FROM THE PRESIDENT

People. The essence of our industry is people. We serve people and we employ people. It is the most important ingredient in the recipe for a successful business. This issue of ARHANOW celebrates the people of our industry highlighting the Stars of the Industry winners. ARHA is pleased to announce that Governor Ivey recognized the importance of our industry and our need for additional workforce MINDY HANAN development. The Governor has allocated $ million for training for our President & CEO, ARHA industry that will be delivered through the Alabama Community College System. In addition, we are working to bring more attention to our industry as “the industry of opportunity” and we will be launching a digital media campaign to attract more people to our industry. In March, we will hold our annual ProStart Student Invitational at the Perdido Beach Resort. ProStart is a 2-year curriculum that is used in over 30 Alabama schools. The Invitational will feature both a culinary and

“shark tank” style management competition. I encourage you all to get involved with the ProStart program.

If you cannot attend the invitational, you can also get involved with your local school as a mentor. They would love to have your involvement as we bring more students into the world of hospitality. On the legislative front, we are working to reform some of the state’s unemployment policies. Currently, those receiving unemployment compensation are only required to search for work one time per week. In a state with over 90,000 open jobs and a reported 60,000 unemployed individuals there is definitely a mismatch of priorities. Our goal is to increase the work search requirement to 5 times per week and to have stronger verification systems in order to ensure the validity of the work searches. Last year, ARHA established an association healthcare plan that is a great option for many of our members. The healthcare plan is a Blue Cross Blue Shield fully insured plan that is open to ARHA member employers in the restaurant, hospitality or tourism industry. This money-saving option is a great way to enhance the benefits that you offer to your employees. Open enrollment will begin in March. We are continuing to work for further economic relief for the industry at both the state and federal level.

While there currently is no industry specific relief at the state level, the Legislature is making a $79 million deposit in the unemployment compensation trust fund which will lower all businesses’ unemployment taxes by approximately 29%. ARHA will keep fighting at both the state and federal level for more financial assistance for our industry. With the uncertainty of the pandemic still upon us, one thing we know for certain is that we are in this together. We see you out there adjusting to new challenges and fighting to keep your businesses open.

ARHA will continue to ensure that your voice is heard in Montgomery and Washington, while supporting your business in any way we can. Let’s continue working together and ensuring a strong future for

Alabama’s hospitality industry.