Adjunct Faculty
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management
Address: PO Box 117001, Gainesville, FL 32611
Mobile phone: (845)220-8284
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Dr. Gary Deel is an accomplished polymath with a talent for higher education and a drive for intellectual challenge.
With respect to education, Gary holds AS Degrees in Hospitality and Culinary Arts from Valencia College, AS, BS, and MS Degrees in Space Studies from American Public University (APUS), BS and MS Degrees in Hospitality Management from the University of Central Florida (UCF), a JD in Law from Florida A&M University (FAMU), and a PhD in Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). He is currently pursuing a BA Degree in Psychology from APUS.
Gary developed his professional career in the hospitality industry over about 10 years. He worked for the Walt Disney World Company in both theme parks and hotels. He worked for Rosen Hotels & Resorts in several management roles, including Guest Relations Manager, Hotel Manager, Investigations Manager, Assistant Security Director, and Sales Manager for the company's seven hotels. He worked as North American Operations Manager for Picsolve, Inc., a UK-based entertainment photography company that manages photo operations for more than 350 different theme parks, aquariums, zoos, and other attractions all around the world. He worked for Merlin Entertainments Group, the world’s second-largest entertainment company (behind Disney), as Head of Operations at Madame Tussaud’s Las Vegas Interactive Wax Museum. Finally, Gary also worked as Manager of Training and Administration for Wynn Resorts at the iconic Wynn and Encore luxury Las Vegas resorts. He currently serves as Senior Vice President of Operations for G&G Fleet Service and Supply in Kissimmee, Florida.
Gary also works in the legal field. He previously spent a brief period working as a practicing attorney, and currently manages a consulting firm through which he provides attorneys with expert witness services in cases involving hospitality or hotel safety and security issues, standards of care, negligence and liability, and other areas.
In addition to Gary's industry and legal experience, he has spent 10 years working in higher education at various institutions, including Valencia College, UNLV, Colorado Technical University, Kaplan University, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, UCF, APUS, CSU Global, and UFL. Gary has developed and taught courses in business, management, hospitality, leadership and ethics, sales and marketing, professionalism, law, human resources, engineering, and other areas. He currently serves as Faculty Director for the APUS School of Business where he oversees a team of 100-plus faculty teaching courses in transportation and logistics, supply chain dynamics, defense contract management, finance, accounting, analytics, and entrepreneurship. He also serves as an adjunct professor for UCF, CSU, and UFL.
Over the course of Gary's career, he has earned several professional licenses and credentials. Gary is licensed to practice law in Florida and Nevada. He has also been credentialed as a Certified Lodging Security Director (CLSD)*, Certified Hospitality Sales Professional (CHSP), Certified Hotel Sales Executive (CHSE), Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), Certified Hospitality Industry Analyst (CHIA), Society of Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Associate Protection Professional (APP).
Gary is a devoted husband and a father to two wonderful little boys. He lives in Windermere, Florida with his family. They enjoy cruising with Royal Caribbean and usually sail on several cruises each year.
COURSES:
- LEI5188 Trends and Issues in Tourism Management
- HMG6747 Hospitality & Tourism Marketing
- LEI6931 Tourism & Hospitality Business Perspectives