Summerlin resident sets up nonprofit to offer free hospitality classes

Li’ Shey Johnson is a woman on a mission. She’s out to see that those wanting careers in the hospitality, tourism and hotel industry get the head start they need to compete for those jobs.

The Summerlin resident has set up the Heart & Soul Hospitality Community Development Corp., a nonprofit offering classes that began in January 2014 at UNLV’s Trio & Gear Up Executive Center, 1455 E. Tropicana Ave., Suite 390.

The latest session began May 18. The organization is taking signups for the next session, set from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays June 11-Aug. 20 at United Way of Southern Nevada, 1660 E. Flamingo Road. Check-in time is 6 p.m.

Johnson spent 10 years working in the casino business, first as a catering sales manager at the Plaza, then as a sales manager at Texas Station and Santa Fe Station.

“It started back when I was in the casino industry, and I honestly just wanted to do more,” Johnson said of starting the classes. “Work was great. Pay was great. But there was a calling to do more …. So I put a foundation together to share everything I’d learned in the last 10 years.”

That first session saw 76 students. About half were already employed but wanted to break into hospitality jobs at hotel-casinos. Others were on Social Security, seeking a second job or had come through the prison system.

“There are several casinos that will hire you even if you’ve been incarcerated,” Johnson said. “For me, I want to build their self-esteem and let them know the past is the past. Where do you want to go today?”

Antonio Aguilera met Johnson through the Hope for Prisoners program. His class was last fall. He works as a prep chef at a burger joint but expressed interest in working at a hotel-casino.

“The classes were just awesome,” Aguilera said. “Miss Li’ Shey, she taught us everything she knows. It’s not often you find someone who will do that. Usually people will not do that, but she wants you to succeed.”

The class sessions, which last two months, include the topics Effective Communication, Problem Resolution, Dress for Success and Career Development, Diversity Training, Hotel Industry, Financial Literacy, Starting a Business, Planning Events, and Body Language. By week five, students are ready for a casino tour. They get to see the front and back of the house departments. SpringHill Suites by Marriott, 2989 Paradise Road, hosts the tour.

One of the homework tasks is setting up an actual fundraiser event, which helps support the next class of students. It can involve as much as 52 hours of work. Students are graded on the success of their event.

Student Val Woods, a widow, knew Johnson from church. Woods was working in data entry but was interested in learning event planning to open her own business. She said the hands-on gala planning meant the most to her.

“We met every week, and we sat down and we planned and went through how to do everything — choosing a room, the tables and the whole aspect of it,” Woods said. “It was good because not only do you see it on paper, but you actually got to do it. I think it stuck more because you’re doing it, experiencing it. You go back to the paper, and you go, ‘Oh, this is what she meant in that lecture.’ ”

Johnson said she’d like to grow Heart & Soul Hospitality into an academy, hosting classes five days a week, with representatives from various hotel-casinos coming in to interview graduating students for jobs. She said the biggest hurdle is finding sponsors.

The hospitality program is free with a $25 materials charge. For more information, visit heartandsoulhospitalitycdc.org.

To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.