Select Registry Honors Ellen Grinsfelder with Prestigious Stafford Smith Award

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Sep 17, 2015, 03:02 ET

CHARLESTON, S.C., Sept. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ellen Grinsfelder, owner of the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls and a 28-year innkeeping veteran, has been awarded Select Registry's Stafford Smith Award. This lifetime achievement award -- the highest honor in the organization -- is bestowed upon a long-standing Select Registry member with many years of service to the organization and the hospitality industry. It was awarded on September 10^th at Select Registry's Membership Conference in Key West, Florida.

Ellen Grinsfelder has been the owner and innkeeper of the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls since August 1987 along with her husband Terry Lingo. She and Terry have grown the inn from the original nine rooms, to include six log cabins, 12 cottages, an intimate spa, an expanded restaurant, and The Gathering Place for events. The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls is a premiere destination in the Hocking Hills.

"Ellen has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the lodging industry," said Mark Reichle, Select Registry's Board President. "Select Registry is fortunate to have been the beneficiary of her exceptional leadership qualities and vision for change. Under Ellen's direction not only was the Select Registry board transformed into a leaner more functional board but by championing the change to policy governance she transformed the way the board thinks and works for the organization."

Ellen served on the Hocking Hills Tourism Association (HHTA) Board from 1992-1995; presently, she serves on its marketing and green committees. She received the "Small Business Person of the Year" award from the Logan-Hocking Chamber of Commerce in 1996. Ellen served on the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association (OHLA) board for 20 years, and in 1997, was awarded its prestigious "Ohio Hotelier of the Year" award. In 2007, her inn was awarded the Conway Family Business Center award for medium-sized businesses, and in 2011 it received the Re-Invention Award. In 2008 and 2009, Ellen was a finalist for the NAWBO (National Association of Women's Business Organization) Visionary Award. In 2010, Ellen joined the American Red Cross board, and each year, the inn hosts two Red Cross Blood Drives. In 2014, Ellen was selected by Ohio Governor Kasich to serve on the Tourism Ohio board and remains in that position today. Ellen has served on numerous committees for Select Registry, and for the past three years, Ellen served as its Board President.

"I am humbled and honored - and totally surprised - to receive such a prestigious award by my mentors in the hospitality industry, which makes it that much more special," said Ellen. "Thanks to my husband Terry and our hard working staff for their support and taking care of our business, allowing me to dedicate so much time to Select Registry, which is so near and dear to my heart."

Named after the first president of Select Registry, the Stafford Smith Award was first given in 2000 (the year the organization changed its name from the Independent Innkeepers' Association). Since knowledge of membership, history, participation, contribution, involvement, and overall support of Select Registry and the bed and breakfast industry are crucial criteria, Select Registry staff, CEO, and its Board of Directors choose nominees for the award.

About Select Registry

Founded in 1972 as the Independent Innkeepers' Association by Norman Simpson, the "Father of Country Inn travel in America," Select Registry evolved from Simpson's popular and pioneering book, Country Inns and Back Roads. Today, Select Registry is a portfolio of more than 300 quality-assured premier inns, bed and breakfasts, and small hotels throughout North America. Each of our member properties has passed an unannounced, rigorous, 200-point quality assurance inspection to earn and maintain its Select Registry membership, and to ensure it provides travelers with guaranteed quality, exceptional service, and an unforgettable lodging experience. Don't just book. Select. Visit all the Select Registry member properties and learn more at www.SelectRegistry.com.

SOURCE Select Registry