Tyra W. Hilliard, J.D., CMP

Title: Adjunct Instructor, Event and Meetings Management

Department: Tourism and Hospitality Management

Email: tyrah@gwu.edu

Degrees: Ph.D., Hospitality Administration, Oklahoma State University; MTA, The George Washington University; BS, Georgetown University.

Tyra Hilliard is an educator, consultant, and attorney specializing in the field of event and meeting management. Her research and practice areas are risk management, law, and ethics for events and meetings.

Dr. Hilliard is actively involved in the meetings industry. She was the Educator Honoree at the Professional Convention Management Association Education Foundation Dinner Honoring Professional Achievement in 2009, served as the Chair of the Convention Industry Council’s APEX Contracts Panel and was named “One of the 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry” by MeetingNews Magazine. She is a frequent speaker at U.S. and international event and meeting management conferences and contributes articles to meetings industry trade publications. She is actively involved in industry organizations like Meeting Professionals International (MPI), Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), and others.

In additional to being an attorney, Dr. Hilliard’s tourism and hospitality career includes working as an association meeting planner, a hotel and special events catering manager, and a convention and visitors bureau sales manager. Her industry experience gives her a unique perspective on the legal and business aspects of meeting and event management. Tyra is one of the only people in the world who is a practicing attorney, holds a Ph.D. in hospitality, and who is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP).

Formerly a full-time faculty member in The George Washington University Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Dr. Hilliard continues to each event and meeting management courses.