1898 Waverly Inn Owners: John and Diane Sheiry

John and Diane Sheiry have been the owners and innkeepers of the 1898 Waverly Inn from May of 1988 to present. They have been married since 1977 and have two active daughters: Victoria Ruth and Emily Christine.

John graduated from the University of Denver in 1975 with a B.S. in Business Administration and earned his Masters Degree from Emory University in 1987. He has been a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) and a member of the American Hotel and Motel Association since 1983 and is one of only 10 people who have been a Certified Hotel Administrator for over 25 years. He served as a hotel executive from 1975-88 during which time he was a CEO of a holding company of 17 hotel properties. John enjoys reading, baseball, wine, and travel. He is an active member and past president of the local Rotary Club. He is actively involved in a number of organizations and non-profits within the community. He also is a founding director of Mountain 1st Bank & Trust, recently recognized as the best new community bank in America.

Within the hospitality industry, John served on the Advisory Council of PAII from 1991 - 2006, and their Corporate Board of Directors from 2000 - 2007. From 1995-2002 he was the Annual Meeting Chairman for the Select Registry, and has planned food functions, trade shows, meetings, and educational sessions for their annual gatherings. John was named Select Registry's Innkeeper of the Year in 2001, an award given based on hospitality and community service.

Diane is the backbone of the 1898 Waverly Inn. She does the financial work associated with the business as well as handling all the design, decoration, and renovation work that makes the inn such a beautiful place. Diane served several years on the board of the North Carolina B&B Inns Association with her last 2 years as the president. She was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Ryan Award given by NCBBI for her outstanding spirit and dedication to her industry in 1999.

Diane is extremely active within her local community as well. She is a member of the local Kiwanis Club. She chairs the annual major fundraising event for the Partnership for Health and also serves on the Arts Council fundraising committee. She has been a member of the American Business Women's Association since 1993, serving as their president 1996-1997. She was recognized as the ABWA Woman of the Year in 2001 and 2005.