Professor Ray Ellis, director of the Loss   Prevention Management Institute (LPMI), stands next to a cutout of himself dressed in an old hotel uniform. Professor Ellis’ cardboard likeness has greeted visitors to his LPMI office for years. After more than 50 years of service to the industry, he is retiring but will continue writing his popular LPMI Bulletins.

HOUSTON, Jan. 17, 2008— Ray Ellis, adjunct professor at the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management and director of the Loss Prevention Management Institute (LPMI), has announced his retirement after more than 50 years of industry and academic service.

“It’s been an honor working at the Hilton College and with so many great companies and organizations over these many years,” Ellis said. “At the end of the day, I’m confident that together, we’ve been able to make the hospitality industry a safer and more secure place.”

His long and distinguished career gave its first 17 years to Marshall Field’s. In 1955, he joined the staff of the National Safety Council and began pro bono consulting for the American Hotel Association (AHA) on safety, security and fire protection. From 1967 to 1977, Ellis administered the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge Safety Group and the hotel safety groups for New York City, New York State, New Jersey and Massachusetts. After 22 years of pro bono consulting for the AHA, he joined the staff under its new moniker, the American Hotel Motel Association (AHMA). Ellis joined the UH Hilton College in 1994, where he has taught facilities management, loss prevention management and headed the college’s LPMI for the past 13 years.

In 1986, Ellis received the National Safety Council Distinguished Service to Safety Award. He was named to the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals Technology Hall of Fame in 1989, and the American Hotel & Motel Association’s Educational Institute presented him with the Lamp of Knowledge Award in 1999. He holds a Ph.B. and MBA from the University of Chicago, a graduate certificate in Personnel Psychology from Ohio State University and a graduate certificate in Organization Management from Syracuse University.

Perhaps his greatest legacy is the publication of the “Loss Prevention Management Bulletin,” a monthly communication sent to American Hotel & Lodging Association member state associations and over 6,000 recipients who work directly in loss prevention, either at the corporate or property level – not to mention countless online readers. Published since 1997 under its current name, the publication has existed in one form or another from 1955 to 1994 and from 1997 until today. Since his appointment at the Hilton College, the documents have been archived on the LPMI page of the college’s website. Despite his announced retirement, Ellis will continue to write the publication with support from HospitalityLawyer.com.

“I cannot think of anyone who has served their industry more than Ray Ellis,” remarked Stephen Barth, fellow professor at the Hilton College and founder of HospitalityLawyer.com. “Ray not only established himself as the consummate expert in the field of hotel safety and security, but he selflessly shared his work and insight with thousands of others. The hotel world – facilities, employees and guests – is much safer because of his work. There is no telling how many hotel fires have been prevented and lives saved by his tireless work.”

If you would like to recognize Ray Ellis’ service to the industry by making a donation in his name to any of the Hilton College’s scholarship funds, please contact Jon C. Schultz, director of Development, at (713) 743-2738 or jcschultz@uh.edu.

Contact:
David Raffetto
(713) 743-1509
draffetto@uh.edu