February 22, 2007
Vern Cook First in State to Reach 20 Years as Certified Hotel Administrator
(Augusta, ME) Vern Cook, co-owner of the Senator Inn & Spa in Augusta, recently achieved the 20-year mark as a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) through the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA).
The CHA designation is the premier symbol of professional achievement for lodging executives worldwide, according to the AH&LA. Cook was the first Maine hospitality professional to become a CHA, and he is the only Maine recipient to hold the title for 20 years. Only 24 others in the United States have reached the 20-year mark.
“I was extremely proud to pass the most recent CHA recertification,” said Cook. “I believe that expanding my knowledge of the lodging industry and learning how to be a better manager can only help make the Senator Inn & Spa a better place to stay, have a great meal or enjoy a day of pampering and relaxation.”
Once certified, CHA designees must take part in professional development activities through education, industry involvement and local outreach to qualify for recertification every five years.
Cook, a graduate of Duke University, has taken courses at Thomas College and the University of Maine at Augusta, and served on the board of the Maine Innkeepers Association to meet recertification requirements at every renewal period since 1987. He has also acted as the Maine representative on the national AH&LA Board of Directors.
Cook began his career in hotel management at the Senator Inn in 1977.
About the Senator Inn & Spa
The Senator Inn & Spa is an Augusta, Maine based hotel committed to health and relaxation. Privately owned and operated by innkeepers Vern and Betsy Cook, the Senator Inn & Spa is a full-service getaway that houses the award-winning Cloud 9 Restaurant, offering all-natural, local, and organically certified dishes that are as healthy as they are delicious. A 125-room property, the Senator Inn & Spa includes banquet facilities and a full-service spa complete with saltwater pool, fitness rooms, and a range of body treatments and products in our Spa Boutique. A member of the Green Hotel Association, the Senator Inn & Spa is a designated Environmental Leader, and pioneer in bans on smoking and trans fat. For more information, visit www.senatorinn.com or contact Vern Cook at 207-622-5804.
