John Pharr

John Pharr is president of Strand Hospitality Services in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He previously was general manager of the Holiday Inn Downtown on the oceanfront in Myrtle Beach and has been at the helm ofStrand since 1984, which has managed more than 350 different hotels since its inception. Mr. Pharr was named Hotelier of the Year by the Myrtle Beach Hospitality Association, which represents hundreds of hotels and more than 75,000 rooms along the grand strand. He is a retired colonel in the U.S. Air ForceReserve, during which time he worked with the Air Force on lodging and hospitality projects worldwide.He also served as an Air Force Academy Admissions Counselor. Mr. Pharr is member of the MyrtleBeach Rotary Club and served on the board of National Golf Course Management, one of the largest golf course management companies in the U.S. He has served on the board of Myrtle Beach National Companies for more than 35 years and serves on the appointed board for the Michigan State UniversitySchool of Hospitality Business and the advisory committee for the Real Estate Investment Management Program. He was formerly on the board of directors of the American Hotel and Lodging Association and is a former member of the Wingate Inns Presidents Advisory Council. Mr. Pharr and Strand have been involved in almost 60 receiverships or bank-owned properties over the past 10 years. A licensed real estate broker in North Carolina and South Carolina, he received his undergraduate degree from MichiganState University and his M.B.A. from Webster University.