Interstate Hotels & Resorts Inc.

Thomas F. Hewitt is chairman and chief executive officer of Interstate Hotels & Resorts. He served as a director since the company was formed in July 2002, following the merger of Interstate Hotels Corporation (IHC) and MeriStar Hotels & Resorts. Hewitt was named Interstate Hotels & Resorts' chief executive officer in February 2005 and chairman in April 2009. Prior to the merger, Hewitt had served as chairman and chief executive officer of Interstate Hotels Corporation since March 1999. During his tenure as chairman and CEO of IHC, he led the successful spin out of that company from Wyndham International and helped facilitate the merger with MeriStar. Previously, Hewitt was president and chief operating officer of The Continental Companies, a company that he joined in 1985. The Continental Companies, which owned and managed more than 80 hotels, was acquired by Patriot American Hospitality (now Wyndham International) in 1998. Prior to joining The Continental Companies, Hewitt had a career spanning more than 20 years with the Sheraton Corporation. He served as president of its North American division from 1983 to 1985, and before that held regional and general management positions at several of its larger properties, including the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel & Towers and the Sheraton Boston Hotel & Towers, among others. While at Sheraton, Hewitt received its three most prestigious awards – the ITT Ring of Quality, Chairman’s Award and General Manager of the Year Award. A 1967 graduate of Bryant College in Smithfield, Rhode Island, he has been recognized with several notable corporate and industry awards, including the Arthur Landstreet Award and the Lawson A. Odde Award, and led numerous hotel and tourism-related associations throughout the country. Hewitt was awarded a Doctor of Business Administration Honoris Causa by Johnson & Wales University on May 24, 1998. Hewitt is actively involved in a variety of civic organizations and has served as chairman of the American Hotel Foundation, chairman of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and dean of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AH&LA) President’s Academy. He is a member of the board of trustees of Bryant College.

Hank Ciaffone, president of international operations and development since 2003, oversees the seven hotels Interstate manages in Russia, the Marriott Ghent in Belgium and the Marriott Ashbourne in Ireland, and plays a key role in the company's continuing growth in Europe. Ciaffone, a 32-year industry veteran, was most recently Interstate's senior executive vice president of international operations and development. Ciaffone joined Interstate Hotels Corporation in 1989 as vice president and corporate controller. He later was promoted to senior vice president and treasurer. Ciaffone, who is based in Moscow, Russia, has led international operations and development since 1995 when Interstate's first hotel in Moscow opened. Prior to joining Interstate, he was chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Koala Inns of America; group vice president-real estate for Howard Johnson; and held a number of financial and real estate development positions with Sheraton Corporation. Ciaffone is based in Moscow, Russia where he lives with his wife, and is a graduate of Fordham University.

Ted Knighton is president of hotel operations for Interstate Hotels & Resorts. He is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company’s more than 200 hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. An 18-year veteran with Interstate, Knighton previously was executive vice president of operations-full service division, where he had operational responsibility for approximately 70 full-service hotels. Prior to that he was executive vice president of the company’s investment fund/joint venture portfolio.Earlier, he was executive vice president of operations for Interstate’s Crossroads division, which encompassed approximately 110 hotels in the select-service, extended-stay, and mid-market segments. Knighton was named to his current position in June 2006. Prior to joining Interstate Hotels Corp., a predecessor company, in 1990, Knighton was vice president of operations for Radisson Hotels, supervising 56 hotels. He also has worked for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Knighton holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration from Cornell University.

Bruce Riggins is chief financial officer of Arlington, Va.-based Interstate Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: IHR), the nation's largest independent hotel management company. Previously, he was chief financial officer of Innkeepers USA Trust, a Florida-based, NYSE-listed REIT. Riggins originally joined MeriStar Hotels & Resorts and MeriStar Hospitality Corporation in 1998 as director of finance for both companies. He later rose to vice president of strategic planning for MeriStar Hospitality and later joined Interstate as senior vice president and treasurer. Riggins, a certified public accountant, holds a B.A. in accounting from Virginia Tech.

As chief accounting officer for Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Denis McCarthy is responsible for all of the company's corporate accounting, financial reporting and tax functions. He previously served as senior vice president, corporate controller.

As chief investment officer for Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Leslie Ng is responsible for all acquisition activity and investments, as well as managing joint venture relationships and identifying new management opportunities. A 20-year hospitality industry veteran, Ng has more than 25 years of experience in real estate investment and finance and has consummated more than $5 billion in hotel acquisitions and dispositions in transactions involving the nation's leading hotel companies. Prior to joining Interstate in September 2005, Ng was senior managing director and one of the heads of the national hospitality group at Cushman & Wakefield. Previously, Ng was senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions for Wyndham International and its predecessor, Patriot American Hospitality. As head of acquisitions, he played an instrumental role in expanding the company's portfolio from 20 hotels at the time of its IPO in 1995, to more than 450 hotels with approximately 100,000 rooms in 1999. He also led the company's disposition program, with direct responsibility for more than 100 assets with a value in excess of $2.0 billion. Ng joined Wyndham/Patriot through his previous position as senior vice president of development for Carnival Hotels. Carnival co-founded Patriot, predecessor to Wyndham, and Ng was part of the senior management team that took Patriot public in the largest hotel REIT IPO at that time. Earlier in his career, he served as a vice president for Tobishima Associates Ltd., a multinational real estate investment and development subsidiary of a major Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed company, where he was responsible for the acquisition and asset management of more than $1.0 billion in real estate assets, including the company's global hotel portfolio. Ng holds a B.E. in civil engineering from Cooper Union and an M.B.A. in real estate finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Paul W. Whetsell has been a director since March 1, 2007. Mr. Whetsell has been the chairman of the board of Interstate Hotels and Resorts, Inc. ( Interstate ) since August 1998 and the president and chief executive officer of Capstar Hotel Company since 2006. From August 1998 until October 2003, he also served as the chief executive officer of Interstate and its predecessor. From August 1998 until May 2006, Mr. Whetsell served as the chairman and chief executive officer of Meristar Hospitality Corporation. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and is a member of that Board s Audit Committee.

C.A. Anderson is executive vice president of development & acquisitions for Interstate Hotels & Resorts, the nation’s largest independent hotel management company. Anderson’s responsibilities include identifying acquisition and management contract candidates. He also directs the company’s relationships with real estate brokers, hotel owners, financial and institutional fund managers and hotel franchise companies, and manages the daily operation of the company's Development Team. Anderson previously was managing director of Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers, an institutional equity investment and asset management firm, where he oversaw their $1.2 billion hotel equity portfolio. Anderson also was the senior acquisition executive at Red Lion Hotels. A 24-year hospitality industry veteran, Anderson has held senior management posts in development, acquisitions, finance and operations at Nikko Hotels International, Japan Airlines Development Co. and Trust House Forte hotels. Anderson earned his A.B. degree at San Diego State University and continued graduate work at the University of San Diego. He is a certified hotel administrator (CHA) and past board member of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA). Anderson is a guest lecturer at New York University and Cornell Hotel School, as well as an active participant in industry councils and conferences, including the Urban Land Institute Hotel Development Council and Lodging Industry Investment Council.

Christopher L. Bennett is executive vice president and general counsel for Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc. He joined the company and has led the legal department of Interstate and its predecessors since 1998. He also oversees the company’s human resources department and the company's joint ventures in India and Mexico. Bennett concurrently served as senior vice president and general counsel of MeriStar Hospitality Corporation and oversaw its legal department from 1998 until January 2003. Prior to 1998 he was an associate at the New York City-based Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine and Thacher Proffitt & Wood. Bennett earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and received his undergraduate degrees in accounting and finance at Virginia Tech. Bennett is also a Certified Public Accountant.

George J. Brennan has broad-based sales and marketing experience in several segments of the travel industry. As leader of Interstate Hotels & Resorts’ sales & marketing department, Brennan oversees sales, marketing and revenue management activities in support of Interstate's portfolio of independent, branded, full-service and select-service hotels. In this position he develops and implements initiatives to increase hotels’ market share and achieve cost-effective marketing communications, and develops interactive marketing direct to consumers and through third-party online retailer networks, database direct marketing, advertising and public relations. He leads the implementation and measurement of Interstate standards for optimal revenue management through all electronic, branded and independent reservations channels. Brennan joined Interstate Hotels Corporation in 1999 following a successful career at Carnival Resorts & Casinos, where he was senior vice president of marketing and sales. In this position, he was responsible for all corporate, hotel and casino marketing, including advertising, public relations, revenue planning and yield management, direct marketing programs, sales and reservations. He was a member of Carnival’s development committee, providing marketing strategy and planning to the program. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of sales & marketing for Carnival Corporation’s 1540-room Crystal Palace Resort & Casino. While in that position, he was instrumental in the marketing and expansion of Carnival Airlines to support the company’s resorts in the Caribbean. Before joining Carnival Corporation, Brennan held a variety of executive sales and marketing positions at Eastern Airlines, including senior vice president of marketing, vice president of advertising, vice president of field sales and vice president of passenger sales. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, School of Business.

Joseph Klam, executive vice president of finance for Interstate Hotels & Resorts, oversees the financial operations of a portfolio of more than 240 hotels and resorts in both a centralized and decentralized environment. A 28-year hospitality industry veteran, Klam began his hotel career with Stouffer Hotels & Resorts and has worked for Marriott International, Wyndham International, Millennium Hotels & Resorts and joined Interstate Hotels & Resorts in 2003. He is a member of the Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals and has served on the AH&LA Internal Audit subcommittee. Klam is a graduate of American University and completed his MBA in 1999.

Thomas J. Bardenett is the executive vice president of Crossroads Hospitality, the select-service operating division of Interstate Hotels & Resorts. Crossroads’ portfolio of over 125 hotels represents such brands as Residence Inn by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, aloft and Hyatt Place. Bardenett was most recently senior vice president of sales & marketing for Crossroads. Bardenett joined Interstate Hotels Corporation in 1988 as a sales manager at the Marriott North in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He’s served in sales management positions at several properties, including the Orlando Marriott International Drive, the Embassy Suites Chicago O’Hare and the Radisson Lisle/ Naperville. He joined the Crossroads division in 1994 as a regional director of sales and also held the position of regional director of operations before his promotion to senior vice president of sales & marketing in 1998. Prior to joining Interstate, Bardenett worked at the Hotels at Syracuse Square. He earned a degree in communications with a broadcasting minor at Oswego State University of New York.

Mr. Shackelton joined our board of directors on February 12, 2009, following his election by our board of directors. Mr. Shackelton is a managing partner and co-founder of Coliseum Capital Management, LLC. Coliseum is a private investment partnership and it is currently Interstate s largest stockholder. Prior to founding Coliseum, Mr. Shackelton was an analyst at Watershed Asset Management from 2003 through 2005. Earlier in his career, Mr. Shackelton worked in the investment banking division of Morgan Stanley & Co. Mr. Shackelton is a member of the board of directors of Rural/Metro Corp. and serves as a trustee for the Walter Johnson Foundation.

Mr. Bolton joined our board of directors on May 3, 2007, following his appointment by the board. Mr. Bolton will be considered for election at this Annual Meeting as a Class II director. Mr. Bolton is the Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc., a publicly traded real estate investment trust. Mr. Bolton joined Mid-America in 1994 and was named its President in December 1996. Mr. Bolton assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer of Mid-America in October 2001 and became its Chairman of the Board in September 2002. Prior to joining Mid-America, Mr. Bolton was associated with Trammell Crow Company, a large diversified real estate management company, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Trammell Crow Asset Management. Prior to Trammell, Mr. Bolton held Chief Financial Officer positions with First Gibralter Savings and Loan.