Wendy Ballard will revitalize College's mentoring program, local chapters

HOUSTON, January 28, 2010 — Wendy Ballard, a 2001 graduate of the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, has returned to her alma mater as the College's new director of Alumni.

Ballard, a native Houstonian, brings several years of industry experience to the position, including working as assistant manager at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and manager at Landry's Restaurants and Starbucks. Now, she returns to the College brimming with ideas on how to encourage Hilton College alumni to get involved in the school.
"I love UH, I love the College, and I appreciate and value everything I learned here," Ballard said. "If I can give back and involve alumni in the College, then I'll meet my first goal."

Ballard is working to expand the College's mentoring program, in which students are paired with alumni mentors in the hotel and hospitality industries. She also aims to increase the involvement of local alumni chapters and enhance alumni communications and relationships.