ORLANDO, Fla. – Frank Santos has worked for Harris Rosen since 1986, and now he has been named as the new CEO.
Santos says he was more than an employee; he was a friend and was with Rosen when he passed away on Nov. 25 at age 85.
“It’s been very difficult, I was with Harris when he passed away. He was my friend; he said I was his only friend,” Santos said.
Santos helped Rosen Hotels & Resorts become a hospitality leader and the southeast’s largest independently owned hotel chain. The company has over 4,000 employees and operates seven Orlando-area hotels: Rosen Inn International, Rosen Inn closest to Universal, Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando, Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista, Rosen Plaza, Rosen Centre, and the Rosen Shingle Creek, which is the largest property. The company owns several other businesses in the insurance and technology industries.
Santos was also a part of the many community projects that Rosen initiated or supported. They worked together to form the Tangelo Park and Parramore preschool programs, which every year provide children from those underserved communities with free preschool.
After graduating from high school, students are awarded college and vocational scholarships covering tuition, room and board, and books. Hundreds of students have received Rosen scholarships, and the preschool programs have been in the national spotlight.
Santos also told News 6 that he will continue Rosen’s vision, not selling any properties and continuing to grow the brand.
“We’re going to continue to grow, and also the Rosen children have a passion to grow the company. We have some vacant land that we own that we could potentially, build an expansion on Rosen Center. Harris’s vision has been what has guided us to this point, and we will carry out his vision,” Santos said.
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