Mark Woodworth to Receive 2014 Cornell MMH Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award

Mark Woodworth, president of PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR), an affiliate of PKF Consulting USA (a CBRE Company), has been selected to receive the 2014 Cornell MMH Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award, presented by the Master of Management in Hospitality (MMH) program at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

Woodworth will receive the award at the 13th annual Cornell MMH Reception on 9 November 2014 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

The award committee selected Woodworth, a 1978 graduate of the MPS (Master of Professional Studies) program - the precursor to today's MMH program - after evaluating MMH and MPS alumni on a range of criteria, including academic performance and involvement at the school as a student, career progression, and significant continued engagement with the school.

"It is a pleasure to honor Mark Woodworth with the Cornell MMH Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award," said Michael D. Johnson, dean and E.M. Statler Professor at the School of Hotel Administration. "Mark's distinguished career and wide-ranging expertise illustrate the impact our alumni have on the hospitality industry and beyond. His leadership and passion are an inspiration to future graduates, and we are grateful for his continued involvement with the school."

In addition to his master's degree, Woodworth also earned his bachelor's degree from the school. He has remained an involved and engaged alumnus, completing a three-year term on the board of advisors of the Center for Hospitality Research and guest-lecturing as a featured speaker in the Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series. Woodworth formed PKF-HR in 1999 with Jack Corgel, Robert C. Baker Professor of Real Estate and Director of Graduate Studies for the Baker Program in Real Estate at the school.

Woodworth has spent more than 35 years building ironclad credibility in the hospitality business. He has been quoted on hospitality issues in numerous high-profile media outlets and industry publications, and been qualified as an expert to provide testimony in legal proceedings regarding hospitality properties. He serves on the board of directors of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and the finance committee of the United Way of Greater Atlanta, and is a member of the Conference of Business Economists.

Before forming PKF-HR, Woodworth was a partner and industry chairman of the hospitality industry consulting practice for Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. Prior to that, he was a senior principal with Laventhol & Horwath where he focused on the hospitality industry, and was responsible for all lodging and real estate consulting services in the southeastern United States. Woodworth began his career in Long Island as a chauffeur for John Longstreet.

Woodworth resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and is an engaged member of his community, serving on the council of Henderson Mill Elementary School.