SPECIAL REPORT
WALKING THE WALK Being back on property also put Staros in position to do what he seems to love best — helping his team grow both personally and professionally — by recognizing talent and sharing his knowledge . “ Someday they will be greater than me , and the biggest compliment in life is people you ’ ve mentored becoming your boss . I mean that .”
To that end , Staros prefers to roam the hotel , compliment team members in front of their peers or even help a housekeeper make a bed to chat and learn more about their lives . “ It goes a long way ,” he says . “ Or they watch me pick up the dirty dishes in the corridor , as I want them to know that I ’ m part of the team . I ’ m not just the boss dictating down .”
Staros also walks the walk when it comes to his philanthropic work in the community . His daughter ’ s different ability made him realize it ’ s not about writing a check . “ You give your time to organizations to help other people out of their issue , or at least bring them to a higher level ,” he says .
When some hotel patrons came to him in 1999 to start a charitable winter wine festival to aid disadvantaged children , he jumped in . Staros has been very involved in making the Naples Winter Wine Festival a success for 20 years now , and it is where he plans to place even more emphasis moving forward .
“ It ’ s just part of me now ,” he says . “ I don ’ t know if I would be that way without my daughter , however . Through her disability and love , she taught me what it means to be philanthropic . That is going to remain for the rest of my life .”
He also plans to dote on his wife of 36 years . “ I don ’ t want to drop dead at work ,” he jokes . “ I want to love my wife more and be with her every day of her life and my life . I think I ’ ve earned the right to that .”
I WASN ’ T GOING TO LET HORST [ SCHULZE ] DOWN . IF HE WANTED TO WIN THE BALDRIGE AWARD , WE WERE GOING TO WIN THE GODDAMN BALDRIGE AWARD .
ED STAROS
40 hotelsmag . com November / December 2019