golf Course Owners Association, representing and promoting the business interests of golf course operators worldwide.
“I have long admired the work of the U.S. Travel Association, especially over the past few years, during which they have made incredible public policy strides,” said Karen. “I am honored to contribute to the strategic discussions and mission of the organization. Inns and B&Bs are among the smallest businesses in the travel industry, and yet contribute to tourism and historic preservation in meaningful ways in every corner of the nation. I look forward to amplifying their voices.”
About PAII: The Professional Association of Innkeepers International, founded in 1988, is the innkeeping industry's largest trade association. PAII provides education, communications, public relations, advocacy, networking, and research services to its membership and the greater industry. In addition, PAII has created and is spearheading “Better Way To Stay”, a groundbreaking, industry-wide campaign to help travelers discover today’s inns and B&B experience. For more information, visit www.innkeeping.org.
About U.S. Travel: The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $704 billion travel industry. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. For more information, visit www.ustravel.org.
