Todd Comen, Professor Hospitality and Tourism Management Johnson State College Todd.Comen@jsc.edu Home phone: (802) 229-2781 Education University of Vermont Rubinstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. Burlington, Vermont o Ph.D, 2013 Emphasis on Natural Areas Management, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Ithaca, New York o Masters of Professional Studies, 1989 Focus on Organizational Development, Culture Change, Total Quality Management, Marketing Management Lewis and Clark College. Portland, Oregon o Bachelor of Science, Economics, 1981 Focus on Small Business, Developing Economies, Small Island Nations, and Rural Development Employment Experience Johnson State College, Johnson, Vermont - Spring 1997 Present Professor, Business/Economics/Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) Department Chair, Fall 2009 - Summer 2012 Skilled educator with innovative classroom and experiential learning methods combined to deliver a diverse set of courses Organized ecotourism conference (2000) and numerous annual events to complement course offerings Hired and mentored part-time faculty to deliver excellence in the classroom Established and sustained relationships with industry leaders Co-managed multi-million dollar program grant from private foundation Johnson State College Teaching Experience 16 years of experience in curriculum development and teaching courses including: o Hospitality Facilities Planning and Design o Hospitality Marketing o Ecotourism o Event Management o Food and Beverage Management o Lodging and Resort Operations Todd Comen 1
Advise students on plans of study and career opportunities Serve on college-wide committees including: o Curriculum Committee o General Education Committee o Faculty Council o Academic Status Committee o Faculty Development Committee The University of Vermont Environmental Studies Program Part-time professor ongoing year to year contracts Environmental Entrepreneurship - Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012 Ecotourism Spring 2009 Advising undergraduate and graduate students on research design The Institute for Integrated Rural Tourism (www.integratedtourism.com) Founder and Managing Director 2001 - Present Training and consulting services focused on assisting community members in planning sustainable, community-centered, tourism products. o Honduras, Poland, Belarus, Costa Rica, Romania, and Guyana. Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, Vermont, Fall 2000 Fall 2002 Evening Manager On Duty Ensured quality guest service Solved problems and resolve conflicts Ensured safety and security of resort guests and employees Freddy s Say Healthy Montpelier, Vermont May 1994 May 1997 Operations Manager Quick service restaurant serving vegetarian meals on college campuses. Developed and managed contracts with Marriott food service on seven campuses over a three year period. The Apple Works, Inc., Germantown, Wisconsin January 1990 April 1993 Creator and Director of Operations Created a vertically and horizontally integrated agricultural operation with two farm locations, three retail outlets, and a wholesale division. Todd Comen 2
Developed a tourist attraction with tours, bakery & cider press, and historic buildings on the main one hundred acre apple orchard. Visitors numbered in the thousands each season generating revenues over half a million dollars. Transitioned orchard from conventional crop production methods to certified organic production to be the first certified organic apple orchard in the Mid-west. The Country Inn at Shambhala Valley Farm, Mendocino, California 1982 1987 Developer/Operator Developed and operated a small, full-service inn on a 140-acre working farm. Todd Comen 3
Publications Comen, T. Continuous Improvement. In Woods, R. and King, J. Leadership and Quality in the Hospitality Industry (2010) Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Comen, T. The Challenge of Diversity. In Woods, R, and King, J. Leadership and Quality in the Hospitality Industry (2010) Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Comen, T. (2006) Integrated Rural Tourism; Weaving Low Impact Tourism into the Economic Fabric of Rural Communities. Self published. Comen, T. (2006) Case Studies in Management of Food and Beverage Operations. Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Comen, T. (2004) Case Studies in Front Office Management. Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Comen, T. (2002) Ecotourism Is Coming Of Age. For the U.N. International Year of Ecotourism, proceedings of the U.N. Summit on Ecotourism in Quebec, Canada. Scholarly and Professional Presentations Fostering innovation in destination design and stewardship by employing the concept of multifunctionality: A Case study of Burlington Vermont's Intervale Landscape. Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference, Monterey, CA. September 2012. Certification and Education; Shaping the Future of Ecotourism. Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference, Vancouver, B.C October 27, 2008. Enriching the Ecotourism Experience by Featuring Rural Life Patterns. Global Ecotourism Conference. Oslo, Norway, May 2007 Agro-Tourism and Ecotourism; Creating the Guyana Experience. The U.S. Embassy Guyana and Partners of the Americas. Georgetown, Guyana, October 2007. Developing a Competitive Tourism Product For Belarus. Public Affairs Section of U.S. Embassy. Minsk, Belarus, June 2007. Integrated Rural Tourism and Marketing; Building Brand Awareness and Strong Visitor Numbers by Developing Enterprise Associations and Effective Information Services. National Extension Tourism Conference. Burlington, Vermont, 2006. Todd Comen 4
Re-branding the Authentic Travel Experience; Opportunities and Next Steps. Boston Globe Travel Show. Boston, MA, 2006 Customer Service That Sells. Vermont Lodging and Restaurant Showcase. Burlington, Vermont. 2004. Positioning the Rural Tourism Product. Mayan World Foundation Congress. San Pedro Sula, Honduras. November 2000 Integrated Rural Tourism and Ecotourism. Presentation to delegates at the International Forum on Rural Tourism and Agrotourism. Umbria, Italy. October 2000 Consulting, Research, Training and Short-term Projects Marketing and Ecolodge Development Plan to expand capacity and increase revenues for Camp Common Ground. Common Ground Center. Vermont. Fall 2010. Integrated Rural Tourism Development workshop, Elliott County Kentucky. University of Kentucky Agricultural Extension Service. July 2010. Agrotourism feasibility study for St. Stanislaus College Farm. Partners of the Americas. Guyana, Fall 2007 Business and operating plan for environmental and agricultural education center. Food Works Two Rivers Center, Vermont. July 2007. Integrated Rural Tourism workshop in Belarus: U.S. Department of State. June 2007. Study of rural tourism and market position assessment in Belarus. QLF Atlantic Center for the Environment: June 2005 Integrated Rural Tourism training workshops and advising in rural Romania. CHF International, competitiveness program to improve success rate of SME s in rural Romania. Spring 2004 Spring 2005. Branding Study of Vermont s Northeast Kingdom brand identity. Northeast Kingdom Travel and Tourism Association. Summer/Fall 2003 A study of Impacts of Wind Farms on Tourism. Easthaven Wind Farm. Fall 2003 Integrated Rural Tourism and Ecotourism Training Workshops in Poland and Romania. Institute for Sustainable Communities. January 2003 Study of Agricultural Diversification and Agrotourism: Critical Success Factors. Vermont Department of Agriculture, Food and Markets Division. Summer 2002 Todd Comen 5
Integrated Rural Tourism Training Workshops, Romania. Institute For Sustainable Communities. February 2002 Study of the Environmental Management Systems in Resort Destinations in the Dominican Republic. Conservation International. January 2001 Training and Professional Development of Visitor Center Employees and Managers. Vermont Information Services Division. January 1999 - June 2001 Service Excellence and Supervisory Training workshops. Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce. August 1998, September 1998, April 1999. Todd Comen 6