BETHESDA, Md., July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation has approved a grant of $100,000 to create the David M. Sampson Memorial Graduate Fellowship Fund at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., honoring 25-year veteran and Senior Vice President of Diversity Initiatives, Dave Sampson. The endowed scholarship will provide funding for graduate students pursuing a degree at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, which was recently ranked in the top 25 of "America's Best Graduate Schools" by U.S. News & World Report.
"Dave demonstrated a commitment to fairness, equality, opportunity and inclusion," said J.W. Marriott Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Inc. "His commitment to service and leadership has left an indelible imprint on our company. The scholarship fund represents a lasting tribute to Dave's ideals and contributions."
Although this pioneer passed away in March 2007, his legacy will live on and impact future generations. The David M. Sampson Memorial Graduate Fellowship Fund will provide two $2,500 scholarships per year. In addition to the $100,000 grant, the Foundation has also approved an initial award of $5,000 for two $2,500 scholarships for the 2007-2008 school year. Thereafter, the endowed scholarships will produce scholarship funds for the 2008-2009 school year and beyond.
More than 18 years ago, Dave Sampson pioneered the company's diversity efforts. He led Marriott to record levels in spending with diverse suppliers with a company goal set in 2005 to spend $1 billion by 2010. In less than two years of establishing the goal, the company recently reported a record spend of more than $400 million in 2006, $40 million alone with Hispanic-owned businesses.
Additionally, Mr. Sampson opened the door to new development opportunities for diverse hotel owners and franchisees and helped identify top minority candidates for management positions. His influence helped to establish the Committee for Excellence, a diversity taskforce of Marriott executives and members of the board of directors. His warmth and commitment to people made him a popular mentor for many managers and associates.
Marriott International has continually been recognized for its ongoing diversity achievements including: Black Enterprise magazine's "40 Best Companies for Diversity," Black MBA magazine's "Top 50 Companies for Black MBAs to Work," and DiversityInc magazine's "Top 50 Companies for Diversity" -- the highest in the lodging industry. For information on Marriott's diversity initiatives and programs, visit http://www.marriott.com/.
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. is a leading lodging company with nearly 2,900 lodging properties in the United States and 68 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Md., and has approximately 151,000 employees at 2006 year-end. In fiscal year 2006, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $12.2 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at http://www.marriott.com/.
Marriott International
CONTACT: Dasha Ross of Marriott International, +1-301-380-8521,
Dasha.ross@marriott.com
Web site: http://www.marriott.com/
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