Author: Danny Hafner

Orlando Hotelier and Philanthropist Harris Rosen Accepts Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Gives Public Address at His Alma Mater, Cornell University

Rosen Honored with Prestigious Alumni Award during Annual Entrepreneurship@Cornell Celebration April 14-15

ORLANDO (April 20, 2011) — Orlando businessman and philanthropist Harris Rosen, who was recently named Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2011, accepted the honor in a keynote address to fellow alumni, students, faculty and staff during the school’s annual Entrepreneurship@Cornell Celebration on April 14 at the university’s Statler Auditorium.

The two-day conference, held April 14-15, was attended by more than 900 students, alumni, faculty and staff from 11 colleges and programs throughout the university and featured symposia from participating groups; the final stages of two business idea contests; a showcase of soon-to-be commercial technologies; a technology, business and resource expo and a gala banquet.

The Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 award is given annually to a Cornell University graduate who best exemplifies entrepreneurial achievement, community service and high ethical standards. Now the President & COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts® in Orlando, Rosen received his Bachelor of Science degree from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in 1961. After working for several hotel chains, Rosen purchased a bankrupt 256-room Quality Inn in Orlando in 1974 and now owns and operates the largest independent hotel chain in Florida with 6,300 rooms, or approximately six percent of the total room inventory in Central Florida. His lodging portfolio includes seven properties in the Orlando area, including three convention hotels within one mile of the Orange County Convention Center — Rosen Plaza®, Rosen Centre® and Rosen Shingle Creek® — and four leisure hotels — Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando, Rosen Inn closest to Universal, Quality Inn International and the Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista.

In his keynote address, Rosen said, “Lately, more entrepreneurs are understanding they have a responsibility to give back and be thankful for the blessings they’ve received. It’s a wonderful trend that is gaining momentum which is gratifying to see.”

Past recipients of the Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year award have included Lubna Olayan (2010), CEO of Olayan Financing Company, the holding company for Olayan Group’s operations in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East; Jay Walker (2009), founder of Priceline.com; Howard Milstein (2008), co-chairman, president and CEO of Emigrant Savings Bank and its holding company, New York Private Bank and Trust, and managing partner of Milstein Properties; Kevin McGovern (2007), CEO and Chairman of McGovern Capital and key shareholder in more than 15 companies.

For the last four years, Rosen has hosted a group of Cornell University students for “Alternative Spring Break” in which they spend one week in Orlando working with at-risk youth from the disadvantaged Tangelo Park neighborhood. The spring break program works hand-in-hand with Rosen’s Tangelo Park Program that he created in 1994 to benefit children and teens in the once drug- and crime-riddled neighborhood. Through the program, Rosen provides a free preschool education for all 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds, and all Tangelo Park youth who are accepted to a vocational school, community college, junior college or a four-year public college in Florida receive a completely free education to include, tuition, books, room and board. Thus far, approximately 190 Tangelo Park students have received full college scholarships.

In 2009 and 2010, the Orlando Business Journal recognized Rosen as a “Healthcare Hero” and one of the area’s “Top 10 CEOs,” a recognition he has received for many years. In 2007, he was honored by readers of Orlando Magazine for making the “Best Contribution to Orlando” and as one of the area’s “Most Influential Executives.” He was also named “Best Corporate Citizen” by the magazine in 2006, 2007 and 2010.

Rosen received Sustainable Florida’s Legacy Award in 2010 for his environmental efforts and community contributions, the “Citizen of the Year” award by the Florida School Board Association in 2009 and numerous industry awards including being inducting into the Visit Florida “Tourism Hall of Fame” in 2010 and being named “Hotelier of the Year” by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association in 2010.

Over the past 37 years, Rosen Hotels & Resorts® has grown from 256 to approximately 6,300 rooms, approximately six percent of the total guest rooms in Central Florida. Today, the Rosen family of hotels, which includes the AAA Four Diamond Rosen Shingle Creek®, the award-winning Rosen Centre® and Rosen Plaza®, and four leisure properties ideally located in the Orlando tourist corridor, including Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando, Rosen Inn, Quality Inn International and the Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista, remain committed to providing outstanding value for all guests.

For more information, visit www.rosenhotels.com or call 866-33-ROSEN.

For more information on Entrepreneurship @ Cornell Celebration 2011, visit entrepreneurship.cornell.edu/activities/celebration/2011.

Harris Rosen Foundation Partners with Orlando’s Lake Highland Preparatory School to Raise $86,480 for Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami Victims

Hotelier and Philanthropist Matches Dollar for Dollar Funds Raised by Students

ORLANDO (April 15, 2011) – Orlando hotelier Harris Rosen established the Harris Rosen Foundation because he wanted to give to those in need, but recently, he’s used his charitable organization as a means to encourage young people to give back as well.

Students at Lake Highland Preparatory School (LHPS) recently conducted several fundraisers to collect money for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and they asked Rosen, who serves as Orlando’s Honorary Consul General of Japan, to match what they raised. Through a Japanese Relief Benefit concert and other small fundraisers, the students of LHPS raised an astounding $43,240. Rosen, true to his word, matched the amount dollar for dollar.

The benefit concert was held March 27 with more than 200 students showcasing their talents in music, theatre and dance, including numbers from The Wizard of Oz, Oliver and Alice in Wonderland. The ensemble cast was joined by two internationally recognized players of the koto (a Japanese stringed instrument) who were accompanied by two students who did a traditional Japanese dance. There was no admission charge for the performance, but donations of any size were accepted.

Many of the school’s 2,030 students gathered at an outdoor assembly on April 11, along with Mr. Rosen, to present their combined check of $86,480 for Japanese Relief. The businessman and philanthropist congratulated the students on their fundraising success and also gave a word of advice, “As you become more and more successful in life, be sure to find a way to use that success to help others.”

Through his connections as Honorary Consul General, Rosen will help determine how to best put the donation to use.

This is the second time that Rosen has matched funds raised by LHPS. Last year, the student body raised more than $116,000 for earthquake victims in Haiti, another cause near and dear to Rosen’s heart as more than one third of Rosen Hotels & Resorts® associates are Haitian or of Haitian descent. Through his foundation, he also matched those funds, in addition to conducting numerous other fundraising, food and supply drives as part of his larger Relief-Rebuild-Sustain program for Haiti. Overall, the Harris Rosen Foundation has raised close to one million dollars for Haiti earthquake relief and continues to work on developing the low-cost, eco-friendly Little Haiti House Village.

Due to its competitive wages and outstanding associate benefit program, including the onsite Rosen Medical Center, wellness programs, continuing education and language development programs, Rosen Hotels & Resorts® has one of the lowest associate turnover rates in the hotel industry. Funding from the Harris Rosen Foundation has allowed for the creation of the Tangelo Park Project, which provides free preschool, college and vocational education to disadvantaged youth; the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management; and the Jack and Lee Rosen Southwest Orlando Jewish Community Center. The Foundation also contributes to numerous charitable organizations throughout Central Florida and beyond each year.

The Rosen Hotels & Resorts® family includes three award-winning convention properties, Rosen Plaza®, Rosen Centre® and Rosen Shingle Creek®, and four leisure properties in the Orlando tourist corridor, including the Quality Inn International, Rosen Inn closest to Universal, Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando and Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista.

For more information, visit www.rosenhotels.com or call 866-33-ROSEN.

Founded in 1970, Lake Highland Preparatory School is a coeducational, independent day school with two campuses totaling forty-two acres in the heart of Orlando. LHPS educates 2,030 students from grades Pre-K though 12 in a rigorous college preparatory program. The school is accredited by Florida Council of Independent Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Florida Kindergarten Council.