LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Michael Howerton, general manager of the Louisville Marriott Downtown and chairman of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau Commission, died Sunday.
UPDATE: The downtown Marriott will host a memorial service for Howerton on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 3:30 p.m. in the Marriott Ballroom. The event is open to all who knew him.
A statement issued by White Lodging, the Indiana-based hotel management company that employed Howerton, said he "passed away unexpectedly" but did not provide any other details.
An Illinois native, Howerton is survived by his wife Lana and two children.
“Michael was a valued friend and colleague and beloved by all who had the opportunity to work with and be mentored by him,” said White Lodging chairman Bruce White. “His leadership, integrity and passion for excellence has been an integral part of White Lodging's foundation since our inception in 1989 and his spirit will be deeply missed.”
“As Chairman of the Commission of the Louisville CVB, he not only led, but modeled the best of the hospitality industry with his generosity of spirit and resources and civic leadership,” Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Karen Williams said in a statement.
Convention & Visitors Bureau vice chairman Donald Lassere, president & CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center, will serve as interim chairman until the commission convenes and votes on new leadership, according to the statement.
Howerton, who moved to Louisville in 2005, joined the Convention & Visitors Bureau board in 2011 and became chairman in 2012. As White Lodging's vice president for the Louisville market, Howerton was responsible for operating the company's largest convention hotel along with more than 1,600 hotel rooms in the area.
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