NORWALK, Connecticut—Shatterproof announced its 2025 Shatterproof Hospitality Heroes honoree, Amanda Hite. Hite is the president of STR, a CoStar Group company, and is being recognized for her courage and commitment to raising awareness of substance use disorders and ending addiction stigma. She will be honored during the eighth annual Hospitality Heroes Reception, which will be held during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) on January 29, 2025. The event will also raise funds to support Shatterproof and its efforts to transform how addiction is treated in the United States.
Hite has expressed pride in the hospitality industry’s efforts to support those affected by addiction and has emphasized the critical role of organizations like Shatterproof in providing resources to save lives. Additionally, Hite has actively participated in Shatterproof initiatives, including the Shatterproof Challenge Rappel, where she rappelled down a building to raise awareness and funds for addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery.
At STR, Hite supervises all operational and business affairs tailored to the global hospitality industry and drives the organization’s mission forward and broadening its global footprint. Her industry involvement includes serving on numerous boards and councils, such as the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the U.S. Travel Association, the Executive Council of Women in Lodging, and the Forward Sumner Economic Partnership. She also contributes her expertise to the Travel and Tourism Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the Industry Advisory Board for the hotel and restaurant management program at Auburn University.
Prior to her role at STR, Hite served as the director of research for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, where she focused on economic growth and development within the local business community and the broader regional economy.
The Hospitality Heroes Reception was created by Gary Mendell, a former hotelier who served as the co-founder and chairman of HEI Hotels & Resorts, and who is now the Shatterproof CEO.
Mendell founded Shatterproof ten years ago after losing his son to the stigma of addiction. His goal was to ensure that other families didn’t have to experience the same pain and heartbreak he went through. Since its inception, the Hospitality Heroes Reception has raised more than $5 million to help the Shatterproof mission and gathered more than 100 hotel companies and 500 employees.
“Amanda Hite is a true testament of the Hospitality Heroes award due to her personal commitment to educate the public to reduce the stigma of addiction and ensure that people who use substances or have substance use disorders have a path to recovery,” said Mendell. “We look forward to working with her and STR to raise awareness and bring change to treatment outcomes and research.”
“Studies have shown the hospitality industry is impacted by substance use disorders at two times the rate of other industries,” said Hite. “My goal is to ensure that we create a national support system to ensure that people living with substance use disorders have access to treatment and resources and can be treated without any shame or judgement.”
The 2025 Shatterproof Hospitality Heroes Committee includes Mike Barnello, Badlands Hotel Capital; James Burba, Burba Hotel Network; Paul Whetsell, CapStar Hotel Company; Ted Darnall, Clark Hanrattie, Anthony Rutledge, and Greg Mendell, HEI Hotels & Resorts; Chris Nassetta, Hilton Hotels and Resorts; Dan Lesser, LW Hospitality Advisors; Bill Reynolds, Marcus Hotels; Joel Eisemann, Noble Investment Group; Mark Woodworth, RM Woodworth Hospitality Advisors; Robert Alter, Seaview Investors; Stacy Silver, Silver Hospitality Group; Gary Mendell, Shatterproof; Thomas Corcoran, TCOR Hotel Partners; Patrick Campbell, Tim Hodes and Merrick Kleeman, Wheelock Street Capital; and Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.
The 2024 Hospitality Heroes reception will take place on January 29, 2025, from 6:30 pm through 7:45 pm at the J.W. Marriott at LA Live in Los Angeles, California.
