Mike Leven Inducted Into Hospitality Industry Hall Of Honor

Mike Leven, president and chief executive officer of Atlanta-based US Franchise Systems, Inc. (USFS), has been inducted into The Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor of the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management.

As a 2004 inductee, Leven joins such industry notables as Walt Disney, Barron Hilton, Howard Johnson, Ray Kroc, J. W. Marriott, Colonel Harland Sanders, Preston and Lawrence Tisch, and Kemmons Wilson.

The Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor is located in the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management. Displays, portraits and memorabilia related to the life, career and accomplishments of each inductee are exhibited within the Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management complex, which provides a unique ‘learning from leadership’ educational environment for students pursuing a career in hospitality management.

Leven has spent his entire career in the hotel industry. Prior to forming U.S. Franchise Systems � which franchises the Microtel Inns & Suites, Hawthorn Suites, and America’s Best Inns & Suites hotel brands � in 1995, he was president and chief operating officer of Holiday Inn Worldwide and president of Days Inn of America. He has also held senior executive positions with Americana Hotels, Dunfey Family Hotels and Sonesta Hotels. He co-founded the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) in 1989.

Leven has received numerous industry awards and served many civic organizations throughout his career. He is currently a trustee of The Marcus Foundation and a member of the board of the Marcus Institute, the Georgia Aquarium and Hersha Hospitality Trust, and general chairman of the Atlanta State of Israel Bonds, and vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. In 1998, the Governor appointed Leven to the Tourism Committee of the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade & Tourism. Earlier this year, he became the first industry expert to occupy the Tiefel Professorial Chair and assist in the education of the students in the hospitality area at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. Leven resides in Atlanta with his wife, Andrea, and has three sons and five grandchildren.

Under Leven’s tenure, US Franchise Systems has gained national recognition as a fair franchisor, both customer and franchisee-oriented. The company was named a ‘Best Practice Champion’ for its franchise agreement by the American Hotel Foundation and was the first hotel company to receive the Fair Franchising Seal from the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers. For the third consecutive year, USFS’ Microtel brand has been ranked highest in guest satisfaction among economy/budget hotel chains by J.D. Power and Associates. USFS currently has 485 hotels open or under construction worldwide. For additional information, visit www.usfsi.com.

The Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management is a leader in providing world-class educational programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels, as well as executive development programs. For information, visit www.uh.edu.

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