3:48 p.m., Dec. 7, 2009----Bill Sullivan, managing director of Marriott's Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware hotel on campus, was presented the 2009 Renaissance Award for service to the community during a special ceremony Friday, Dec. 4, in the University's Vita Nova restaurant.

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The University of Delaware Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management in the Lerner College of Business and Economics has presented the Renaissance Award annually since 2006 to an individual who furthers town and gown relations by making Newark a better place to live and learn. Sullivan joins past winners David E. Hollowell, UD executive vice president and treasurer emeritus, Newark Mayor Vance Funk and restaurateur Bob Ashby.

Sullivan said he was “very honored and flattered” to receive the Renaissance Award, adding, “It is great to give back but sometimes humbling to get recognition.”

“It is an honor to join the likes of David Hollowell, Vance Funk and Bob Ashby -- all are special people in my life and I applaud them on all they do for the community and the University,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said his work at the Courtyard Newark, which has been an important addition to both the UD campus and to the community, is a career highlight. “I am so proud to be part of the team that opened and has continued to operate the Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware. The dedication of our staff to service and the development of future hospitality leaders makes this hotel a very special place,” he said.

Since the Courtyard Newark opened in 2004, Sullivan said it has offered the hotel practicum experience “to almost 500 young leaders, and many have kept in touch as their careers have progressed.”

In 2008, the campus hotel was honored as the No. 2 Courtyard in the world for customer service and presented with the first Diamond Award for service from Marriott. “This is such a tribute to our staff team and students and the thousands of guests that developed the feedback to earn this recognition,” Sullivan said. “Since we have opened, we have been in the top 2 percent of all Marriotts for guest satisfaction and likelihood of return visit.”

He added, “Our ability to serve the needs of the University for parents, guests, faculty recruits, student visits and sports teams is a vital part of our mission, as well as providing a guest room component for the Clayton Hall conference center to build additional group and conference business. I am also proud of our efforts to make our hotel a leading example of environmental stewardship as we were the first 'Green Lodging' hotel in Delaware and recently completed work to substantially reduce our waste streams.”

Announcing the award in September, Bob Nelson, HRIM chairperson, said, “The Renaissance Award is something we are very proud of. It was established by my predecessor, Dr. Fred DeMicco, as a way to honor someone who exemplifies community service in the city of Newark. The names of the winners are prominently displayed on a plaque in our HRIM office to serve as examples for our students. The award dinner raises money to support an HRIM student who works on projects to benefit the community at the city of Newark's Office of Planning and Development. What makes the Renaissance Award special is that it recognizes an individual's efforts to improve the quality of life in Newark, while putting a student in a position to do the same.”

Photo by Duane Perry