鈥淲e are proud to honor two of the region鈥檚 most respected hospitality executives who have both contributed so much to Orlando鈥檚 success as a destination,鈥� said Dr. Abraham Pizam, dean of Rosen College. 鈥淭heir impact extends far beyond their organizations and will leave a lasting impression on Central Florida鈥檚 hospitality industry for decades to come.鈥�

Mr. Davis is president and chief operating officer of Universal Orlando Resort. He is responsible for oversight of Universal Orlando, including the Universal Studios theme park, the Islands of Adventure theme park, the 30-acre CityWalk entertainment complex and the nearby Universal Parks & Resort鈥檚 Wet n鈥� Wild water park. Mr. Davis has 40 years of theme park experience, including several positions with the Anheuser-Busch company. He is a past president of the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau and current Executive Committee Board Member. He has also served on the Give Kids the World Board of Directors, the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Committee, and the American Zoological Association as a Professional Fellow.

Ms. Canning is the executive director of the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). She is responsible for directing and supervising all aspects of finance, marketing and operations of the facility. She joined the OCCC in 1985 and provided invaluable assistance in the sales, service planning and development for the Center鈥檚 three expansion projects. In December 2002, Ms. Canning was promoted to the position of deputy general manager and in 2012, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs appointed her executive director. During her career, she has devoted her time to many not-for-profit organizations, including The United Way Leadership Club, Orlando Chamber of Commerce and Visit Orlando.

Tickets and sponsorship information for The Pineapple Ball庐 will be available at hospitality.ucf.edu/the-pineapple-ball. For questions about the event, please contact Jessica Richards at 407-823-1589 or jessica.richards@ucf.edu.

Actress Sarah-Lee Dobbs emceed the evening鈥檚 festivities, which included a video presentation about Rosen College and its impact on the hospitality industry, featuring faculty and outstanding alumni. Both inductees were honored with a special musical performance before they took the stage to accept a Steuben crystal pineapple and address the audience. Mark Miller and Carol Stein performed a personalized rendition of Frank Sinatra鈥檚 鈥淐ome Fly with Me鈥� in honor of Dowdy and vocal group Vox Audio sang Pharrell鈥檚 鈥淗appy鈥� for Triscari. Following the induction ceremony, guests enjoyed dinner, live entertainment and dancing.

Ronald 鈥淩on鈥� E. Dowdy is a seasoned real estate owner/operator with more than 45 years of professional experience, including more than 42 years in real estate acquisition, development and management. His real estate career began in 1971 when he obtained his first lease of a hotel gift shop at the entrance to Walt Disney World. Mr. Dowdy currently manages around 50 tenant spaces in six different locations on and around International Drive and oversees an approximately 2,000-acre Black Angus Cattle Ranch in Virginia鈥檚 Shenandoah Valley. He is also very active in civic causes, including American Red Cross of Central Florida, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Boy Scouts of America, Florida Citrus Sports Foundation, Florida Citrus Bowl and the Sheriff鈥檚 Employee Assistance Trust (SEAT) Foundation.

Maria Triscari is the President and CEO of the International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce, which represents the International Drive Resort Area and its myriad hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, attractions and major theme parks. She was hired as executive director of the Chamber in 1989 at its inception and after 27 years of service, is one of the longest-running heads of any organization in Central Florida. During her career, she has worked closely with government and elected officials on projects to enhance the International Drive Resort Area and the tourism industry. Under Ms. Triscari鈥檚 leadership, the Chamber now boasts hundreds of members and is one of the most active, influential and highly-respected industry organizations in the region.

Learn more about The Pineapple Ball庐. For questions about the event, please contact Premila Whitney at 407.903.8020 or premila.whitney@ucf.edu.

鈥淩on and Maria are longtime Central Floridians who have helped shape the world-famous International Drive corridor into a powerful tourism destination,鈥� said Dr. Abraham Pizam, dean of Rosen College. 鈥淭he industry owes a great deal to their leadership, vision and continued dedication, so this honor is extremely well deserved.鈥�

Ronald 鈥淩on鈥� E. Dowdy is a seasoned real estate owner/operator with more than 45 years of professional experience, including more than 42 years in real estate acquisition, development and management. His real estate career began in 1971 when he obtained his first lease of a hotel gift shop at the entrance to Walt Disney World. Mr. Dowdy currently manages around 50 tenant spaces in six different locations on and around International Drive and oversees an approximately 2,000-acre Black Angus Cattle Ranch in Virginia鈥檚 Shenandoah Valley. He is also very active in civic causes, including American Red Cross of Central Florida, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Boy Scouts of America, Florida Citrus Sports Foundation, Florida Citrus Bowl and the Sheriff鈥檚 Employee Assistance Trust (SEAT) Foundation.

Maria Triscari is the President and CEO of the International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce, which represents the International Drive Resort Area and its myriad hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, attractions and major theme parks. She was hired as executive director of the Chamber in 1989 at its inception and after 27 years of service, is one of the longest-running heads of any organization in Central Florida. During her career, she has worked closely with government and elected officials on projects to enhance the International Drive Resort Area and the tourism industry. Under Ms. Triscari鈥檚 leadership, the Chamber now boasts hundreds of members and is one of the most active, influential and highly-respected industry organizations in the region.

Visit Rosen College’s website for tickets and sponsorship information. For questions about the event, please contact Premila Whitney at 407.903.8020 or premila.whitney@ucf.edu.

Actor Billy Flanigan emceed the evening’s festivities with additional remarks from Dr. Abraham Pizam, dean of Rosen College. Both inductees were honored with a special聽 musical performance before they took the stage to accept a Steuben crystal pineapple and address the audience. Mears, Jr. was serenaded by Michelle Lindahl’s rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and the St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Children鈥檚 Choir sang “We Are the Children of Promise” for Landwirth, whose wife, Pam, attended on his behalf. Following the induction ceremony, guests were treated to dinner, live entertainment and dancing.

Landwirth is a hotelier, philanthropist and founder of , a 70-acre, nonprofit resort in Central Florida that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. His roots in the Central Florida hospitality industry run deep, starting in 1954 when he managed the 100-room Starlight Motel in Cocoa Beach.

Mears, Jr. is the chairman of and the son of company founder, Paul S. Mears, Sr. He has guided the company for almost 40 years and helped transform it from three taxicabs to a ground transportation industry leader. Mears Transportation is also an active community partner, providing free transportation to families staying at the Give Kids the World Village for the last 25 years.

For more information about The Pineapple Ball, please visit hospitality.ucf.edu/the-pineapple-ball.

The Pineapple Ball will be produced by Rosen College faculty, staff and students. Proceeds will benefit scholarships and academic initiatives, which include: classroom technology upgrades, curriculum materials, learning labs, equipment, the development of degree programs, hiring additional faculty and industry research grants.

Ticket and sponsorship information for The Pineapple Ball is available online at hospitality.ucf.edu/the-pineapple-ball.

For event questions, please contact:

Premila Whitney at 407.903.8020 or premila.whitney@ucf.edu.

For sponsorship information, please contact:

Jessica Richards at 407.823.1589 or jessica.richards@ucf.edu

Suzan Bunn at 407.903.8212 or suzan.bunn@ucf.edu

鈥淲e are honored to recognize Henri Landwirth and Paul Mears, Jr. for their contributions to the hospitality industry, as well as their undeniable influence in our community,鈥� said Dr. Abraham Pizam, dean of Rosen College. 鈥淲e hope our industry partners and friends will join us to celebrate this special occasion.鈥�

Henri Landwirth is a hotelier, philanthropist and founder of , a 70-acre, nonprofit resort in Central Florida that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Landwirth鈥檚 roots in the Central Florida hospitality industry run deep, starting in 1954 when he managed the 100-room Starlight Motel in Cocoa Beach.

Paul Mears, Jr. is the chairman of and the son of company founder, Paul S. Mears, Sr. He has guided the company for almost 40 years and helped transform it from three taxicabs to a ground transportation industry leader. Mears Transportation is also an active community partner, providing free transportation to families staying at the Give Kids the World Village for the last 25 years.

Sponsorship and ticket information for The Pineapple Ball will be available online at hospitality.ucf.edu/the-pineapple-ball. Tickets will go on sale starting May 5. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Premila Whitney at 407.903.8020 or premila.whitney@ucf.edu.

*Please note that for the last three years, Rosen College partnered with the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE) to perform the induction into the Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame through the Grand Tour Gala. However, neither Rosen College nor the Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame are affiliated with this year鈥檚 Grand Tour Gala.