The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

ELEUTHERA-born American hotel industry influencer Dr Andy Ingraham has received the President’s Lifetime Achievement award from the President of the United States, President Joseph Biden. This award represents the highest honour of community service from the President.

In a letter to Dr Ingraham, President Biden said: “The American story depends not on any one of us, but on all of us. I congratulate you for taking it upon yourself to contribute to the public good, and I’m proud to present you with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of your passion for service to this great nation.

“Throughout our country’s history, the American story has been strengthened by those who combine an optimism about what can be, with the resilience to turn that vision into reality. I know I’m not alone in recognising that those who are willing to step up and volunteer in service of community and country are essential to the ongoing work of forming our more perfect union.”

Dr Ingraham is the president, founder and CEO of the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD), which has been in existence for more than 24 years. Ingraham has helped to lead the rise in black hotel owners and operators, not only in America, but also in the Caribbean and Latin America. The NABHOOD Annual Convention has been described by industry executives as the best place to meet potential African American hotel owners and learn about the multi-cultural tourism market.

NABHOOD’s reach has impacted black people and minorities in the region and around the world. Dr Ingraham is also the president of Horizons Marketing Group International, and he serves on several boards in the region. Ingraham has a passion for empowering young people and as such, he has helped to source scholarship funds for hundreds of students, not only in the hotel industry, but in other areas that are important to national development. He is a board member for the Smith Pickard Friendship and Alliance Scholarship, which helps with tuition, tools, and internships for students. The scholarship was founded by former Governor General Cornelius A Smith and Dr William F Pickard, an extraordinary businessman from Detroit. The pair met on the shores of Grand Bahama and there, they forged a friendship and made a pact that has lasted more than 50 years. The scholarship is awarded to an equal number of students from Metro Detroit and the Bahamas pursuing a degree in agriculture with a minor in business, and has since expanded to touch other areas such as education and aviation.

Dr Ingraham has a charisma for connecting people. He has proven himself successful in brokering multi-million dollar deals between major companies. He recognises gaps and seeks to fill them to improve the hotel industry; he spots talent and provides them opportunities to elevate; and he promotes the work of entrepreneurs, helping to make their dreams come true. His reach extends to government officials in the US and the region, as they all see the importance of the success of the hotel and tourism industry for the stability of their economies.

“By sharing your time and passion, you are helping discover and deliver solutions to the challenges we face - solutions that we need now more than ever,” President Biden said on bequeathing Ingraham with the President’s Lifetime Achievement award.

“We are living in a moment that calls for hope and light and love. Hope for our failures, light to see the way forward, and love for one another. Through your service, you are providing all three.”

“On behalf of the American people, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to you for your volunteer leadership, and I encourage you to continue to answer the call to serve,” said the US President. “The country is counting on you!”

It’s a huge honour for the little boy from Palmetto Point with big dreams of touching the world. In Miami and other parts of South Florida, the Ingraham family has made a significant impact. Keeping the Bahamian culture and presence alive in South Florida, Ingraham businesses like The Bahamian Kitchen, and his daughter Nakia Ingraham’s funeral home are important elements in the fabric of society. Dr Ingraham is committed to family, and his wife and children, who all inherited his business acumen, are a testament to his love and loyalty.

Dr Ingraham schooled at the West Indies College in Mandeville, Jamaica, at Miami Dade College and at Florida International University, studying business and business administration. He has proven that education is the key to success and because of it, he works hard to support the dreams of young people through scholarships, mainly to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Through NABHOOD and a myriad of other ventures, he expresses his commitment to community and youth empowerment.

The Annual International African American Hotel Ownership and Investment Summit and Trade Show is NABHOOD’s best resource for creating wealth and empowerment in African American and minority communities. This four-day summit is designed to educate attendees on becoming a hotel owner or investor, share minority investment trends, explore supplier opportunities, find out how to market to minorities and diversity issues affecting the industry. The summit features a number of executive level professionals from the world’s leading hotel brands and they share a wealth of information needed to succeed in this industry.

Never forgetting his homeland, Dr Ingraham hosts Bahamian students and hoteliers at this conference. Students have received scholarships and have gained a wealth of knowledge and connections to help them excel in their careers in the hotel industry. Students from the University of The Bahamas have participated in NABHOOD for years, usually chaperoned by Dr Ruth Gardiner.

Dr Ingraham has attracted new investment to The Bahamas through his network of hoteliers looking to invest; he has provided training and resources for hotel executives; and he successfully worked to launch the Bahamas Preclearance Centres at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airports.

In 2023, the 27th NABHOOD conference was held at the Miami Marriott, attracting hundreds of attendees from throughout the region. Ingraham did not stop there. That conference led right into the 11th Annual International Multicultural and Heritage Tourism Summit and Trade Show, led by his daughter, PJ Douglas-Sands. That conference was followed by yet another - the second annual Bahamas Diaspora Conference, bringing together Bahamians who live in Flor- ida and other parts of the United States. This celebration was particularly special as it commemorated the 50th anniversary of Bahamian Independence, and was attended by Prime Minister Philip E Davis and Ann Marie Davis.

The NABHOOD 2023 conference awardees included the woman known as America’s first female black billionaire, Sheila Johnson, who has hotel investments in the USA and the Caribbean. She claimed the NABHOOD/Hank Thomas Trailblazer Award and during the conference, she took the time to speak with young people, women and potential investors in order to inspire them and share golden nuggets of success.

The conference, hosted every July, included other awardees such as: NABHOOD chairman Award: John Lancaster, Choice Hotels International; AAHOA/ NABHOOD Outstanding Hotelier of the Year: Kendra Plumber- Founder, Elise Capital; NABHOOD Deal of the Year: Waldorf Astoria Washington, DC; NABHOOD Diversity Award, Geoff Ballotti, President/CEO, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts; and NABHOOD 2023 Scholarship Recipient: FMU (NABHOOD Fund). The Bahamas Diaspora honorees included Prime Minister Davis, who received the Politics and Leadership award from US Congresswoman Frederica Wilson.

Seven other awardees were celebrated at the Bahamas Diaspora Conference, including: Dr William Pickard – Diaspora Education; Rob Ceravolo, – The Bahamas Diaspora Relief Award; Yolanda Cash- Jackson – The Garth Basil Coleridge Reeves, Sr, Philanthropic Award; HT Smith – The M Athalie Range -Community Service Award; Leona Cooper-Baker – The Dr Enid C Pinkney Historic Preservation Award; Dewey Knight III – the EWF Stirrup Sr Entrepreneurship & Community Development Award; and Will and Heather Packer – the Diaspora Philanthropic Award.

Congresswoman Wilson, who is a Bahamian descendant, noted that Bahamians’ contribution to the development of cities throughout South Florida cannot be overlooked. The establishment of “Little Bahamas” in Coconut Grove, Florida, solidifies this and ensures that Bahamians will be honoured for their pioneering role for generations to come. NABHOOD has provided a platform for the growth of governments, associations, communities and individuals, leading to Ingraham’s pioneering work being recognised by president Biden and the White House. Ken Fearn, managing partner of Integrated Capital LLC serves as chairman of the board for NABHOOD. The funding partners are Hilton Hotels, Marriott International, and Parity Technology Solutions. Corporate partners include top businesses in the hotel industry including Hyatt, Choice Hotels, Best Western, Wyndham and Radisson Hotels and Resorts, and much more. Strategic partners are the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) and the National Association of Black Women in Construction Inc (NABWIC).