Salamander Hotels & Resorts is ranked as one the largest minority-owned and woman-owned companies in the Washington, DC area, thanks to CEO and founder Sheila Johnson. Since opening the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, the former Black Entertainment Television (BET) cofounder has grown the collection to include upscale retreats such as Innisbrook in Tampa Bay, Florida; Hotel Bennett in Charleston, South Carolina; and Half Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Johnson has also lent her expertise to industry organizations from the executive committee of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) to the Forbes Travel Guide Strategy Committee. She was also appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to serve on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.