Dan Lincoln Institute for Hospitality Leadership

Empowering Future Leaders: The Dan Lincoln Institute for Hospitality Leadership (IHL) is dedicated to cultivating skilled, diverse talent for Cincinnati’s thriving hospitality and tourism sector.

IHL Mission: To drive inclusive excellence in hospitality by creating pathways for skilled and diverse talent.

Vision: Shaping a hospitality industry where cultural impact, socio-economic growth, and educational excellence are at the core.

By implementing innovative curriculum into our schools, colleges and hospitality businesses, Cincinnati will build a diverse workforce that is both grounded and visionary.

Working with educators and local industry leaders, the Dan Lincoln Institute for Hospitality Leadership (IHL) has designed coursework to prepare students for administrative positions in the Cincinnati region's hospitality industry. To date the program has been offered in several Cincinnati Public School high schools, as well as through Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD, Inc.).

Students can also gain real-career experience learning from some of the most influential and respected industry leaders in the field. IHL pairs students with professionals for practical, hands-on experiences:

  • Job Shadowing
  • Internships
  • Mentor Programs
  • Guest Speakers
  • Experiential Learning Trips

At the conclusion of the program, participants become Certified Tourism Ambassadors (tm).

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For more information about this program, contact our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department at 513.632.5394.

 

Washington Park

Building the Future Together

At the Dan Lincoln Institute for Hospitality Leadership, we believe that the foundation for a thriving hospitality industry starts with strong community partnerships. Our collaborative efforts with Cincinnati’s schools and social service providers offer students and individuals of all backgrounds the opportunity to explore the vast possibilities within the hospitality sector, fostering personal growth and community empowerment. To date, the program has been offered in the following institutions:

High Schools:
Withrow University High School 
Western Hills University High School 
Oyler High School 

Social Services:
LADD Inc.  (Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled )
Talbert House 

Tourism Facts

  • 77,000 Cincinnati Region Jobs supported by travel and tourism.​
  • 22% of American Workers got their first job in the travel industry​.
  • People in travel careers average $82,000 salary​.

About Dan Lincoln

Dan Lincoln worked in tourism his entire career, including as the President & CEO of the Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau (now Visit Cincy), in his hometown.

He was a champion for the tourism industry; especially the small businesses and individuals who work every day as the front line customer service providers to the community’s visitors. He shaped and pioneered programs that fostered civic collaboration, community development, equity, supplier diversity and visitor experience long before any of that type of programming was commonplace in our industry.

In 2016, he founded the Cincinnati USA Institute for Hospitality Leadership which was established to increase and support skilled and diverse talent in the industry’s workforce. Upon his retirement in 2018, it was renamed in his honor.

Dan fought a long battle with MSA, an aggressive form of Parkinson’s disease. He passed away in Cincinnati in 2023 at age 64.

Few travel and tourism professionals can tout a 30+ year track record of innovation, impact and influence like Dan Lincoln. His pride in destination marketing work, Cincinnati history and his optimism about its future created a legacy that will last for generations.

In 2024, Dan Lincoln was posthumously inducted into the Destinations International Hall of Fame, which honors those who have significantly advanced the destination marketing and management industry.