In the News - January 2025

Member Spotlight- Cortez Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

Cortez Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. has served Florida since the 1960s. Cortez is recognized as the leader in HVAC services by commercial and industrial customers located throughout the Southeastern U.S. Headquartered in Bradenton, Florida, Cortez has regional offices in Orlando and throughout the state. We built our business on commercial and industrial HVAC projects from hotels and resorts, to hospitals and factories, to big box retail stores, correctional facilities, and just about everything in between. In the process, we also built a reputation for expertise, service and integrity.

Today, we provide commercial and industrial service to customers throughout the Southeast. We are active members of professional organizations like CFHLA, ASHRAE, FHEA, FRLA; and state and local air conditioning associations.

CFHLA Celebrates 2024 at Festive Hospitality Gala

Thank you to the more than 1,000 members, sponsors and community partners who attended our 2024 CFHLA Hospitality Gala, presented by Orlando Health and Xpodigital on December 14th, at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.

This year, CFHLA celebrated and honored our 2024 award winners. Congratulations again to the following 2024 recipients:

Charles Andrews Memorial Hospitality Award for Community Leadership:

Mark Woodbury Chairman & CEO, Universal Destinations & Experiences(UDX)

Lodging Member of the Year: Jorg Heyer, Vice President of Operations,

Marriott Vacations Worldwide

Allied Member of the Year: Linda Grier Hanson, Owner & Managing Director

Greenery Productions, Inc.

Engineer of the Year: Christopher Chosay, Director of Engineering,

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center

PAC Board Member of the Year: Jacqueline Bozzuto, Co-Chair of Hospitality & Leisure, Lowndes

CFHLA also honored our 2024 Legends Hall of Fame recipients at a reception at the Gala.

Additionally, we announced the 2025 CFHLA Executive Committee, along with our re-elected and newly elected/appointed 2025 CFHLA Board of Directors.

Also, congratulations to our $4,000 Holiday Cash Raffle Winner, Trevor Dasch with Yes Hotel Services! Trevor generously donating the $4,000 cash prize to the CFHLA Foundation and the Gives Program, which supports our local students pursuing careers in our hospitality and tourism industry with a much needed scholarship.

Thank you to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket, as 100% of the proceeds went to the CFHLA Foundation, which donates to causes that advance hospitality and tourism initiatives, youth-related initiatives, and community advocacy.

Thank you to everyone who donated sneakers and socks for our final CFHLA Cares Collection Drive of 2024. Thanks to your generous donations, we collected more than 1,000 pairs of socks and shoes, which will be donated to students in need throughout Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties.

Lastly, CFHLA would like to thank Barb Bowden, Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando, for her strong and steady leadership while serving as the 2024 Chair of the CFHLA Board of Directors . We are extremely grateful for her dedication and commitment to the success of the association. We also welcome our 2025 Board Chair, Chris Mueller, General Manager, Hilton Orlando who began his tenure on January 1, 2025.

Congratulations to Our 2024 CFHLA Legends Honorees

CFHLA offers our warmest congratulations to our 2024 CFHLA Legends Honorees. Every three years, CFHLA honors our former and retired allied and lodging hospitality professionals, who have played an instrumental leadership role and made a substantial impact on the transformation of the organization. Additionally, each one of these "Legends" has helped with the advancement of the entire Central Florida Hospitality Industry.

The 2024 CFHLA Legends Honorees include:

Jeff Brinda

(formerly of) Sheraton Orlando Downtown

Jay Hunt (posthumously)

(formerly of) Massey Services, Inc.

Louis Robbins

(formerly of) Key Performance Hospitality Management

Ron Silveira

(formerly of) F.P.I.S., Inc., Distribution & Marketing Solutions

For more information on each of our 2024 CFHLA Legends Honorees, please CLICK HERE.