Thomas B. Ruff of The Biltmore Company Named Chair of North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association Board.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Thomas B. Ruff, Senior Vice President, Guest Operations at The Biltmore Company in Asheville, has been named 2007 chair of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association's (NCRLA) Board of Directors. Ruff was officially sworn in at the association's 60th Annual Meeting, Monday, Jan. 29, 2006 at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary.

Ruff has been involved for many years with NCRLA and has served as a member of the board since 1998. He's also been active on the board of the NC Hospitality Education Foundation, a charitable organization created by NCRLA to fund hospitality education scholarships to students and grants to educators.

As chair of the board, Ruff said his theme for the year will be 'encouraging the state's restaurant and lodging businesses to think about the next generation of North Carolina's hospitality leaders.' With 10 percent of the state's workforce employed by restaurants and hotels, Ruff is a strong advocate for promoting hospitality careers. "We have a responsibility to the students coming out of our state's many fine hospitality programs to give them a reason to stay in North Carolina," he says.

In addition to his new role as NCRLA chair, Ruff chairs the NC Travel & Tourism Board and sits on the boards of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the NC Travel and Tourism Coalition. He also serves on the Hospitality Education Advisory Committee at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, the Advisory Board at the University of Delaware, and the Penn State College of Health and Human Development Alumni Board

About NCRLA: NCRLA, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association is the leading advocate and resource for the state's $13.5 billion hospitality industry. Combined, restaurants and hotels are one of North Carolina's largest employers providing jobs to more than 10 percent of the state's workforce. To learn more, visit http://www.ncrla.biz.