Larry E. Collier Jr.

After serving honorably in the Unites States Marine Corps., Larry E. Collier Jr., a second-generation employee, attended the University of Central Florida. Larry began his career with H.I. Development in 1986 at the Holiday Inn Lakeland Central in Lakeland, Florida, where he worked in every operational department, earning Holiday Inn certifications as front office manager, food and beverage director, and in 1992, general manager. In 1998, Larry earned the designation of Certified Hospitality Administrator by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute, and in 2006, he attended the IAHI/Purdue University, Krannert School of Management's General Manager Academy. During his career, Larry has won numerous awards including the Franchise of the Year Award for Villager Lodge (1996), Bass Hotels and Resorts Quality Excellence Awards (1997,1998, and 2000), and the IHG Priority Club Member's Choice Award for the Best Holiday Inn Hotel Worldwide in 2001, as General Manager of the Holiday Inn Lakeland South in Lakeland, Florida. Larry moved to Puerto Rico in 2002 to become Corporate Operating Manager overseeing the Puerto Rico hotels, and in 2003 he assumed the role as Regional Director of Operations for the company in Tampa. Larry was promoted to Director of Operations in January 2012 and resides in Lakeland, Florida.