Men’s Panel

Robert Rauch, CHA

Chief Executive Officer, RAR Hospitality

Robert Rauch, CHA, is CEO of RAR Hospitality, a leading hospitality management firm with 24 hotels under management. Rauch has over 40 years of hospitality-related management experience in all facets of the industry. Widely recognized as the "hotel guru," Mr. Rauch maintains a blog where he expounds upon insights and trends in the hospitality industry at www.hotelguru.com. Along with the blog, he also publishes Hospitality Innsights, a monthly electronic newsletter.

Mr. Rauch held nearly every position in the hotel business including General Manager of full-service Four Diamond hotels for Hilton and Embassy Suites in Phoenix. With a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from Western International University and a master’s degree in Tourism Administration from Arizona State University, Rauch has served as president or on the board of numerous tourism organizations including the San Diego Hotel Motel Association, San Diego Tourism Authority, San Diego Convention Center Corporation and W.I.T.H.

Mr. Rauch is a Faculty Associate at Arizona State University where he teaches Entrepreneurial Recreation and Tourism and frequently speaks at industry conferences and meetings. He is widely quoted on television, radio and in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal and currently holds leadership positions in the hospitality industry nationally and in San Diego where his corporate headquarters is located. He has developed several leading brand hotels, some of which the firm still owns and manages and currently operates 10 hotels in San Diego County.

Greg DeShields

Executive Director, PHLDiversity Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Greg DeShields currently serves as the Executive Director at PHLDiversity Multicultural Affairs Congress a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), adjunct instructor for Temple University School of Tourism and Hospitality and Hospitality Educators. Greg is a Graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, with an A.S. Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management; and B.S. Degree in Hospitality Management. His professional certifications include: American Hotel & Lodging Association, Educational Institute – Certified Hospitality Educator – 2013 Asian American Hotel Owners Association – Certified Hotel Owner 2013 Recently Greg served as Managing Director of Business Development for Temple University Fox School of Business & School of Tourism and Hospitality Management. Professionally, Greg has been a manager in the hospitality industry for such companies as Hyatt Hotel, Omni Hotels, Sheraton Hotels, Korman Company, General Manager of Philadelphia OIC’s Opportunities Inn: Hospitality Training Institute

Phil Blair

Executive Officer, Manpower San Diego Author: Job Won! Public Speaker: Employment & Workforce Transitions 

Mr. Blair is one of San Diego’s most visible and respected business leaders. He along with partner Mel Katz, have built Manpower of San Diego into the largest Manpower franchise in the U.S. with annual revenues exceeding $150 million. Manpower provides quality employment opportunities, training and workforce solutions. It has become San Diego’s fourth largest local for-profit employer. Manpower provides approximately 3,500 jobs daily through its five franchises-San Diego, Riverside, Las Vegas, Spokane and Albuquerque.

Blair’s book, Job Won!, serves as a guide to acquire and refine the tools you need to find a job and develop a career you are passionate about. He is an Executive Professor in Residence at the University of San Diego. 

Mr. Blair is an oft-quoted employment industry expert and appears frequently in local business publications and on radio and television. He is a long-time KUSI-TV employment commentator, is a professional speaker on employment and workforce transition issues. So, think differently about work. Think differently about Manpower. Direct Hire. Specialized Training. Temporary Placement. HR Services. 

Rudolph Johnson III

President and CEO San Diego Neighborhood House Association 

Rudolph Johnson was appointed president and CEO of Neighborhood House in 2006. Under his leadership, the agency launched geriatric specialty programs, the Homework Center, Project In-Reach and the Black Infant Health programs. The agency employs about 800 and has a budget of $85 million. He came to Neighborhood House after serving as the general manager of the San Diego Convention Center. He serves as vice chair of the executive committee for the Congressional Black Caucus 21st Century Council and is on the board of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. 

ALMA MATER: San Diego State University, Texas Southern University NOTEWORTHY: He is a San Diego native and a product of the Head Start program he now oversees. NOT WHAT HE STUDIED FOR: His bachelor’s degree is in civil engineering. 

Carl Winston

Director, L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at San Diego State University

Carl Winston has over 35 years of experience in a variety of senior executive level hospitality and tourism industry positions in academia and the “real world.”

He is the founding Director of the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at San Diego State University.  Launched in 2001, the School has earned a global reputation for its innovations, rigor, relevance and near perfect placement rate for graduates. 

He is also the founding Managing Director of the China Hospitality Education Initiative (CHEI) and lead Academic Advisor to the Marriott Foundation for the initiative.  CHEI was launched in 2013 and now supports more than 100 colleges and universities with more than 120,000 students. 

Prior to moving into academia, he had run hundreds of hotels and restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada.  He also ran a chain of small theme parks and started his professional career in public accounting.

Mr. Winston has been involved with a large number of local, regional and international industry associations and groups where he has served in leadership positions and Boards of Directors.

His education includes a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego and a Master’s of Professional Studies in Hotel Administration, Cornell University.