Michael Smith has been appointed General Manager at Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Hyatt Regency New Orleans General Manager, Michael Smith, has been awarded the Jay A. Pritzker Award for Leadership by Hyatt Hotels Corporation. This award recognizes individuals who have consistently demonstrated their ability as leaders and innovators in the hospitality industry. Michael was recognized for his achievements in managing a top performing hotel, as well as representing Hyatt's core values as a leader within the corporation and the New Orleans community. Smith began his career with Hyatt in 1978, joining Hyatt’s Corporate Management Training Program at Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. Since then, Smith has worked at Hyatt properties throughout the country accumulating accolades for his willingness to step outside the norms of the hospitality industry to innovate and offer alternative approaches to the management of hotels, large and small. While his four decades of success with Hyatt has led him to become an expert in the hospitality and tourism industries, Smith has also utilized his position to excel as a business leader and revered philanthropist in New Orleans. As a graduate of Winston Salem State University, Smith continued his education by completing the Executive Development Program at Wharton School of Business. Most recently, Smith received an Honorary Doctorate from Dillard University. Smith champions an array of causes including sustainability, diversity and education. In the past five years, the city of New Orleans has honored him with two proclamations. Currently, Smith serves as the Chairman of New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau and has been appointed by Mayor Mitchell J. Landrieu to several boards including New Orleans Aviation Board, New Orleans Business Alliance, and the city’s Tricentennial celebration. In 2017, Smith chaired the Human Rights Campaign Dinner Gala and continues to serve as a board member for the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, New Orleans Museum of Art, Audubon Nature Institute, New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame, New Orleans Tourism & Marketing Commission, and the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association.
