CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
The theme of our 2011 Annual
Convention – Leading Together, Taking Action – summarizes a
philosophy that springs from Gandhi, who said that to make progress we
must make better use of our energy. At AAHOA, we have considerable
energy, and I pledge as chairman to always harness that power for the
benefit of all our members.
Among the important issues that currently face our organization are bank financing, fair franchising, government relations, improving AAHOA’s election process, establishing an AAHOA charitable foundation, and going green. Here is how I intend to address them.
With the collapse of America’s economy and banks, financing and credit have dried up. The impact on the hotel industry has been severe and our members have received little help from key government agencies.
I offer two proposals for consideration: first, hiring a full-time staff person to ensure that our voice is heard, especially in Congress and at other appropriate national political levels; and second, creating a new banking and finance committee of qualified members who can help address legislation and gain financing.
Franchising is the single issue which will define the success of AAHOA. There are two types of franchisors -- (1) the good ones that deliver value and brand recognition, and that operate with a commitment to mutual success with their franchisees and (2) those who take advantage of their franchisees and cause our members to literally lose their livelihood. With this latter group, we need to get tough. We must tell certain franchisors that if they don’t improve their practices and policies, we won’t allow them to sell their products through AAHOA channels.
On political issues at both the state and national levels, we must leverage the strength of our members by focusing on the two items that drive the election process – money and votes. Last year, AAHOA’s political action committee (PAC) raised $300,000 and I have set a goal of doubling that amount this year. This level of funding will allow our organization and our Indian community to be a major player in the critical 2012 election cycle.
In addition to funds, the Indian community forms a powerful voting block. Through an organized grassroots effort, I intend for AAHOA to identify key Congressman and Senators who can assist with our legislative goals -- then we must support those legislators with fundraising and voter registration initiatives.
Regarding AAHOA’s election process, we should review the system and explore options for making it fairer and more accessible to all members, including those who cannot travel to the Annual Convention. One possible mechanism is to use our Regional Meetings, while another element is enhancing the accountability of every elected leader.
Another important passion for me is charitable giving. As chairman of our Humanitarian Committee for the past eight years, I am a firm believer that we make a living by what we get but we earn a life by what we give. I now intend to take AAHOA’s giving a step further by forming an AAHOA Charitable Foundation which will enable our members to donate creatively and responsibly.
Other priorities for me are (1) environmental protection, with our Vice Chairman Alkesh Patel chairing a new Going Green Committee to develop a proposal for our organization; (2) empowerment of women and youth within AAHOA; and (3) developing marketing support for the online travel agency (OTA) and eMarket purchasing cooperative that were just introduced.
My agenda as AAHOA chairman is ambitious, but it is achievable – and I look forward to working with and for my fellow members to indeed make it a year that fulfills the promise of Leading Together, Taking Action.
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