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Industry Veteran Becomes Latest Lee County Tourist Development Council Member

            LEE COUNTY, FL (October 26, 2004) – The Lee County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC)

has appointed Hyatt Hotels Corporation executive Carlos Cabrera as the newest member of the Tourist Development Council (TDC) effective today.
 

            Cabrera’s distinguished tenure with Hyatt Hotels and Resort began 27 years ago and has included top management positions with 10 different high-end properties, including those in Chicago, San Antonio, Aruba, and Puerto Rico.  He earned the distinction of Hyatt’s General Manager of the Year in 1994.  Six years later, Cabrera was promoted to vice president of Hyatt Resorts Puerto, assisting with the supervision of the organization’s Caribbean properties.  Currently, he serves as vice president and managing director of Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Bonita Springs.  In addition, Cabrera assists in overseeing Hyatt’s other nine properties in Florida.
 

            Besides serving as chairman of the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, Cabrera was director of both the Aruba and Puerto Rico hotel associations.
 

In 2002, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Cabrera to the board of directors for Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing organization.  He also sits on the board of directors of the Florida Gulf Coast University Hospitality School.
 

            Cabrera replaces Solomon Cokes on the TDC.  The nine-member TDC was established by the BOCC in 1983 to increase tourism to Lee County.           

EDITOR’S NOTE: Digital photo available upon request.