Above: Emil Lee (CJ Photo)

By Alexander Britell

The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association has named St Maarten hotelier Emil Lee its president-elect for 2014 to 2016, the association announced Wednesday.

Lee is the president of the St Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association, general manager of the Princess Heights Hotel and co-operator of Atlas Construction. He has served as president of the SHTA since 2001.

He was chosen by acclimation at the CHTA’s annual general meeting in Miami last week.

“The current president, Richard Doumeng, and his executive board have done a tremendous job of laying a solid foundation for CHTA moving forward,” Lee said in a statement.  “Great strides are being made in fiscal discipline, strategic planning and restructuring the CHTA. I will continue to support the current strategy of using CHTA to strengthen the National Hotel Associations (NHAs).  If CHTA can function more effectively as a centralizing and coordinating entity for the Caribbean, I believe we can access the vast untapped potential of the Caribbean hospitality industry.”

Lee, who currently serves as first vice president of the CHTA, will succeed current CHTA president Richard Doumeng beginning in June 2014.

“I am very pleased that our membership chose Emil Lee as President-Elect,” Doumeng said. “He has the depth of knowledge and strategic thinking to carry on the tasks of restructuring our Association to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.”