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Hospitality High School Teacher Wins National Award

June 30, 2009
***PRESS RELEASE***


Contact: Emily Durso, President, HAWDC
(202) 289-8739                     

Tiffany Godbout, Executive
Director, WHF                                                       
(202) 289-4448   

June 25, 2009
(Washington, D.C)
Hospitality High School Teacher Wins National Award

Mr. Michael R. Cucciardo, the hospitality administrator of Hospitality Public Charter
High School in Washington, D.C. won the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute’s Outstanding Educator Award.   Competing against educators from every state in the country and from hospitality programs far larger, Mr. Cucciardo brought this award to Washington D.C. for the first time.  This national award was awarded during the AH&LA Summer Summit during the AH&LA Stars of the Industry Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, June 24 in Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Cucciardo was honored for his committment to helping students pursue careers in hospitality management. Emily Durso, HAWDC President said, “Mike Cucciardo
understands the hospitality industry and is completely dedicated to helping our young people on to college and a career path in hospitality. He works extremely close with all the members of the Hotel Association of Washington to ensure each student has a valuable work place experience, a real key to the schools success.”   In the last year, he coordinated over 5,000 hour of direct hospitality industry participation with students from Hospitality High School.  Frank Fleming, a 2008 HHS graduate said, “Without Mr. Cucciardo’s influence, I would not be in college studying hospitality management and working in a hotel this summer.”