WASHINGTON – Hyatt Regency Washington is proud to announce that Gail Smith-Howard has joined as General Manager.
Smith-Howard brings 30 years of Hyatt yHyatexperience to her new role at Hyatt Regency Washington. Smith-Howard began her Hyatt career in Housekeeping at Grand Hyatt New York, one of the chain’s flagship hotels. She was quickly promoted to Hyatt Regency Kansas City and continued her career in the Rooms Division at Hyatt Regency Chicago, Hyatt Regency Cambridge, Hyatt Regency Baltimore and Grand Hyatt Washington. From 1994 to 2004, Smith-Howard served as the General Manager of Hyatt Regency Fair Lakes. Her success in overseeing a top-to-bottom renovation and managing multi-million dollar contracts earned her the Hyatt Corporation’s Manager of the Year Award in 2004.
Most recently, Smith-Howard was the General Manager at Hyatt Regency Baltimore. During her time in Baltimore, Smith-Howard won several prestigious awards and accolades including General Manager of the Year for the Maryland Hotel & Lodging Association (2011) and the Trumpet Award (2012), which recognizes African American achievements and contributions. Earlier this year, Smith-Howard was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Maryland. Her civic commitments in Baltimore included serving as a board member of the Maryland Hotel and Motel Association, Advisory Board for Greater Baltimore, and Visit Baltimore. Smith-Howard was also appointed to the Maryland Tourism Development Board by Governor Martin O’Malley, and is a long-time member of the Hyatt Corporation’s Diversity Committee and Hyatt Women’s Leadership committee.
“Appointing leaders such as Smith-Howard who has had great success in her career gives Hyatt Regency Washington a solid foundation for the future,” says Jerry Lewin, Sr. VP Operations, Hyatt. “Her experience and leadership will be a competitive strength for us.”
