Hasu P. Shah
Chairman,
Hersha Hospitality Trust
Hasu P. Shah has been the Chairman of the Board since our inception in 1998. Mr. Shah founded the Hersha Group with the purchase of a single hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1984. In the last 25 years, he has developed, managed, or owned over 100 hotels across the United States and led other businesses in general construction, purchasing and assisted living.
Mr. Shah has accomplished numerous other professional achievements, including serving on the board of directors for Graystone Tower Bank and Montour Bank, corporations which he also cofounded. He was recently appointed to the Pennsylvania State Governor Corbett Advisory Commission on Asian American Affairs. Mr. Shah was also awarded with the Hall of Fame award from the Central Penn Business Journal in 2011 for lifetime achievements in both business and philanthropy.
He has earned numerous awards, including most recently, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, bestowed by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations. Mr. Shah became a medalist in May of 2012 for exemplifying outstanding qualities in both his personal and professional life, while continuing to preserve the richness of his heritage. Mr. Shah and his wife, Hersha, received the prestigious Tocqueville Award from the United Way Worldwide in 2010 for their outstanding humanitarian efforts locally and around the world. Mr. Shah has been an active Rotarian for nearly 25 years and continues to serve as a trustee of several community service and spiritual organizations including Vraj Hindu Temple and the India Heritage Research Foundation.
Mr. Shah is a past recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year award given by Ernst & Young LLP and the Creating a Voice award given by Project IMPACT, honoring South Asian American community leaders.
He was recently conferred with an honorary doctorate degree of humane letters from Central Penn College, to recognize his significant contributions to both society and business. In May 2010, Harrisburg Area Community College awarded Mr. Shah with an honorary doctorate degree of public service. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Tennessee Technical University and obtained a master’s degree in administration from Pennsylvania State University, which named him as a Fellow. Mr. Shah is also an alumnus of the Owner and President's Management program at the Harvard Business School. Mr. and Mrs. Shah live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.