Julian MacQueen, founder of Innisfree Hotels, Inc., has been elected to the Gulf Power Company board of directors.

“Julian brings a wealth of entrepreneurial experience, wisdom and leadership to our board,” said Stan Connally, Gulf Power President and CEO. “We believe his knowledge of the tourism business and his track record of investing in Northwest Florida will make him a valuable asset to our team.”

MacQueen founded Innisfree Hotels in 1985 and has directed the acquisition, development, sales and refurbishment of properties in the company portfolio. Some of those properties include the Hilton, the Hampton Inn and the Holiday Inn Resort on Pensacola Beach, as well as the new Red Fish, Blue Fish restaurant. He is also constructing the Holiday Inn Resort in Destin and owns and operates hotel properties in south Alabama.

Before founding Innisfree, MacQueen worked as a sales manager for the Hyatt Corporation in Knoxville, Tenn., and served as the Executive Vice President of the Family Inns of America.

He is a Certified Hotel Administrator and serves on a number of organizational boards including the Beach Community Bank, Independence for the Blind of Northwest Florida, Sacred Heart Hospital and Take Stock in Children Foundation. He is a member of the United Way Tocqueville Society and chairman of the Escambia County Destination Marketing Organization. 

MacQueen is a graduate of the University of South Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 430,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely provide exceptional customer value by delivering reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity while strengthening our communities. Visit online at GulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page, “Gulf Power Company.”

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