Terrance ‘Terry’ Bichsel serves as the 2017 Chairman of the Best Western® Hotels & Resorts Board of Directors. He was elected to the Board of Directors in November 2014 to represent the interests of Best Western hotel owners in seven western states, including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, and Canada’s western provinces. Mr. Bichsel previously served as the 2016 Vice-Chairman and 2015 Secretary-Treasurer.
Mr. Bichsel, a certified hotel administrator, is a 40-year veteran of the hospitality industry. He started his hospitality career in high school working part-time in a restaurant. Mr. Bichsel has been a general manager and regional vice president for multiple branded hotels. He has held executive management positions for industry leaders to include senior vice president/COO for John Q. Hammons Hotels, Inc. (Springfield, Missouri), President-Parks & Resorts Division ARAMARK Corporation (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and Senior Vice President-Worldwide for Holland America Cruise Line (Seattle, Washington). In these capacities, Mr. Bichsel has been responsible for more than 20 new hotel openings in his career; operations; strategic planning; acquisitions and divestitures; new product development; client, franchisor and partnership relations; asset management; sales and marketing; profitable growth; and quality initiatives.
Mr. Bichsel grew up in Tacoma, Washington and has lived throughout the U.S. to include Chico, California; Portland, Oregon; Denver, Colorado; Springfield, Missouri; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and the Seattle, Washington area.
Mr. Bichsel acquired the Best Western Ocean View Resort in Seaside, Oregon in 2002 and developed a second independent brand hotel in Seaside, Oregon in 2007. Since that time, he has served as a Best Western governor for the northern Oregon coast and Portland metro area for nearly six years and served on both the sales and marketing advisory committees.
Mr. Bichsel and wife, Debbie, reside in Issaquah, Washington and Gearhart, Oregon, and have three grown children: Shannon, Taryn and Blake.