HMSHost has appointed Shelby M. Scales as vice president, strategic alliances, effective immediately. In this role, she will lead HMSHost’s relationships with Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) partners and other woman- and minority-owned businesses. Scales will work alongside HMSHost’s current vice president of strategic alliances, Ron Gomes, until his retirement later this year.
“HMSHost has developed an award-winning, industry-leading strategic alliances program that champions over 100 minority partners generating nearly $500 million in revenue annually, and I cannot think of a more qualified and accomplished leader than Shelby Scales to take the helm of this incredibly important program,” said Steve Johnson, president and CEO, HMSHost. “Shelby has a deep passion for aviation and travel, and she is one of our industry’s strongest advocates for minority entrepreneurs. I am delighted she has elected to continue her distinguished career as part of HMSHost.”
Scales’ career in small business development and diversity inclusion spans 25 years, most recently as Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) for the U.S. Department of Transportation. She is the former Director of the Office of Civil Rights with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and served as president and CEO of the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC). Early in her career as the Small Business Program Officer for Raleigh-Durham International Airport, she began its Historically Underutilized Business Program serving minority- and women-owned businesses, as well as the Small Emerging Business Assistant Loan Program for airport concessionaires.
“I am honored to join the HMSHost team to continue the distinguished work with the many ACDBE partners throughout the country,” said Scales. “I look forward to building on the portfolio and supporting our strategy to provide the best brand in the industry.”
