NEWH - November 2009 - (Page 12)

scholarship icon of industry Passion and Perseverance Unilight’s Jerry Hruby-Holy is posthumously named NEWH’s Icon of Industry By Tara Mastrelli T This year, NEWH—the Hospitality Industry Network, has named lighting legend Jerry Hruby-Holy its honoree for the Icon of Industry Award. “Jerry Hruby-Holy’s contributions to hospitality through his company, Unilight, are so far reaching, he truly exemplifies what it means to be an icon in the hospitality industry,” says Anita Degen, principal, Degen & Degen, and outgoing NEWH president. “He understood the custom nature of hospitality and he and his company have long been there to provide.” Hruby-Holy remains one of the most respected and admired professionals in the lighting industry even after his passing on December 5, 2008, in Prague at the age of 84. “I was overwhelmed, I really was,” says his son and current president of Unilight, Michael Holy, of the honor. “I truly wish he could be there to accept the award in person; but this is the next best thing.” Known as a man of his word, he believed and lived his favorite quote daily: “Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it.” Born and raised in communist Prague, he was captured and sent to prison during law school for his political activism. He managed to escape and eventually flee Czechoslovakia on foot by crossing into Austria and eventually across the Alps in the dead of winter into Italy. “Jerry had a fascinating personal story of overcoming adversity but more importantly his personal integrity, vision, and enthusiasm make him an icon,” says Degen. Arriving in his new home, Montreal, Quebec, in 1950, Hruby-Holy joined Schonbek Worldwide Lighting. Five years later he founded his own chandelier cleaning and repair business, known today as Unilight. Since 1955, his achievements, both personal and professional are vast—opening new Unilight factories in Montreal and China, celebrating Unilight’s 50th anniversary; receiving a law degree from Charles University in Prague after the fall of communism in 1989. “He would definitely be very supportive and honored to be associated with an organization like NEWH,” says Holy. “He liked children very much, and worked with a number of organizations that supported different causes around the world, not only in North America but in Italy, with the Knights of Malta, and with orphanages in India as well.” But what truly sets Hruby-Holy as an industry icon? “I would say it was his passion,” says Holy. “Passion for the business, passion for servicing his clients, just passion and his determination. He had great determination. Nothing could stop him. He was unstoppable.” He will be honored at the 29th Annual Gold Key Awards breakfast ceremony, Monday, November 9th, at the Mandarin Oriental New York in conjunction with the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show, and then again at the Platinum Circle gala during the 2010 Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo) on May 19th. s 12 november 2009 www.newh.org tel 800.593.NEWH http://www.newh.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - November 2009

NEWH - November 2009
Contents
News
POV: Sustainability
POV: Spa Design
Scholarship: Icon of Industry
Design 101
Have you Seen?
Product Know-How
On the Scene
Cover Story: Burtco
Project: Bonneville Spa
Project: Spa at Encore
Project: Anaheim Marriott
Save the Date
Resources
New Members
Partner Profiles

NEWH - November 2009