Courtesy / HospitalityMaine
Steve Hewins talks to the press about the tourism industry recovery plan in June 2020. Hewins announced in October he was stepping down as HospitalityMaine CEO, and his last day is Feb. 12
February 3, 2021
California hospitality veteran takes reins at HospitalityMaine
Courtesy / HospitalityMaine
Matt Lewis is the new CEO of HospitalityMaine.
By Maureen Milliken
Matt Lewis, a California tourism and hospitality executive, has been named president and CEO of HospitalityMaine as the state's second-largest industry looks to rebuild from the damage of the pandemic.
Lewis, who started Monday, takes the reins of an organization that represents more than 1,000 members of the state's lodging and restaurant sectors, which lost more than 41,000 jobs at the peak of the pandemic and an estimated $1.7 billion in revenue since March.
He replaces Steve Hewins, who announced in October he was stepping down and officially leaves the job Feb. 12 to become interim director of the new HospitalityMaine Education Foundation.
Lewis is the former executive director for Visit Richmond CA, with hotel-sales experience in San Francisco that stretches back nearly two decades.
"Matt brings a fresh perspective to our industry along with his knowledge and experience from many years working in hospitality," Steve DiMillo, HospitalityMaine's board chair, said in a news release. "His collaborative experience will benefit not only our members, but other tourism and business groups as well."
Lewis said he is impressed with Maine's rich hospitality heritage and that he's ready to help lead the state's hospitality rebound from the current economic crisis.
"I am energized by the challenge and look forward to promoting and celebrating exceptional Maine hospitality," Lewis said in the news release. "My thanks to the board of directors, search committee and staff of HospitalityMaine for this incredible honor."
Lewis worked from February 2017 until last July promoting tourism in Richmond, Calif., a city of 106,000 across the bay from San Francisco. Previously, he was director of global sales for Hotel Nikko San Francisco, representing the hotel both nationally and internationally from 2007 to 2016, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He was director of corporate sales for the 532-room four-star hotel for three years before that. Prior experience includes national sales manager for the San Francisco Visitors and Convention Bureau.
'Challenges are still the same'
He takes over the organization that represents Maine's second-largest employer, after health care, and the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of 2020, the industry had recovered less than half of the 41,000 jobs it lost because of shutdowns and travel bans.
Greg Dugal, HospitalityMaine's director of government affairs, last month predicted a tough year that will mean a "massive rebuild" for the industry, even with the optimism of the vaccine roll-out.
“Unfortunately, the challenges are still the same,” Dugal told Mainebiz for the 2021 forecast issue. “The biggest challenge will be making it to summer and having the resources to open up or [for those that are open] ramp up,” he said.
Before the pandemic hit, the hospitality industry on the state was up a steep upward trajectory, contributing an estimated $6.9 billion to the state's economy in 2018, the last year for which numbers are available, $4 billion of it in direct sales. The industry directly employed 59,000 and was also responsible for another 20,000 multiplier jobs.
The industry's gains were fueled by enhanced tourism marketing by the state and private organizations, as well as a burgeoning Portland restaurant scene. The city was named "Restaurant City of the Year" by Bon Appetit in 2018.
Persevering during challenging times
Before the pandemic, the biggest crisis the industry faced was finding workers to thousands of empty restaurant and lodging jobs across the state. Behind Hewins, the industry partnered with the state, including the Department of Corrections, and the Maine Community College System to form workforce training programs and apprentice programs that would lead to industry career paths.
"I've been honored to lead a talented team and a supportive board of directors during my time here," Hewins said Wednesday. "I remain most proud of the incredible people who comprise our huge industry. From front-line employees, to owners, they have persevered during the most challenging economic times they could ever face."
He said he looks forward to helping Lewis. "The work continues to rebuild and restart our hospitality industry, which is so vital to the state's economy and the Maine brand," he said.
Hewins was director of the Maine Innkeepers Association in 2018 when he led the merger with the Maine Restaurant Association, forming HospitalityMaine.
When the pandemic hit last year, Hewins was pushed for solutions that helped keep the industry afloat, including helping to create the Maine Hospitality, Tourism & Retail Recovery Plan to provide financial aid to business owners in the industry.
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Anonymous
February 3, 2021
Congratulations to HospitalityMaine for bringing on Matt Lewis. As a former Board Member of VisitRichmond, I can definitively say "our loss is your gain". Matt is an absolute delight to work with. He's thoughtful, insightful, energetic and thinks outside of the box. Maine has just scored one of our best from the San Francisco Bay Area tourism industry. Matt's a Maine Man now!
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