For more than 80 years, Choice Hotels has been focused on expanding our Diversity, Equity and Belonging (DEB) efforts that started with our founder Stewart Bainum, Sr. Promoting a culture where everyone feels “welcome, wanted, and respected” has been part of our DNA from the very beginning. At Choice, we believe our corporate culture should reflect the diverse world in which we live and work. We are committed to further diversifying our corporate workforce and cultivating an inclusive workplace and environment where everyone can be their authentic selves. We are also committed to supporting and empowering additional franchise hotel ownership opportunities among underrepresented groups. We are building on our long-standing foundation of leadership in DEB initiatives — at the associate and franchisee levels — to create an even stronger organizational culture that makes room for everyone. Choice is on a journey to strengthen our sustainability initiatives, building on our current hotel- facing sustainability programs while also leaning into opportunities to help our network of hotels elevate their environmental efforts. This past year, we announced Commitment to Green, Choice’s new environmental sustainability initiative. In 2022 and extending into 2023, we have begun rolling out a suite of integrated resources to help our owned, managed and franchised hotels easily adopt, integrate and advance sustainability best practices in their operations. In 2022, we began rolling out a new automated utility tracking dashboard across Choice’s domestic system, enabling our franchisees to more easily track their utilities usage and gain new insights from the data. Onboarding hotels will continue in 2023, including the newly acquired Radisson Americas properties. Our goal is to have 100% of our managed and owned hotels and 90% of franchised hotels actively using the utility tracking dashboard by 2025. “To safeguard my investment in my hotel today and tomorrow, it’s imperative that I monitor and manage my utility usage. This new solution from Schneider Electric takes the guesswork out of allocating resources and managing energy costs so owners can spend more time focusing on what matters most: connecting with travelers and the communities in which we work and live. Our commitment to business ethics is underscored by our numerous policies, confidential ethics reporting system, and trainings for leadership, staff and suppliers. Choice works to share information and create open channels of communication for our associates to promote a positive work environment and foster a culture of integrity and ethical decision-making, and we affirm that associates’ comments will be heard.