UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State School of Hospitality Management (SHM) welcomes John Longstreet, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association (PRLA), as a member of its Industry Advisory Board.
”I am honored to serve on the Penn State SHM Advisory Board,” said Longstreet. ”Having hired many Penn State graduates over the years, I am keenly aware of the caliber of the hospitality management program and I look forward to contributing to its continued excellence.”
The board allows industry experts to strategically advise SHM on industry trends and guide students who are studying hospitality management. The members are leaders in the field, including vice presidents and senior vice presidents of large companies and executive vice presidents, chief operating officers and CEO’s of smaller companies.
Longstreet was named head of PRLA in 2014. The organization represents more than 7,500 restaurant and lodging locations by promoting, protecting and improving the hospitality industry in Pennsylvania and beyond. It is in the top five of hospitality associations in the United States.
"John's success as both an industry executive and civic leader brings a tremendous breadth of experience to our esteemed board,” said Donna Quadri-Felitti, director and associate professor for the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. “His vision for PRLA's positive impact on Pennsylvania aligns with that of the school's and we are honored to be the recipient of his energy, enthusiasm and thought leadership.”
Prior to taking the helm of the PRLA, Longstreet was president and CEO of Quaker Steak & Lube. During his four-year tenure, the company posted record growth, expanding from 38 to 65 restaurants in 17 states and Canada.
Before leading Quaker Steak & Lube, Longstreet was executive vice president of ClubCorp USA, which operates more than 160 golf and business clubs around the country. He also served as senior vice president at Bristol Hotels & Resorts, the largest independent hotel management company in North America, and was vice president of Intercontinental Hotels Group.
While at both Bristol and ClubCorp, Longstreet spearheaded the development of and oversaw the human resources functions for the organizations, each of which had about 18,000 employees.
Longstreet has served on panels at numerous industry conferences including the Restaurant Leadership & Finance Conference, Multi-Unit Food Service Operators, the Southwest Food Expo, and the International Franchise Association Emerging Franchisor Conference.
Additionally, Longstreet has a long record of community service, including serving two terms as mayor of Plano, Texas, a city of more than 250,000 residents. Longstreet was secretary and treasurer of the United Way and is a past president of the Plano Rotary Club, where he was named an Honorary Paul Harris Fellow. He has served as a director of the Penn Northwest Development Corporation and board member of the National Restaurant Association. He is currently on the board of the Pennsylvania Association of Travel and Tourism.
A Cornell University graduate with distinction from the School of Hotel Administration, John and his wife, Brenda, have two children, John and Liz, and reside in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.