2013 Hoosier Hospitality Award Wiiner: Chef Alexa!

 Chef Alexa of 240sweet receives her 2013 Hoosier Hospitality Award from Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann

INDIANAPOLIS (May 8, 2013) – Twenty representatives of the tourism industry earned the 2013 Lieutenant Governor’s Hoosier Hospitality Award for their high level of service in tourism-related jobs at hotels, restaurants, attractions and other destinations.

The Hoosier Hospitality Awards ceremony is part of Visit Indiana Week, May 5-11. Nominations are submitted by community members and destination patrons. Nominations are reviewed and winners are selected by IOTD. Outstanding service is a major factor in determining whether a person returns to an individual business or destination. Travel, tourism and hospitality businesses support nearly 200,000 Hoosier jobs, drive $10 billion in consumer spending and serve 63 million travelers on an annual basis. The chief beneficiaries of this economic impact are the family-owned and small businesses that are the backbone of Indiana.

“Tourism is a critical economic driver for Indiana,” said Mark Newman, executive director of IOTD. “Visitor spending imports cash to our communities, creates jobs, enhances the local economy and improves the quality of life for our residents. The Indiana Office of Tourism Development strives to be the leader of our state’s tourism industry by initiating meaningful projects that advance our industry and enhance the image and profile of Indiana.”

The 2013 Lieutenant Governor’s Hoosier Hospitality Award recipients are:

Name	Organization	County
Samir Lakhany	Superhost Enterprise	Allen
Alexa Lemley	240sweet	Bartholomew
Jane Ellis	Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau	Brown
Maria A. Fernandez	Conner Prairie	Hamilton
Brad & Christine Born	Mayberry Cafe	Hendricks
Josh Yocum	Comfort Inn Kokomo	Howard
Tim Burton	Burton's Maplewood Farm	Jackson
Elvin Newhouse	City of Pennville	Jay
Bill Lackner	Lanier Mansion State Historic Site	Jefferson
Guadalupe Cruz	Holiday Inn Express & Suites	Johnson
Claudia Geise	Tryon Farm Guest House	LaPorte
Cathy Smith	White River State Park Visitor’s Center	Marion
Betty Peterson and Ruth Elijah	Ligonier Visitors Center & Heritage Station Museum	Noble
Liz Gutgsell	The Pickled Cricket, LLC	Orange
Dani Landgrebe	Industrial Revolution Eatery & Grille	Porter County
Fred Wooley	Pokagon State Park	Steuben
Steve Bennett	Schenck Mansion Bed and Breakfast	Switzerland
Mary Walker	Wayne County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau	Wayne