Employee Spotlight: Howard Cohen

Meet Howard, Vice President & General Manager of our Hotel Division. Howard has worked at Clise Properties for nearly 14 years and is instrumental in the success and growth of our hotel operations which include the Best Western Executive Inn, the Loyal Inn, and the La Quinta. 
On a typical work day, Howard meets with the staff of the various hotels, walks through each hotel, and interacts with guests, vendors, corporate staff and outside organizations. Needless to say, Howard's job is not easy and not your usual 9-to-5. Somehow, though, he finds the time to make a tremendous difference in the community. Not only that, but he's beaten cancer and works every day to help others do the same. Read on to get to know Howard a little bit better...
 

What are your biggest accomplishments? 1. Beating bladder cancer by making significant changes with regard to my health and diet habits and then forming a foundation to raise much needed funding for bladder cancer research. 2. Organizing a Christmas Day gift giving event for adults at hospitals throughout the Seattle area for 28 years. 3. Serving over 10,000 meals to the homeless since working for Clise Properties.
What do you like to do outside of work? Project work for my Howard J. Cohen Bladder Cancer Foundation, movies, karaoke and travel.
What's your motto? Sorry, I have a few. 1. Treat guests like family and family like guests! My mother taught me that since as far back as I can remember. 2. Give back to your community. 3. Be nice or go away.
What's the strangest thing someone has left behind in a hotel room? A gun. 
Can you tell us any stories about famous hotel guests? A famous television star was inappropriate with our staff while checking in was subsequently asked to leave. That star then shared only their side (not the real side) of the story on a popular late night TV show.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I would find a cure for bladder cancer.

We are beyond proud to have people like Howard as longtime members of the Clise Properties family. You can learn more about and support Howard's foundation here.