Outstanding Alumni Award
Tony Tam grew up around the restaurant business but when he got to college, he wanted to try something different. His interest in sales led him to concentrate on marketing for his business degree.
But it was a post-graduation job at a hotel in Greenville, “running around doing whatever the general manager wanted me to,” that set him on his career path.
Tam has been a leader in the hospitality business for more than 30 years now. As vice president of operations for IMIC hotels, he oversees the company’s properties in the Southeast.
“I love it,” he says. “I meet people from all over the world.”
The skills he learned at Upstate have served him well. Tam was president of his fraternity, a role that taught him leadership and how to work with a group.
Just as he once helped new students feel welcome, he now strives to give travelers a positive experience during their stay.
Tam and his wife, Kelly, who met at Upstate playing cards in the Campus Life Center, have stayed involved with their alma mater. Tam is a strong believer in the transformative power of higher education, a value he’s instilled in the couple’s children.
“College gives you the confidence to do things.”