Greenwood Hospitality Group today announced that William D. Kohl has joined the company as a principal partner. Greenwood principal Tom Conran made the announcement.
Prior to joining Greenwood, Kohl was president and CEO of Harrisburg-based Harrisburg Hotel Corporation, where he oversaw the strategic and operational direction of the company. Among the establishments under his direction included the Hilton Harrisburg and its AAA Four Diamond restaurant The Golden Sheaf together with The Hilton Garden Inn Hershey; Bricco – Harrisburg’s national award winning restaurant; Starbucks at Strawberry Square and the Conference Center at Central Pennsylvania College. Each of those businesses will remain under Kohl’s leadership and become part of the Greenwood Hospitality corporate umbrella.
The Greenwood team sees tremendous potential in the restaurant operations and management segment of the industry. Kohl and his over 30 years of experience in restaurant operations, food and beverage oversight, and culinary-themed promotions will enable Greenwood to explore a myriad of additional opportunities in the culinary sector.
Commenting on the addition of Kohl to the executive and management group Conran said, “The Greenwood team is elated to add someone with Bill’s experience and abilities to our organization. He is someone who is well known and respected within the industry. To that end his expertise and relationships will provide significant benefits to our existing food and beverage operations while opening new doors for us as we continue to seek opportunities for growth and expansion into new markets.”
Kohl has been featured in Lodging Magazine, and his restaurants have been spotlighted in Bon Appétit, Gourmet Magazine and Colonial Homes Magazine. He has twice won Restaurant Hospitality magazine’s “Top of the Table Award” for Restaurant Design. Bricco, Kohl’s most recent concept, was also awarded the prestigious “Culinary and Hospitality Award” by Santé Magazine, where it was recognized as the number one restaurant in the northeastern region of the United States for Quality of Food and Service and one of the nine restaurant recipients in the country.
A wine specialist, Kohl has consistently been recognized by Wine Spectator magazine for innovative wine lists and he recently received the “Best of Award of Excellence” this year.
A native of Springfield, Pennsylvania, Kohl is a graduate of Penn State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management. He founded of Très Bonne Année, an international wine auction for charity which raises in excess of $400,000 annually, and he currently serves on the National Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors and the American Hotel and Lodging Association Board of Directors.
About Greenwood Hospitality Group
Greenwood Hospitality Group is engaged in the acquisition, repositioning and management of upscale, full-service and select-service hotels throughout the United States. Greenwood’s portfolio includes over 1,900 rooms and 1,100 employees. Based in Denver and with offices in Hartford, Harrisburg and Houston, Greenwood was founded in 2009 by industry veterans Thomas Conran, Aik Hong Tan and Bill Zollars, who together have more than 75 years of industry investment and management experience. The company’s vision is to set new excellence standards regarding the relationship it forges with its investors, property level associates, and the communities in which they work.
