Ms. Jokima Hiller’s PASSION to please has helped her sustain an interesting career in the hospitality industry since the age of 15! Her blend of experience and education make her a great resource. She’s held a variety of positions ranging from human resources clerk and assistant reservation sales manager to front office manager and general manager. Her ability to take what she’s learned on-the-job and in the classroom and share it with others made her an ideal trainer for the Radisson Hotel and Country Inn & Suites By Carlson hotel brands. Her Bachelors degree in Restaurant, Hotel, Institutional and Tourism Management from Purdue University – Calumet and Masters in Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management put her in positions to create best practices adopted by hotel colleagues, management and franchise companies. She is currently working on her Doctorate in Hospitality Management as a distance student at Iowa State University. She is the co-author of the guide book, The RevPAR Formula that addresses ten of the top challenges for hotel managers and is a promoter of educating high school students about the hospitality industry via the online Hiller School of Hospitality.
Jokima’s transition from operations to education began in 2008 as Program Coordinator for the Hospitality and Restaurant Management Program at The Chef’s Academy – Indianapolis campus. Later she served as the Instructional Coach for Harrison College supervising those instructors who teach online in the areas of Accounting, Economics, Hospitality and Human Resources. Her classes at Missouri State include Hospitality Leadership, Lodging Management and Special Event Planning. She also specializes in online learning and social networking. She is a member of the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE), Minorities in Hospitality – Indianapolis Chapter and the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Women in Lodging (WIL) organization.
Hiller’s research interests include the millennial generation traveler, uniforms in the hospitality industry, experiential learning activities in the hospitality classroom, social intelligence and first-time hotel manager preparedness. She enjoys public speaking and has had numerous opportunities to facilitate workshops on a variety of topics including leadership keys and meeting planner burnout.