Hotel heiress nominated as Secretary of Commerce
Hyatt Hotel heiress Penny Pritzker has been nominated as Secretary of Commerce by President Barack Obama.
Pritzker is a Stanford University-trained lawyer with a net worth of about $1.85 billion.
She is an early and faithful supporter of Obama and of the Democratic Party. She served as national finance chair for Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008, raising $750 million, and co-chair for his 2012 race.
Pritzker is founder and chairman of real-estate and investment firm PSP Capital Partners and its affiliate, Pritzker Realty Group. She also sits on the Board of Hyatt Hotels Corp., which her uncle founded in 1957.
There are those who oppose her appointment. Hyatt Corp. has had some run-ins with the Unite Here labor union, which has called it "the worst hotel employer in America" for opposing the unionization of workers and then failing to negotiate a new contract.
And the Obama inner circle already has its share of Chicagoland appointees.
But still, the travel industry is happy to have an insider being considered for the Cabinet.
US Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow called Pritzker a proven professional with a "successful track record as an innovative business leader and entrepreneur."
By Cheryl Rosen
Cheryl
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025