Henry Daily Herald

Atlanta-based Hotel Equities recently named Chris Martin general manager for the Courtyard, a 102-room hotel in McDonough.

Martin is responsible for overseeing management of operations at the hotel, including hiring and meeting budget goals. The Courtyard is located at 115 Mill Road in McDonough, just south of Atlanta and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

“Chris brings a wealth of experience to his new position,” said Brad Rahinsky, vice president of operations for Hotel Equities. “He has demonstrated both leadership and dedication in his previous posts with Hotel Equities and he will do an outstanding job of managing this hotel.”

With more than 15 years in the hospitality industry, Martin spent the past five years as the general manager of a Comfort Inn in Newport News, Va., and he was named the company’s General Manager of the Year in 2009. He previously served as general manager at the Sleep Inn & Suites Hotel in Kingsland, Ga., another property managed by Hotel Equities.

Martin served as a member of the Newport News Hospitality Association and a member of the local Chamber of Commerce and Lion’s Club. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., he has a particular interest in freehand drawing and computer graphics, collects comic books and is a car enthusiast. He and his wife, Aletia, are the parents of a son, Ben, and an infant daughter, Elizabeth. For more information, visit www.hotelequities.com

Hampton resident awarded Avon Foundation scholarship

The Avon Foundation for Women has awarded Deborah Young, of Hampton, with a 2012 Avon Representative Scholarship. The scholarship is designed to assist Avon Sales Representatives who are enrolled (or who plan to enroll) in an undergraduate or graduate course of study leading to a degree in a field that allows them to advance their careers.

Scholarship recipients — students attending accredited two- or four-year institutions — are selected on the basis of academic record, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community service activities, honors, work experience, statement of goals and aspirations, unusual personal or family circumstances, and an outside appraisal. Academic and non-academic criteria are evaluated equally; financial need is not considered. To learn more about Avon, visit www.avoncompany.com.