The William R. Tiefel Professorial Chairs

The Hospitality College has received an endowed Industry Chair from William R. Tiefel, chairman of Carmax Inc. and chairman emeritus of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Tiefel established the university’s first endowed chair in 2003 as an ongoing legacy of industry involvement and interactive hospitality education.

Learn from Hospitality Experts
Every year, we film the Tiefel lectures so that hospitality students and professionals can listen and learn from their insight and expertise. In this series of videos, hear what each of the Tiefel Chairs had to say when they visited JWU, starting with Robin Uler, our most recent Tiefel Chair:

• Robin Uler
• DeNita Turner  
• Roger Dow
• Niki Leondakis
• Stephen Weisz
• Don Landry
• Mike Leven

About the Tiefel Chairs
Robin Uler is the president of Fresh Take LLC and the current Tiefel Chair recipient. After a 3-decade career with Marriott International, Uler became a consultant, collaborating with hospitality and food and beverage companies including Marriott to create strategic plans with a fresh approach. Read her biography.

Read about the past holders of the Tiefel Professorial Chair:

• DeNita Turner, president of Image Builders, Inc.
• Roger Dow, president and CEO of the US Travel Association
• Niki Leondakis, president and chief operating officer of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
• Stephen Weisz, president of Marriott Vacation Club International
• Don Landry, owner of Top Ten, a hospitality advisory company; former vice chairman and CEO of Sunburst Hospitality Corporation
• Mike Leven, president, COO, assistant secretary and acting CEO of Sands China Ltd; president and COO of Las Vegas Sands LLC