Dana Waud
Founder & CEO, Feet Up Hospitality
2018 ALUM OF THE YEAR RECIPIENT
Dana Waud stands at the forefront of the fast-moving hotel industry. As a Director with the HVS consulting and valuation office in Chicago, she has conducted valuations and feasibility studies for high-profile hotels across Greater Chicago and the Midwest. Her expertise ranges from simple hotel appraisals to complex waterpark resort feasibility studies.
Ms. Waud was raised in the Midwest, prior to enrolling at Boston University. She attended BU’s College of General Studies for two years before transferring to the School of Hospitality Administration. While at BU she participated in club lacrosse and soccer and worked at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. After a few years working in the industry, she returned to school and attended École Hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland, where she received her Executive MBA and Master of Science degree in Hospitality Administration.
Waud is an active member of the BU School of Hospitality Alumni Group in Chicago and returned to Boston in 2018 as a speaker for the Dean’s Distinguished Lecturer series. She is a Certified General Appraiser in five states and has completed over 400 hours of classwork.
Dana is an avid SCUBA diver, sailor, snowboarder, and traveler. She serves on the Auxiliary Board of the Shedd Aquarium of Chicago; volunteers with The Night Ministry and Habitat for Humanity; and supports PAWS, The Nature Conservancy, and Misericordia. Dana and her husband Dan currently reside in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago.