Abe Liao started his career in the hotel industry as a bus boy at the Wyndham City Center in Washington, D.C., and over the course of his 16-year career worked his way to bartender, banquet supervisor, sales manager and front office manager. From there he set his sights on one day managing a hotel. Today, as general manager of The Kimpton George Hotel, Abe is responsible for leading a staff of approximately 55 employees at one of Capitol Hill’s most impressive hotels.

Liao’s story is just one example of how dreams turn into real professional opportunities for the millions of people who work in America’s hotel and lodging industry. This story has been repeated across the industry thousands of times. Indeed, each of the Officers of the Board of Directors of the American Hotel & Lodging Association began their careers in entry-level positions within this great industry.