Bentley Price Associates, a leading hospitality executive search firm, has launched an initiative to assist returning veterans to find work in the hospitality industry - Hospitality Heroes. CEO Dennis P Rizzo has been hard at work recruiting some of the top casino, hotel and resort executives to his cause.

The latest to step up and accept the challenge is David Carroll, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Seminole Gaming, which consists of seven properties, two of which are Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos.

Seminole Coconut Creek recently held a job fair where they hired over 600 people and they still have 200 open positions.   Florida Governor Rick Scott is solidly behind the effort to hire veterans - he declared November Hire a Veteran month and urged Florida businesses to "hire the best - hire a vet." 

Hospitality Heroes is borne out of Rizzo's personal experience as he is a former Marine and a Vietnam Vet.  He knows what it's like to serve and then come home and have to find a job.  He used the skills he learned in the military to succeed in the hospitality industry and he believes today's young men and women are just as skilled.  "When you hire a vet you are indeed hiring the best," says Rizzo.  "And the hospitality industry needs the skills they have."

"We're very appreciative that Seminole Gaming is supporting Hospitality Heroes and we hope that they will be one of the first hospitality companies to hire vets," siad Rizzo.  "I know at vets have a lot to contribute to the hospitality industry, just as they did when they served our country oversees."