SPOKANE, Wash., Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Lion Hotels
Corporation (NYSE: RLH) announced that James P. Evans, David J.
Johnson, Robert G. Wolfe and
Michael Vernon have been appointed
to the company's Board of Directors, effective today.
Following the previously announced retirement of Board members
Richard L. Barbieri, which was
effective on December 4, 2012, and
Donald K. Barbieri on December 31, 2012, as well as the departure of
Peter F. Stanton, who left the Board
in May 2012, the Board will expand by
one director to nine directors, eight of whom are independent.
The four new Board members will stand for election by the
shareholders at the company's 2013 annual meeting.
Donald K. Barbieri said, "I am
honored to have served at Red Lion for more than 40 years and
believe that the addition of Evans, Johnson, Wolfe and Vernon will
further enhance the Board's capabilities as it works closely with
the management team to execute strategies focused on creating
shareholder value."
"Our four new directors bring a wide range of industry,
financial and general business experience to Red Lion and we are
pleased to be able to welcome individuals with this high level of
executive leadership, industry experience and financial and real
estate expertise to the Red Lion Hotels Board," said Jon E. Eliassen, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Red Lion Hotels Corporation. "Evans has spent
nearly 40 years building an impressive skill set in executive
hospitality, hotel and brand management and Johnson, Wolfe and
Vernon each have more than 25 years of relevant skills and
executive management experience. We are confident that their
collective talents will be immediately additive to our Board's
capabilities."
Evans, age 66, brings nearly 40 years of hospitality, hotel and
brand management expertise to the Red Lion Hotels Board. Most
recently, Evans served as the Chief Executive Officer of Brand
USA, the nation's first
public-private global marketing effort to promote the U.S. as the
world's premier travel destination. He previously served as the
Chief Executive Officer of each of the following companies: Ardent
Hotel Advisors, Jenny Craig International and Best Western
International. He has also held executive management
positions in operations for DoubleTree Hotel Corporation and Hyatt
Hotels and Resorts.
Johnson, age 66, brings nearly 30 years of executive management
experience to the Red Lion Hotels Board, and joins the company's
Board following an eight year tenure as Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of KinderCare Learning Centers, Inc. From
1991 to 1996, Johnson served as Chairman, President, and Chief
Executive Officer of Red Lion Hotels, Inc. Earlier in his
career, Johnson served as President, Chief Operating Officer and
Director of Dillingham Holdings and President and Chief Executive
Officer of Cal Gas Corporation.
Wolfe, age 56, joins the Red Lion Hotels Board with more than 30
years of experience in investment banking, finance and investment
management. Since 2008, Wolfe has been the principal of Windy
Point, LLC, a private investment and strategic consulting
firm. From 2002 to 2008, Wolfe was a partner at Northwest
Venture Associates (NWVA), a venture capital fund that invested
exclusively in companies based in the Pacific Northwest.
Prior to his time at NWVA, Wolfe was President and Chief Operating
Officer of Toronto-based GT Group
Telecom, which was Canada's
largest independent local exchange carrier.
Vernon, age 65, brings more than 25 years of domestic and
international experience in corporate finance, M&A, investor
communications, and strategic development to the Red Lion Hotels
Board. Most recently, Vernon was the Chief Financial Officer
for Zulily, Inc. Before Zulily, Vernon held the Chief
Financial Officer role at three public and private companies: Big
Fish Games, Inc, Zumobi, Inc, and aQuantive, Inc. Prior to
these roles Vernon was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief
Operating Officer at Park Plaza International, where he helped the
company transform from a franchisor into a manager of high-end
hotels, and from 1995 to 1997 Vernon was the Chief Financial
Officer of Red Lion Hotels, Inc. Prior to this, he held the
role of Chief Executive Officer for the Port of Sacramento.
Vernon's first role in executive management was as the Chief
Financial Officer for Cal Gas Corporation.
The company also announced that Melvin
L. Keating has been appointed to succeed Donald Barbieri as Chairman of the Board on an
interim basis, effective upon Donald K.
Barbieri's retirement on December 31,
2012.
About Red Lion Hotels Corporation:
Red Lion Hotels Corporation is a hospitality and leisure Company
primarily engaged in the ownership, operation and franchising of
midscale hotels under its Red Lion® brand. As of
September 30, 2012, the RLH hotel network was
comprised of 47 hotels located in nine states and one Canadian
province, with 8,872 rooms and 443,587 square feet of meeting
space. The Company also owns and operates an entertainment and
event ticket distribution business. For more information, please
visit the Company's website at www.redlion.com.
Forward Looking Statements:
This press release
contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal
securities law, including statements concerning plans, objectives,
goals, strategies, projections of future events or performance and
underlying assumptions (many of which are based, in turn, upon
further assumptions). The forward-looking statements in this press
release are inherently subject to a variety of risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed. Such risks and uncertainties include, among
others, economic cycles; international conflicts; changes in future
demand and supply for hotel rooms; competitive conditions in the
lodging industry; relationships with franchises and properties;
impact of government regulations; ability to obtain financing;
changes in energy, healthcare, insurance and other operating
expenses; ability to sell non-core assets; ability to locate
lessees for rental property; dependency upon the ability and
experience of executive officers and ability to retain or replace
such officers as well as other matters discussed in the Company's
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and in other documents filed
by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Contact: Pam Scott
Red Lion Hotels Corporation
509-777-6393 (d)
509-570-4610 (c)
Pam.Scott@redlion.com
www.RedLion.com
SOURCE Red Lion Hotels Corporation