Our Story
Founding Story: A Legacy of Impact and Influence
The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) was founded to help hospitality trainers do their jobs better – to develop people and improve the performance of their organizations. This mission has withstood the test of time. For more than 50 years, CHART members have gathered twice annually at thought-leading conferences, and connect even more frequently at regional meetings, industry events, and online forums – learning the latest in training and development, sharing best practices, growing to significantly improve their organization’s performance, and caring to help others develop personally and professionally.
Like many professional associations, CHART was founded by a group of peers who were passionate about their profession. In this case, the year was 1970 and this forward-thinking group already understood the connection between great people practices and organizational achievement. More importantly, they understood the critical training and human resources role in this equation. The founders held common beliefs that continuing learning, sharing information, developing personally, and building lasting relationships were vital if one wished to achieve a high standard of professionalism and contribute to their hospitality company’s growth and profitability.
Our founding father, Chester G. Hall, Jr., was then the Educational Director of the National Restaurant Association. At the time of the National Restaurant Show in 1970, Chet’s action plan was to contact several well-established restaurant and hotel organizations and ask their “personnel executives” to attend an exploratory meeting with the purpose of discussing opportunities to improve the state of training in the industry. The initial group, including Bob MacKinnon, Corporate Personnel Director at Howard Johnson’s, committed to the creation of a formal organization. Their next step was to hold an organizational meeting, CHART’s first “conference,” in Chicago in February of 1971. There were about 10 members in attendance.
At Conference #2 in Montreal, Canada, Chet Hall was elected the first CHART president, a name for the organization was selected, and bylaws were created. CHART was off and running!
Our History
Timeline of Key Events in CHART's History
Five decades of firsts — pick a decade, then open a year to see what happened.
Chester G. Hall, Jr., Educational Director of the National Restaurant Association, brings a group together during the National Restaurant Show in May to discuss the possibility of organizing.
The 1st conference was held in Chicago in February. The 2nd was in Montreal at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. The group agrees to always hold two conferences per year so members could meet more often and develop lasting relationships they could draw upon for years to come.
National brands and training professionals represented were:
- National Restaurant Association — Chet Hall, Education Director
- Howard Johnson’s — Walt Hiller, Southeast Personnel Director and Training Manager
- Holiday Inn — Tom Johnson, Director of Resident Training
- Dobb’s Houses — John McClendon, Training Manager
- Hilton International — Henri Blanc, Director of Training
- Sky Chef’s — Phil Gibson, Director of Management Training
- Marriott — Marty Harder, Training Manager
1st Lifetime Member: Walt Hiller, Southeast Personnel Director and Training Manager of Howard Johnson’s.
1st Commitment to People Award: Donald N. Smith, Chairman, President and CEO of Friendly Ice Cream Corporation.
- 1st Strategic Alliances with People Report & Share Our Strength.
- 1st Association Director is appointed: Erin Jordan.
- 1st Partner Sponsor: National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF).
- 1st Spirit of CHART Awards: Dick Gaven, Kathleen Taylor-Gadsby, Pat Evans, and John Kidwell.
- 1st Resource Gallery & MINDS (Members in Need of Dynamic Sharing) Center.
- 1st Pre-conference workshops held at the Chicago conference.
- 1st Student Scholarship awarded to Rachel Founts.
- Regional Training Forums (RTFs) launched.
- New CHART.org website launched.
- Professional association management hired: Tara Davey and Lisa Marovec.
- Ask My Peers launched as a listserv.
- New CHART logo launched.
1st Community Service Event was held at the Seattle conference.
Training Flash e-newsletter launched.
Blueprint for Trainer Development findings were launched with Batrus Hollweg.
- ROI Calculator was developed.
- 1st webinar held: Jim Sullivan.
- 1st 10+ Year Member Reception held.
- 1st Competency Workshops developed.
- Career Center Job Board launched.
- Social networking launched with FohBoh, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
- 1st Silent Auction for Scholarships debuts at the Washington, DC conference.
State of Training in Hospitality Study with Maritz launched at the Portland conference.
- Learning Legacy Fund (LLF) founded.
- 1st call for Competency Facilitators.
- 1st Live Ask My Peers (LAMP) held in New Orleans at the 40th anniversary conference.
CHARTtube1 YouTube channel created.
Hospitality Training Competencies Certificate Program workshops completed.
- Training Articles launched on the website.
- Training High 5 awards launched.
- CHART Talks debut at the Miami conference.
- Winter conference as the Competencies Conference debuts in Colorado Springs.
1st person to complete all 12 Competency workshops: Patrick Yearout.
1st Education Strategist: Monique Donahue.
Competency MasterClass for the Executive Track debuts at the Charleston conference.
Competency Learning Management System (LMS) launched with DiscoverLink.
Association management team expanded: Susan Diepen.
- Pandemic initiatives: Member Access Program (MAP) with free membership, Vendor Marketplace, Affinity Groups, Cooking and Cocktails for a Cause, and Talent for Hire.
- Virtual community: 50th Anniversary celebration, Virtual Training Forums (VTFs), Hospitality Suites, and the Hospitality Training Live conference.
- 1st Lifetime Achievement Award: Sandi Spivey.
12 in ’21: all 12 competencies offered virtually.
- Corporate Membership program launched.
- Member App launched.
20+ CHART members speak at industry events.
Hospitality Training 360 Study launched with Opus Training.
80th Lifetime Member.
- The Lobby Learning Management System (LMS) launched with Wisetail.
- CHART Shop with logo gear and Book Club launched.
In Their Words
Members on What CHART Has Meant to Them
Five members look back on the conferences, the peers and the turning points that shaped their careers.
Meet the people behind CHART
For more than 50 years, CHART has been led by volunteer presidents from across the hospitality industry. See the current board and the full roll of past presidents.
Historic Conference Photo Albums
CHART Conferences #29 Washington, DC, March 1985 - #36 San Diego, CA, August 1988
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CHART Conferences #37 Clearwater, FL, August 1989 - #40 Montreal, Canada, August 1990
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CHART Conferences #41 Orlando, FL, March 1991 - #48 Hilton Head, FL, August 1994
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CHART Conferences #49 Destin, FL, March 1995 - #55 Fort Worth, TX, March 1998
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CHART Conferences #56 Snowbird, UT, August 1998 - #61 Charlotte, NC, 2001
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CHART Conferences #62 Scottsdale, AZ, August 2001 - #68 Dallas, TX, August 2004
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