Monty J. Bennett, Ashford CEO and Chairman
Mr. Bennett has over 30 years of experience in virtually all aspects of the hospitality industry including hotel real estate, finance, hotel ownership, operations, development, asset management, project management, and others. In addition to his roles at Ashford, over his career Mr. Bennett has been a member and leader in numerous industry associations.
Mr. Bennett is a lifelong advocate of civic engagement, advocating especially for children and educational equality. He takes pride in giving back to the Dallas-Fort Worth community. Together with the Ashford companies, he has supported numerous charitable organizations with just a portion listed below:
• Alzheimer's Association
• American Cancer Society - Cattle Baron's Ball
• American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation
• American Ireland Fund
• Apraxia Kids North Texas Walk
• Autism Speaks
• Baylor Healthcare Foundation
• Merlin’s KIDS Service Dogs
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Bike MS: Sam's Club Ride
• Boy Scouts of America
• Breast Cancer Awareness
• Capital for Kids
• CASA of Colin County
• Casting for Recovery
• Catholic Charities
• Children's Burn Foundation
• Children's Medical Center Foundation
• Coalition for a New Dallas
• Commit!
• Communities Foundation of Texas
• Cook's Children’s Health Foundation
• Cristo Rey Dallas School
• Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation
• Crystal Charity Ball
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Breath of Life Gala
• Dallas Champions Academy
• Dallas Children's Advocacy Center
• Dallas Sheriff's Fraternal Order of Police
• Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network
• Dyslexia Foundation
• East Dallas County Young Life
• Fallen Heroes Intrepid Fund
• Feeding Kids Right
• Fighting Blindness
• Friends of Katy Trail
• Genesis Women's Shelter
• Habitat for Humanity
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
• Jackie Robinson Foundation
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
• Jesuit High School
• Junior League of Dallas
• KidLinks - Symphony of Chefs
• Kids Heart Challenge - American Heart Association
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• Manegait Therapeutic Horsemanship
• Melanoma Research Foundation
• Metrocrest Services
• MGH Down Syndrome Program
• Miracles for Kids
• Napa Valley Community Housing
• National Brain Tumor Society
• National Fatherhood Initiative
• National Kidney Foundation
• North Texas Food Bank
• National Ovarian Cancer Foundation
• Neuro Fitness Foundation
• PAN MASS Challenge
• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
• Pro Players Foundation Golf Tournament
• Project Lyme
• Ronald McDonald House of Houston
• Runway for Rise
• S.M. Wright Foundation
• Sacred Heart Catholic School
• Salvation Army
• Senior Adult Services
• Shatterproof
• Sky Ranch - Benefit Gala
• Southwestern Diabetic Foundation
• Special Olympics
• St. Jude's Children's Hospital- Give Thanks Walk
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• Teach for America
• Team for Kids
• Terrell Share Center
• Texas Land Conservatory
• Texas Women and Children’s Advocacy Services
• The ULI Foundation
• Tick Borne Disease Alliance
• Thrive Women's Clinic
• TR Hoover
• Tribute to Fallen Heroes, Dallas PD Memorial Fundraiser
• Trip of a Lifetime
• TrueSpark
• UCLA Foundation
• ULI Foundation
• Union Gospel Mission
• UT Southwestern Medical School
• Vanderbilt Eye Institute
• Vogel Alcove Arts Performance
• Vanguard Charitable Foundation
• West Dallas Community School
• Westmount Foundation's Teams for Children
• Wounded Warrior Project
• YMCA / Ashford Rise School
• Young Men's Service League
• Building A House of Hope - Twelfth Step Ministry
• Youth Achievement Foundation
He holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from Cornell's S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management and received a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction from the School of Hotel Administration also at Cornell. He is a life member of the Cornell Hotel Society.
Mr. Bennett lives and commutes between Henderson and Dallas Counties, Texas with his wife, Sarah, and their four children.