| 2001–Present | Apollo Hotel Consultancy (Sole Proprietor) Consultant to attorneys. Works successfully with defense and plaintiff counsel in variety of cases; takes particular interest in personal assault cases in hotels. Consultant to hotel and restaurant developers, operators, creditors. Clients include private developers, as well as University of Illinois for its new (2008) on-campus conference facility. |
| 1993-2000 | Parkland Community College, Champaign, IL (10,000+ students) Program Director, Associate Professor of Hospitality Management. Oversaw existing restaurant curriculum and created hotel curriculum. Taught 15-18 hours per semester, including Hospitality Law. Conducted management seminars for the Champaign-Urbana Hotel & Motel Association in human resources, front desk, and security management. Also taught business marketing. During tenure as Program Director, achieved program accreditation from Commission on Accreditation of Hospitality Management Programs (CAHM), an independent arm of the Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education. |
| 1982-1993 | Parkland Community College Taught part-time at Parkland continuously from 1982 to 1993. |
| 1990-1991 | AmeriSuites Hotel, Champaign General Manager. Chosen to manage Champaign’s first all-suites hotel. |
| 1987-1989 | State Street Associates (hotel developers) Executive Vice President, State Street Management. Oversaw operations of two hotels, consulted on development of new all suites hotel. |
| 1981-1987 | Writer, Researcher Stepped away from business management to research the hotel industry and write a novel set in international hotel management. Through the personal intercession of the president of Hilton Hotels, spent days behind scenes of Hilton and Hilton International hotels in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York, Paris, Barcelona, Athens, and Cyprus. |
| 1970-1981 | Restaurant Concepts, Inc. President. Firm involved in development, operation, and licensing of college-oriented clubs and restaurants in four Illinois cities. |
| 1956-1981 | Best Western Paradise Inn Motel & Restaurant Involved in the design, construction, and subsequent operation of this family-owned business. General manager from 1964, with hands-on management of restaurant and oversight of motel. |
| B. A. in Economics, University of Illinois | – 1957 |
| MBA, Illinois State University | – 1994 |
| Educational Institute, American Hotel & Lodging Association: Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) | – 1981 |
| Educational Foundation, National Restaurant Association: Food Management Professional (FMP) | – 1994 |
| (the above two certifications are currently valid) | |
| National Restaurant Association: Applied Foodservice Sanitation Certificate | – 1976 – 2000 |
| Illinois Restaurant Association: Training for Intervention Procedures by Servers of Alcohol (TIPS) | – 1985 |
US Army Reserve, 1957-1965, Captain; Instructor, QM Officers School; Unit Training Officer. Honorable Discharge.
| NISOD Teaching Excellence Award (full-time) | – 1998 |
| MBA Outstanding Thesis, Business School, Illinois State University | – 1994 |
| Outstanding MBA Student, Academics and Professional Achievement, Illinois State University | – 1994 |
| NISOD Teaching Excellence Award (part-time) | – 1990 |
| Who’s Who in Illinois Innkeepers | – 1974-75 |
| President, Illinois Restaurant Association | – 1974 |
| Governor’s Tourism Advisory Committee | – 1964-66 |
| President, Illinois Innkeepers Association | – 1964 |
Peter T. Tomaras, MBA, CHA, FMP
Ph./Fax: 217-359-5438
innkeeper88@att.net