The Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership at Howard University, founded in 2021 through an endowment from the J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation and an additional scholarship fund, is celebrating some notable accomplishments from the first half of 2025, including a new executive director.
New Leadership
Omari Head joined the Center late last year as executive director. A former hotel owner and consultant, he has led more than 300 hotel transactions totaling over $1.5 billion. “That experience is directly related to this work,” he told Hotel Management magazine. “My experience in showing students the skillsets needed in certain aspects of hospitality is crucial. Helping a finance major, computer science major or law school student see career paths that they did not think were related to hospitality is a unique opportunity. My experience in transactions has given me unique visibility into the lifecycle of a hospitality asset, capital markets, feasibility and franchise operations.
Head has held roles in asset management, entrepreneurship and academia, having taught at Georgetown University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Cheyney University. He also co-founded NextGen in Lodging and the National Institute of Lodging Education.
She Has a Deal
This year, MSCHL celebrated a major student achievement when its team won first place in the She Has a Deal hotel pitch competition—the first time a historically Black college or university—also known as an HBCU—has earned this distinction. Brooklynn Tucker, an international business major from Aurora, Colo., and Kayden Edwards, a supply-chain management major from Columbus, Ohio, won the pitch competition with a plan to develop a hotel project they identified in New Orleans.
“HBCU talent is often underestimated and overlooked,” Head said in a statement about the win, and told Hotel Management that MSCHL is changing that narrative by leveraging industry engagement in the form of association engagement and certifications to support the students. “Even if the industry professional that is interviewing them has never heard of our university or Center, they will resonate with them being a member of HFTP and having a CHIA and certification in USALI. The feedback that we are getting from industry partners that hire for roles that are operationally supporting roles is that our students at Howard University are pre-prepared with the hard and soft skills necessary.”
The moment, Head added, is part of a movement. “The movement is HBCU talent competing at the highest level and winning. For the students, this provides them with opportunities to develop through the hospitality coaching of a case competition or pitch contest, utilize university resources and apply their classroom education. What it means for me is to be on the right side of history and innovation.”
Leveraging Partnerships
The Center became the first HBCU to charter a chapter of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals. Through this chapter, students now have access to industry mentors and global certification programs as well as the opportunity to engage in HFTP’s annual conference and exclusive programming.
The Center also rolled out a customized internship program with Donohoe Hospitality that blends hands-on property experience with exposure to corporate hospitality functions. This hybrid model is designed to help students develop a holistic understanding of hospitality operations and leadership roles that support operations.
“We choose partners and associations that share our mission and vision,” Head said. “We look at whether students will not only gain value but also where the industry partner will see value.”
Lifetime Achievement Award
Executive in Residence Elliott Ferguson was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Professional Convention Management Association for his leadership at Destination DC and contributions to elevating tourism and events in the nation’s capital. As MSCHL’s Executive in Residence, Ferguson is involved in mentoring students and developing pathways in the tourism and events vertical, connecting them directly to industry leaders and real-world experience.
“Elliott's engagement is paramount,” Head said of his colleague. “I have known of his accomplishments for over a decade. Elliott is not just a known entity in the industry and torchbearer for MSCHL, but a true mentor, coach and sponsor for our talent.”
Next Steps
This fall, MSCHL is set to join the AHEAD. The program also will co-host a campus-activation event at Howard University in October that is designed to introduce students from all academic disciplines—including engineering, interior design, marketing and computer science—to the range of career opportunities in hospitality. The event will attract students from across the D.C. region—including fellow HBCUs and high schools—to showcase how the hospitality industry intersects with technology, design, finance, supply chain and other industries.
This is an important part of the Center’s mission, Head said, noting that the program can provide a finance, supply chain, or communications student with hospitality industry certifications. “We can assist the industry in addressing human capital needs for all capacities, not just operations,” he noted.
Head has ambitious goals for The Marriott-Sorenson Center. “My vision for MSCHL is to be the premier Center and hub of hospitality in higher education,” he said. “We want to be a part of solving the complex challenges in hospitality, developing leaders for operational support capacities and providing a vessel for the advancement of hospitality professionals.”