A Leading Man for Civic-Minded Inn:
Matthew Laurance Fills Post at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
Durham, NC - October 26, 2006: The Four Diamond Award-winning Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club in Durham, NC has extended its definition of hospitality to include that of ideal community partner. As part of Duke University, the Inn shares Duke's commitment to serve others, dedicating time and resources to enhance the welfare of its community. To foster its community relations activities and cultivate stronger relationships with Duke, Durham and the Triangle, the Inn has hired Matthew Laurance, sports personality and actor, as its first Director of Community Relations. Laurance assumed his duties at the Inn in September.

While Director of Community Relations is a new position at the Inn, the addition does not signal a different direction for the hotel. On the contrary, appointing a full-time staff person to this position formalizes what the Inn has been doing for years. "We have a long tradition of service to the community," explains Randy Kolls, the hotel's General Manager. "From hosting fundraising events like the Ronald McDonald House Breakfast with Santa, sponsoring golf events such as the Jim Valvano Kids Klassic to benefit the Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center, welcoming Rockus Bacchus to assist the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program to providing gift certificates, in-kind contributions and merchandise to help charitable organizations raise funds, we are proud of the role we've played. But with someone as well known and respected as Laurance focusing new energy on this aspect of our mission, we will do an even better job of being a community service leader."

Local Duke Fans may know Laurance from his player features on Inside Basketball with Duke's Coach K, a weekly television show covering Blue Devil hoops for WTVD-ABC. Some may remember Laurance from his recurring role on Beverly Hills 90210 and as a lead on Duet, two former series on FOX Network. But perhaps he's most famous these days for providing basketball fans a vantage point no one else in the sports entertainment industry offers: Laurance covers Duke Basketball from a seat right behind the team bench for the Duke Radio Network. Coach K hatched the idea, but Laurance has made it work. It is that kind of innovation and know-how Laurance brings to his position at the Inn. "I want people to think beyond the Inn's magnificence and come to know it as an approachable and integral part of the community; and I have some great ideas about how the Inn can make that happen," he states.

Hired to underscore the hotel's commitment to community involvement, Laurance will be doing what he does best: establishing and maintaining relationships. Prior to joining the Inn, Laurance served as Director of Donor Relations for the Emily Krzyzewski Family Life Center, a non-profit organization in Durham devoted to enriching the lives of at-risk children and their families. Named after Mike Krzyzewski's mother, the center opened in March 2006.

Laurance went after this job at the Inn because he shares its commitment to community service. "I firmly believe that when anyone or anything does well, that person or that entity has a responsibility to give back." When acting was Laurance's full-time job, he participated in numerous charitable events, primarily golf tournaments to benefit children's charities. These experiences gave him an opportunity to see the needs of the individual communities he was visiting, and a chance to observe the fundraising and relationship-building aspects of charitable work.

Laurance feels strongly that the Inn is uniquely positioned to be an excellent community partner. "The new space is terrific and more amenable to hosting community events," he explains. "But it's not just about our new space; it's about what we value and how we translate that into action. Service and responsibility to others is a large part of who we are." With regards to space, Laurance is referring to the Inn's new Executive Conference Center, completed in September 2005 as part of the hotel's $25 million expansion and total renovation. During its time of physical growth, the Inn updated its vision and mission as well. The result is a new set of Core Values-higher levels of dedication to people, ethics, responsibility, financial success, entrepreneurial spirit, customer service and teamwork-that will provide the foundation for the hotel's business and community activities for the foreseeable future. As the Inn sees it, extraordinary civic leadership is a natural extension of these values.

In his first few weeks on the job, Laurance has spent time getting to know his colleagues and refining his work plans. He serves as the Inn's point of contact for charitable community organizations, but he also views himself as a resource to the Inn and its staff. "The people at the Inn are some of the hardest working people I've ever been around. And there's a genuine sense of community responsibility that pre-dates the expansion. It's a tradition here, and I want to be a part of nurturing that part of the Inn's culture." As far as being the first Director of Community Relations, Laurance is taking things in stride. "It's challenging and exciting to be the 'first' at anything. There's a lot to do, and I will enjoy that. As they say, the sky's the limit."

The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club is located on the campus of Duke University, only twenty minutes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport and ten minutes from Research Triangle Park, and is the only AAA Four Diamond hotel in Durham. Nestled on 300 acres filled with tall pines and hardwoods, the Inn is known for its beautiful facility and grounds, 271 elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites, marvelous cuisine in the Four Diamond Award-winning Fairview Dining Room, the Bull Durham Bar, a Robert Trent Jones-designed 18-hole championship golf course, and convenience to local points of interest. It is set apart from other area hotels and conference centers by its unparalleled service, gracious staff, luxurious interiors and attention to detail. The Inn is owned by Duke University and is managed by The Continental Companies of Miami, Florida. For more information or reservations call 919.490.0999 or 1.800.443.3853.
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Contact:
Jim Bressler, Director of Sales and Marketing
Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
3001 Cameron Blvd.
Durham, NC 27705
919.313.2159
JBressler@wdigc.com

Public Relations:

Wendy Shannon
Shannon & Company
100 Galleria Parkway SE, Suite 990
Atlanta, GA 30339
770.226.0442
wendy@shannonandcompany.com

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