Key Club announces partnership with USF Manatee-Sarasota

The Resort at Longboat Key Club and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee have joined forces, with the Key Club becoming the school's teaching hotel for the College of Hospitality and Technology Leadership.

In front of nealry 100 guests Wednesday morning, Key Club General Manager Jeff Mayers and USF Hospitality and Technology Dean Cihan Cobanoglu announced the partnership and its plans to stimulate the local economy by educating and employing workers in various fields of the hospitality industry.

"We want to educate and employee our students locally," Cobanoglu said. "Hospitality is a thriving workforce in Manatee and Sarasota counties, and this partnership will help our program not only grow into on one of the state's best, but it will also be a very benneficial, hands-on learning experience for our students."

The Key Club will be the site of the University's Teaching Lab program that will accommodate hospitality students to shadow key leaders at the resort.

Contact Caleb Motsinger at [email protected].