Trustees
SUSAN MINATO
HTA Board Chair
Susan Minato is the Executive Vice President and Staff Director of UNITE HERE Local 11, a union representing more than 20,000 hospitality workers in Southern California. She is also an International Vice President. Susan is a graduate of UCLA School of Law. She worked at the offices of the LA County Public Defender and the Inner City Law Center, which deals with habitability and safety issues for LA’s Skid Row residents. Later she worked as the staff attorney for the Utility Workers Union of America Local 132, representing The Gas Company workers in Southern California. Although interested in and challenged by the law, Susan was attracted to the power of worker organizing and direct action.She moved to UNITE HERE International Union in 1993 to pursue organizing. She accepted short posts in San Diego, Laughlin, and Las Vegas, Nevada, before moving to Los Angeles. Inspired by UNITE HERE’s leadership development program, she has spent the past 20 years organizing in the hospitality industry and training others to become leaders in a movement for social justice. Susan is a fourth generation Japanese American. Her family, which immigrated to California in 1888, worked as farmers and fishermen in the Los Angeles area and throughout the state before being incarcerated in internment camps in 1943. Susan lives in Northeast Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.
JAMIE CLOUGH
HTA Board Secretary
Jamie Clough currently operates for Levy Restaurants as Regional Director of Human Resources for the West Division. Jamie oversees all aspects of Human Resources across a portfolio of over 40 Sports and Entertainment locations spanning from California to Texas. Jamie began his career in Levy UK’ before moving out to Los Angeles in 2013 and has since worked since extensively in the LA market at notable locations such as STAPLES Center and Los Angeles Dodgers. Jamie is a graduate of Loughborough University and is thrilled to serve on the Board of Directors for the Hospitality Training Academy.
KURT PETERSEN
HTA Board Trustee
Kurt Petersen graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1987, and received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1992. Upon graduation from law school, Kurt joined the United Farm Workers of Washington State in Sunnyside, Washington, as an Organizer. Since 1995, Kurt has been with UNITE HERE, and is a national UNITE HERE Organizing Director and a Vice President of UNITE HERE Local 11.
DAVID SCHWEITZER
HTA Board Trustee
David Schweitzer is Director, Employee & Labor Relations, Americas for InterContinental Hotels Group. David has been working in the hotel industry for 35 years and is celebrating nearly 30 years with IHG. In addition to roles in Human Resources as a hotel, area, and regional director, David has held numerous positions in hotel operations, sales, and information technology. David is a native San Franciscan and proud alumnus of San Francisco State University.
KARINE MANSOORIAN
HTA Board Trustee
Karine Mansoorian is the Chief Negotiator for UNITE HERE Local 11, and works to ensure that its members receive respect and higher standards in the hospitality, tourism, leisure and food service industry. Karine’s work covers all sectors covered by the UNITE HERE Local 11 union, including hotels, gaming, food service, airport concessions, airline catering, office and movie studio cafeterias, and event venues. Karine works to shape policy and programs for the union as employers and trends change. Karine earned a BSc (Bachelor of Science) in Economics from the London School of Economics, and started at Local 11 in 1989 as an organizer. Karine then moved to a negotiator due to her keen ability to understand the workforce and negotiation, and was elevated to Chief Negotiator in 2000.
Alternates
Bernice Correa, SPHR
HTA Alternate Board Trustee
Bernice Correa is a Human Resources professional with over 25 years of experience in the Hotel Industry. She began her career with ITT Sheraton (now Starwood Hotels and Resorts) and has worked at several Starwood Branded properties in the Los Angeles/Long Beach/San Diego areas. In 2001, Bernice joined Hilton Worldwide as the opening Director of Human Resources at a property located in Orange County. Bernice graduated from Cal State Dominguez Hills with a B.A. in Labor Studies. In November of 2008, she transferred to the iconic Beverly Hilton Hotel as the Assistant Director of Human Resources and assumed the Director of Human Resources (her current role) in March of 2012.
Francis Engler
HTA Alternate Board Trustee
Francis’ commitment to helping others overcome barriers and break out of poverty was born out of his personal experiences and continues to drive him in his role as a Director for Local 11 and his work on HTA’s Board. Growing up, Francis saw injustice and inequality and witnessed many of those around him struggle due to lack of opportunity. Having been raised in poverty as part of a family of dairy farmers in rural Wisconsin, Francis’ mother instilled in her children the importance of hard work, a fact that would characterize her daily life when she was widowed and left with three young sons to care for. As an adolescent, Francis found inspiration, opportunity and support from the Church, school, and social programs. Discovering that more was possible, Francis earned a scholarship and graduated from Yale University, where he first encountered and joined UNITE HERE. Knowing the value of support and encouragement, Francis has made it his life’s work to help those in poverty build a path to self-sufficiency and family-sustaining wages through union employment in L.A.’s vast hospitality industry.
Rick Spade
HTA Alternate Board Trustee
Rick Spade is currently the Market HR Director for The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, JW Marriott L.A LIVE and The Ritz-Carlton Residences L.A. LIVE. He has been with Marriott International for over 20 years and in addition to Ritz-Carlton and JW he has also worked for the Renaissance and Marriott brand. He is originally from Indiana and a graduate of Purdue University at Fort Wayne. Most of Rick’s 20 plus years with Marriott have been in the Los Angeles, working as an HR leader for a variety of hotels as well as 3 years in an Area HR Leader role.
