CH&LA Educational Foundation Inaugurates Kevin Johnson Memorial Scholarship; Rocio Baca of Mt. San Miguel High School in San Diego Named First Recipient.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Foundation has announced the establishment of the Kevin Johnson Memorial Scholarship Program, established with a $25,000 contribution from Don Johnson, President & CEO of Vagabond Franchise System, Inc. This program is intended specifically to benefit students enrolled in high schools which have an active lodging management program.

The CH&LA Education Foundation's Board of Directors recently approved Rocio Baca, the first recipient of a Kevin Johnson Memorial Scholarship. Ms. Baca, who is graduating this June from San Diego's Mt. San Miguel High School, has been accepted into the prestigious Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at San Diego State University where she will commence studies later this year.

The purpose of this scholarship program is to recognize those high schools which have lodging management programs and to provide incentives to the scholarship recipients to continue with their education and seek employment in the lodging industry. Each recipient receives a series of up to four one-year scholarships in the amount of $1,500 per year.

The scholarship program was established by Don Johnson in memory of his son, Kevin Johnson, who was involved in the hospitality industry as a baker and passed away unexpectedly in 2004 from heart failure.

"The Kevin Johnson Memorial Scholarship is a very, very generous gesture," stated Al Sessler, Chairperson of the CH&LA Education Foundation and General Manager of Ocean Park Inn in San Diego. "On behalf of the CH&LA Education Foundation, we are touched that Don chose to honor his son through this scholarship. We are especially pleased that a student as outstanding as Rocio Baca is the first recipient of this scholarship."

The California Hotel & Lodging Association is the only California statewide lodging association with an education foundation. The Foundation provides funding and assistance to California institutions and individuals as well as for related activities which further research and knowledge in the field of hotel/motel management with respect to the lodging, hospitality, and food service industries. The Foundation now maintains four scholarship programs: Kevin Johnson Memorial Scholarship, Working Professional Scholarship, General Scholarship, and Richard Schroeck Scholarship.

The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) is the largest state lodging industry trade association in the country. Its 1,600 members, which comprise approximately 175,000 guest rooms, include hotels, motels, bed and breakfast inns, guest ranches, resorts, spas, condominium rentals, timeshares, and vacation home rentals located throughout California. CH&LA's mission is to be the indispensable resource for communicating and protecting the rights and interests of the California lodging industry, for providing educational training and value programs for all segments of the industry, and for supporting strategic alliances to promote the value of California tourism and travel. Sacramento-based CH&LA has been representing California's lodging industry for more than a century. CH&LA is on the web at www.calodging.com.