R.D. Musser III – President – Grand Hotel
R.D. (Dan) Musser III is President of Grand Hotel, a historic 397-room hotel built in 1887 on Michigan’s Mackinac Island, where no motorized vehicles are permitted and horse-drawn carriages are the preferred modes of transportation. Along with his sister Mimi, Dan represents the third generation of Musser family ownership and operation of Grand Hotel, the world’s largest summer resort.
In October 2019 a new chapter began for Grand Hotel as Pivot Hotel and Resorts, the luxury division of Davidson Hotels & Resorts took over the management for owner, KSL Capital Partners. Dan Musser, III remains Chairman, honoring his family’s legacy with the historic property. In his new role, he will assist the Hotel’s new owners and management team in the oversight of operations of Grand Hotel, working closely with longtime staff to maintain the traditions that make Grand Hotel a national treasure.
Dan started full time at the hotel in 1986 and worked his way up through every department to gain a thorough understanding of all aspects of running the hotel. He served as kitchen assistant, bellman, bartender, bar manager, front desk clerk, front desk manager, reservations manager and vice president. He was named President in 1989.
Active in the hotel industry, Dan is the former Chairman of the Michigan Hotel Motel and Resort Association and Resort Committee of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, as well as the Michigan Travel Commission. On Mackinac Island, Dan helped start the Affordable Housing Committee, helped secure funding for the Mackinac Island Medical Center and served as Alderman for the City of Mackinac Island. He also serves on the Board of the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau and is Chair of the Mackinac Island Convention & Visitors Bureau. Dan served as Chair of the Finance Committee on the Mackinac Bridge Authority from 2006 until 2018. In the state of Michigan, Dan served as the former Chair of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, member of the Council of Leaders for Michigan’s Children, trustee on the Albion College Board, Michigan Colleges Foundation Board and the Holy Cross Children’s Services Board. Dan is also a Director of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a board member of Emergent Holdings, a member of the Pellston Air Service Task Force and the Director of the First National Bank of St. Ignace.
Dan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Albion College in Albion, Michigan in 1986 and an Honorary Doctorate of Business from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan in 2012. He lives on Mackinac Island during the season and in Ann Arbor, Michigan during the remainder of the year with his wife Marlee and their six children.
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