NEWS
On December 1, 2009, we opened The Hotel Hanford, a fresh new concept in the Orange County hospitality landscape. Check back with us often for the most recent news on this exciting new project.
If you are traveling to California, we hope you will be staying with us soon. To make a reservation, call 1-800-221-7220.
President/CEO
Donald E. Sodaro
donald.sodaro@hanfordhotels.com
(949) 640-2000 ext. 15.
Donald E. Sodaro is Chairman of the Board and CEO of Hanford Hotels,
Inc. He leads the company with more than 40 years of experience in the
hospitality industry.
In 1972, Sodaro founded Sixpence Inns of America, a chain of
limited-service hotel properties across six states. In 1989 the
highly successful chain was sold to Motel 6, at which time he joined
the Board of Directors and served on the Audit and Site Acquisition
Committee until 1991.
In 1995, he returned to the hospitality business and founded Hanford
Hotels, Inc. with his longtime business partner William Caine Jr.
Sodaro’s keen eye for business opportunities places him among the most
successful business leaders in the hotel industry.
Recently, Sodaro
merged his business savvy with his Italian heritage. In 1998 he
purchased a vineyard in Napa Valley and began developing super-premium
Cabernets. To date, the Sodaro Estate Winery has won eight medals,
including a Gold medal for its first wine produced, a 2003 Cabernet
Sauvignon. In February 2009, its flagship wine, the Sodaro Estate Blend, won a Double-Gold at the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Tasting Competition, where his Felicity Cabernet Sauvignon was also awarded Best of Class.
Sodaro is also a well-respected leader in the community. In 1988, he
was elected to the Board of Trustees of Chapman University in Orange,
CA where he currently serves as Chairman of the Board. Additionally, he
serves on the Committees of Compensation and Presidential Assessment,
Enrollment and Student Life, Finance, Budget and Audit, Investment,
Real Estate, University Relations and Athletics. In 1991, the Pi Kappa
Alpha Fraternity of Chapman University honored Sodaro for his generous
donation toward the construction of Pralle-Sodaro Hall. He previously
served on the Board of Directors for the Orange County Performing Arts
Center and the Board of the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, CA.
Sodaro holds a B.A.
from the University of Illinois and is a Certified Public Accountant
(CPA). He was honorably discharged from the United States Army, is an
amateur photographer and enjoys collecting vintage automobiles. Sodaro
resides primarily in Newport Beach, CA with his wife Deedee. Together
they have two adult daughters whose families reside in Orange County.
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