Happy Valley Hospitality award winners announced

CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — The spotlight is shining on the tourism industry in Centre County.

The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau hosted its annual Happy Valley Hospitality Awards on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Titan Hollow in Bellefonte.

Six awards were presented: Excellence in Lodging Service, Excellence in Lodging Leadership, Excellence in Food & Beverage Service, Excellence in Food & Beverage Leadership, Community Favorite and the Peter J. Walker Spirit of Hospitality Award.

Guests at the ceremony also heard an update on the tourism sector’s impact on the county.

“The tourism industry is very close to having a $1 billion impact in Centre County,” Chair of the HVAB Board of Directors Jennifer Brooks-Stahl said. “Hotel room revenue is expected to end the calendar year at $95,000,000, surpassing the previous record of $82,000,000 in 2019.”

An independent selection committee chose the honorees from a group of nominees representative of all parts of Centre County.

The 2023 award winners are:

• Lodging Excellence in Leadership – Alissa Kujawski, General Manager, Country Inn & Suites
• Lodging Excellence in Service – William “Billy” Hague, Breakfast Attendant/Houseman/Grounds Crew, Holiday Inn Express State College
• Food & Beverage Excellence in Leadership – Anne Bliss, Manager, Titan Hollow
• Food & Beverage Excellence in Service – Scott Shive, Kitchen Manager, The Corner Room
• Community Favorite – Matt LeClair, Owner/Bartender, 814 Cider Works
• Peter J. Walker Spirit of Hospitality – State College Downtown Improvement District Clean Team, Damian Cabrera, Joe Bellehumeur, Denny Barnhart

“All hospitality positions, from back-of-house support to customer facing and supervisory roles, are valuable to ensuring that visitors and residents have positive dining, entertainment and lodging experiences,” HVAB President and CEO Fritz Smith said. “The Adventure Bureau launched the hospitality awards because we want those working in the industry to know that whatever their role, they are valued and appreciated.”