The Hall of Fame was established in 2007 by the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the ����ֱ�� to honor outstanding community leaders for their service and commitment to the local hospitality industry.

“Each inductee was carefully chosen after consultations with industry researchers and executives,” said Dr. Abraham Pizam, Dean of UCF’s Rosen College. “I am honored to welcome these five distinguished executives into the Hall of Fame, as each of them has shown outstanding professionalism, leadership, and service throughout their respective careers, and are truly deserving of this honor.”

Retired Walt Disney Parks and Resorts executive Al Weiss and current Universal Parks & Resorts CEO Thomas L. Williams will both be inducted as members of the 2011 Hall of Fame class. Both individuals have served as leaders in the global success and expansion of their respective theme parks, attractions and resorts. Additionally, both Weiss and Williams have served in award-winning roles with numerous local community organizations and councils.

Albert Covelli, founder of Covelli Enterprises, the largest franchisee of Panera Bread, and Alan C. Villaverde, president of Peabody Hotels Division and managing director for The Peabody Orlando, have both been selected as the Hall of Fame’s 2012 inductees. Covelli owns more than 200 Panera Bread bakery-cafés, with 59 located in the Central Florida area, and continues to donate millions in cash and product to charitable organizations. Villaverde has won virtually every major hotelier award and has positioned The Peabody Orlando to be the current top-ranked convention hotel in the U.S. In addition to his key role with the Peabody Hotel Group, Villaverde serves as a tireless fundraiser for several charitable organizations.

The Hall of Fame will also induct the late Gary C. Sain posthumously, as a member of its 2012 class. Sain, who tragically passed away earlier this year, served as the president and CEO of Visit Orlando from 2007-2012. As the leader of Visit Orlando, Sain was credited for making Orlando the top tourist destination in the U.S. last year, with a record-breaking 55 million + visitors. In addition to overseeing Orlando’s tourism initiatives, Sain also served in several Board of Directors positions for numerous industry and charitable organizations.

Each inductee will be presented with a limited-edition Steuben crystal pineapple award, the symbol of the hospitality industry. Additionally, all honorees will be pictured with plaques on the Hall of Fame wall, located at the UCF Rosen College campus.

The Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place during the 2012 Grand Tour Gala, an annual fundraising event that supports industry programs, as well as educational opportunities at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Tickets to attend the Gala, as well as the induction ceremony must be purchased in advance at grandtourfoundation.org.

Previous Hall of Fame inductees include Carolyn Fennell, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, and Mark McHugh, Gatorland, (2010); Jim D. Atchison, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, and Harris Rosen, Rosen Hotels & Resorts (2009); Patricia J. Engfer, Hyatt Orlando, and Richard A. Nunis, Walt Disney Attractions (2008); and Richard J. Walsh, Darden Restaurants, and William C. Peeper, Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau (2007).

The Orlando WOW Awards have recognized exceptionally produced events in the Central Florida area, since 2003. The winners are chosen by a panel of International Special Events Society chapter members from throughout the United States.

The Grand Tour Gala, headed by UCF Rosen College professor, Dr. Mary Jo Ross, won the Best Team Effort award for its 2011 event. More than 100 people were involved in the production of last year’s Gala, which featured Argentinian-inspired food, performances, and scenery for its more than 560 guests.

The 2012 Awards were handed out on June 21 during a private ceremony at the Orlando Science Center.

Dr. Ross won an Orlando WOW Award for the Gala in 2009, as the Best Event Planner, and also took home the Peer of the Year award in 2010.

In addition to the Orlando WOW Award, the Grand Tour Gala has also recently received national recognition with two nominations for the 2012 International Special Events Society’s Esprit Awards, held in Dallas, Tex. this August. The ISES Esprit Awards acknowledge the extraordinary efforts, performance, and outstanding contributions of ISES members in the special events planning industry.

“I am extremely proud of the Gala and my production team, and feel honored that the industry has chosen recognize our efforts,” said Ross. “My production team and I look forward to producing this year’s Gala, which highlights the destination of Bombay, India.”

The 2012 Grand Tour Gala will be held at the Waldorf Astoria Hilton Bonnet Creek on October 20. The Gala, which serves as UCF Rosen College’s biggest annual fundraising event, features an evening filled with exquisite foods, first-class entertainment, and concierge-level service.

The funds raised from the Gala benefit students and educational programs at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

During the 2012 Gala, UCF’s Rosen College will induct Al Weiss, Thomas L. Williams, Alan C. Villaverde and Albert Covelli into its Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame. The late Gary Sain will also be inducted, posthumously, into the Hall of Fame.

For more information on the Grand Tour Gala and the Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame, please visit, https://www.grandtourfoundation.org/.

As the head of the local tourism agency, Sain helped Orlando become the first U.S. destination to reach 50 million visitors. Sain was also involved among local charities and served as an advocate of hospitality management education and research at UCF’s Rosen College. The 61-year-old tourism leader, who tragically passed away from a heart attack on May 4, will be inducted posthumously into the Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame during the College’s 2012 Grand Tour Gala, held on Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando.

“Gary was a beloved father and husband, a talented industry professional and a leader in the community,” said Dr. Abraham Pizam, Dean of UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “But he was also an educator at heart. Gary happily lent his expertise to the College as a member of our Advisory Board, and would frequently serve as a guest lecturer to our students. For all that he has done and accomplished for our community, Gary’s legacy deserves to live on through the Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame.”

The Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Grand Tour Gala will include a special presentation, highlighting the life and accomplishments of Gary C. Sain. Dean Pizam will also present Sain’s wife, Pamela, with a Steuben crystal pineapple award, the symbol of the hospitality industry. Sain will also be pictured with a plaque on the Hall of Fame, located on the UCF’s Rosen College campus.

Sain started with Visit Orlando in February 2007 as the leader of the organization that markets and sells the Orlando area as the No. 1 family leisure destination in the world, and one of the top meetings and convention destinations in America. Known in the industry as a marketing and branding expert, Sain leveraged these strengths while at Visit Orlando to develop several leisure advertising programs for the destination. These initiatives include the Orlando Makes Me Smile branding, the 2nd Summer and Be the First leisure marketing campaigns, as well as the Inspiration and Influencer campaigns for the business travel market.

Sain will be inducted at this year’s ceremony, along with the Peabody Orlando’s Alan C. Villaverde, Panera Bread Pioneer Albert Covelli, Walt Disney Company’s Al Weiss, and Thomas L. Williams of Universal Parks & Resorts. Prior inductees include Carolyn Fennell, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, and Mark McHugh, Gatorland, (2010); Jim D. Atchison, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, and Harris Rosen, Rosen Hotels & Resorts (2009); Patricia J. Engfer, Hyatt Orlando, and Richard A. Nunis, Walt Disney Attractions (2008); and Richard J. Walsh, Darden Restaurants, and William C. Peeper, Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau (2007).

For more information on the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, please visit grandtourfoundation.org.

Since 2007, The Grand Tour Gala has been celebrating the world of hospitality and has inducted 8 hospitality leaders into the Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame.  Additionally, the gala benefits students and educational programs for the hospitality industry.  The 2012 Grand Tour Gala, produced by the Orlando Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives, will journey to India where guests will experience a celebrity-hosted evening of festivities filled with exquisite foods, Broadway-style entertainment, and concierge-level service provided by the ����ֱ�� Rosen College of Hospitality Management students.  The event is being hosted by the Waldorf Astoria and Hilton Bonnet Creek in Orlando on Saturday, October 20, 2012.  For tickets and sponsorship information please visit grandtourfoundation.org.

The Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame, which was established in 2007 by the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the ����ֱ��, will officially induct Villaverde and Covelli on Saturday, Oct. 20, as part of the 2012 Grand Tour Gala, an annual event organized by the Orlando Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) that supports UCF’s Rosen College and its programs.

The 2012 honorees were selected after consultations with the faculty and staff of UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management and industry executives. The Dean of Rosen College, Dr. Abraham Pizam, will present the inductees with Steuben crystal pineapple awards, the symbol of the hospitality industry, at the Grand Tour Gala, held the Waldorf Astoria Orlando. Both honorees will also be pictured with plaques on the Hall of Fame, located on the UCF Rosen College campus.

“I am honored to welcome two of Central Florida’s most distinguished and generous hospitality leaders to the Hall of Fame,” said Dean Pizam. “Mr. Villaverde and Mr. Covelli, who have both shown outstanding professionalism, leadership, and service throughout their careers, are truly deserving of this honor.”

Alan C. Villaverde joined The Peabody Orlando in 1993 as vice president/general manager, bringing with him 23 years of hotel/hospitality management expertise. In 2006, Villaverde was elevated to Executive Vice President of Peabody Hotels with responsibility for The Peabody Memphis and The Peabody Little Rock in addition to his role as general manager of The Peabody Orlando. In 2009, Villaverde was promoted to President of Peabody Hotels Division and Managing Director of The Peabody Orlando. During his seventeen-year Peabody tenure, he has garnered almost every major hotel award for The Peabody Orlando, including the coveted Mobil Travel Guide Four Star, AAA Four Diamond and Conde Nast �հ�����������’s Top 100 Business Hotels awards.

Villaverde was honored as Maryland Hotelier of the Year, 1991; was named Peabody Hotel Group’s Top General Manager, 1995 and 1998; Central Florida Hotelier of the Year, 1997; State of Florida GM of the Year, 1997, American Hotel & Motel Association’s Outstanding GM of the Year, 1999.  In February, 2000, he was named among Central Florida’s 100 Most Influential People by The Orlando Business Journal.  In 2007 he was named “Most Influential Executive” by Orlando Magazine.  Preferred Hotel Group awarded the coveted 2011 Hotelier of the Year Award to Villaverde.

Always a leader in fund-raising and charitable causes, Villaverde chaired the first three fund-raising campaigns for the “Food for All” project of the Maryland Food Bank Committees, raising $900,000 of food products for the needy.  This earned him the Governor’s Citation for Exemplary Efforts in Caring and Community Outreach.  Likewise in Orlando, Villaverde is a tireless fund-raiser on behalf of Give Kids The World, a local wish-granting organization providing memorable vacations for terminally-ill children and their families from around the world.  Villaverde and his wife, Mary Kay, also support “Seniors First” sponsoring an annual fund raiser providing financial aid for this organization that serves the elderly in Central Florida.

Albert Covelli started his career as a Lieutenant Medical Administrative Officer during World War II in England, France, & Germany. After his years of service, he started an open air market in Kenosha, WI, which he expanded to three locations.  Covelli then became the founder of a wholesale produce company where he added a distributorship for a Snow Corporation Frozen Foods and Sealtest Dairy Company before moving to Warren, OH.

In the interest of a new business opportunity and in the pursuit of spending more time with his family, Covelli opened his first McDonald’s in Warren, OH in 1959. He then built the business to 27 locations before turning it over to his son Sam in 1985.

In 1996, Albert Covelli’s vision for the future continued to evolve when he embarked upon Panera Bread and decided to franchise this concept. He recognized what he calls the success formula for any business: quality, quantity and service. Albert Covelli currently operates 59 bakery-cafes in Orlando and Tampa, FL. The Covelli Family owns and operates close to 200 Panera Bread bakery-cafes and five O’Charley’s Restaurants making Covelli Enterprises the largest Franchisee of Panera Bread in the nation. Additionally, Covelli Enterprises is the fifth largest restaurant franchisee in the nation with gross sales revenues exceeding $400 million. Covelli Enterprises employs over 20,000 people.

Covelli was recently awarded with the first ever Panera Bread Pioneer Award to honor his life’s achievements.

In true entrepreneurial spirit, Covelli has always believed in the philosophy of giving back to the community. Since 1993, The Albert Covelli Foundation has donated close to $1,300,000.00 to hundreds of charities and non-profit organizations. He has also fulfilled a long history of civic involvement by serving on numerous boards and foundations committed to bettering the lives of those around him.

In addition to The Albert Covelli Foundation, Covelli Enterprises donates more than $10 million annually in unsold bread and bakery product to local food banks, hunger relief agencies and community organizations in five states.

Villaverde and Covelli will be the 11th and 12th Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame members. Prior inductees are Al Weiss, Walt Disney Company, and Thomas L. Williams, Universal Parks & Resorts (2011); Carolyn Fennell, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, and Mark McHugh, Gatorland, (2010); Jim D. Atchison, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, and Harris Rosen, Rosen Hotels & Resorts (2009); Patricia J. Engfer, Hyatt Orlando, and Richard A. Nunis, Walt Disney Attractions (2008); and Richard J. Walsh, Darden Restaurants, and William C. Peeper, Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau (2007).

For sponsorship opportunities and table reservations to the 2012 Grand Tour Gala, where Villaverde and Covelli will be inducted on Oct. 20, please visit https://www.grandtourfoundation.org/.

The Hall of Fame was established in 2007 by the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the ����ֱ�� to honor outstanding community leaders for their service and commitment to the Central Florida hospitality industry.

The honorees were selected after consultations with the faculty and staff of the Rosen College and industry executives. Their official inductions will be part of the 2012 Grand Tour Gala, an annual event organized by the Orlando Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) that supports the Rosen College and its programs.

At that event, Rosen College Dean Abraham Pizam will present the inductees with Steuben crystal pineapple awards, the symbol of the hospitality industry. Both honorees also will be pictured with plaques on the Hall of Fame at the Rosen campus.

Before retiring this year, Al Weiss served as president of worldwide operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He was responsible for operations at the Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, Disneyland Resort Paris, Disney Cruise Line and Disney Vacation Club.

Weiss began his Disney career in 1972 as an hourly cast member. He has since directed the largest resort expansion in Walt Disney World history, overseen the successful opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and launched Disney Cruise Line.

He has been designated as a distinguished alumnus by UCF, his alma mater, and he has served on the UCF Board of Trustees. He previously served as chairman of the UCF Foundation Board of Directors.

Weiss has been named the “Most Influential Businessman in Central Florida” by the Orlando Business Journal.  He is an active community leader who has served on the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, the EDC Governors Council, the Florida Council of 100 Board of Directors, the SunTrust Bank Central Florida Board of Directors, the Orange County Minority/Women Business Enterprise Alliance and the Give Kids the World Advisory Board.

Thomas L. Williams is the chairman and CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts, overseeing all Universal theme park entertainment destinations around the world.  These include Universal Orlando Resort, Wet ‘n Wild Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore.  They also include developing locations in South Korea and Dubai.

Williams has worked more than 40 years in the hospitality and leisure industry. His first key role with Universal was vice president of hotels and restaurants at Yosemite National Park, where he oversaw guest services and operations for 12 on-site hotels and 14 restaurants. He came to Orlando in 1987 to lead the development and opening of Universal Studios Florida. Since then, Williams has led the transformation of Universal Orlando into a world-class entertainment destination and pioneered the expansion of the Universal theme park experience across the globe.

Most recently, Williams led the development and creation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort – gaining significant national and international attention for both Universal Orlando and Central Florida.

Williams has held leadership roles in several tourism and community organizations, and he is a founding trustee of World Class Schools (Florida) and United Arts of Central Florida. He currently serves on the advisory board for Give Kids the World.

Weiss and Williams will be the ninth and 10th Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame members. Prior inductees are Carolyn Fennell, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, and Mark McHugh, Gatorland, (2010); Jim D. Atchison, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, and Harris Rosen, Rosen Hotels & Resorts (2009); Patricia J. Engfer, Hyatt Orlando, and Richard A. Nunis, Walt Disney Attractions (2008); and Richard J. Walsh, Darden Restaurants, and William C. Peeper, Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau (2007).

In an email to cast members, Weiss wrote: “After careful thought and consideration, it is with both pleasure and sadness that I announce after 39 long and wonderful years I will be retiring from The Walt Disney Co. Thanks to all of you who have been part of my unforgettable career with this amazing company.”

Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs said Weiss’s tenure at the company will leave a “profound mark on Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, and the accomplishments and milestones that encompass his legacy are many.”

For the Disney announcement, click .

Source: Orlando Business Journal, . Date: Wednesday, June 22, 2011, 4:53pm EDT

[UCF Today Note: Mr. Weiss (’76) is in the UCF College of Business Hall of Fame. For more, click here.]