In 1999, William F. Burruss, Jr. co-founded Magna Hospitality Group, L.C. He serves as Magna's Chairman. Mr. Burruss leads the company's operations, which includes overseeing management of specific portfolio properties. Mr. Burruss has been involved in hospitality management for over 20 years. His hotel background started with the Ritz Carlton Washington, D.C. in 1979 where he worked in several mid-level management positions. After leaving the Ritz Carlton, he joined Wisco Diversified, one of the largest grocery store retailers in the Southeast. He became Regional Director of the company's six restaurants in North Carolina and Tennessee with over $8 million in annual revenues.

In 1985, Mr. Burruss joined Potomac Hotel Group in Washington, D.C., one of the largest independent hotel management companies in the mid-Atlantic region.

Starting as the General Manager of a 300-room Sheraton, he soon progressed to Regional Director of Operations. He was responsible for multiple hotel sites, personnel, sales and marketing activity culminating in $15 million in annual revenue. Two years later, Mr. Burruss joined Historic Inns of America as Vice President of Operations for five hotels. After 18 months at the helm, the hotels' operating collective losses of $200,000 annually turned into a positive cash flow of $1.2 million. In 1989, Mr. Burruss co-founded Grand Heritage Hotels, which was dedicated to the revitalization, ownership and management of landmark historic hotel properties. As President, he was credited with bringing an innovative operating philosophy and entrepreneurial business style to the company. He was instrumental in developing one of the hospitality industry's first substantive sales incentive plans, which allowed local and regional employees to sell rooms, meetings, conventions, etc. for all of the company's properties. He used his innate ability to drive up profits and keep operating costs down, while maintaining a superior level of guest satisfaction. Mr. Burruss held equity positions in approximately 15 Grand Heritage-managed hotels.

Mr. Burruss and his partners sold Grand Heritage Hotels, the management company, along with multiple hotels to Patriot American Hospitality in 1997. At the time of the sale, Grand Heritage operated 25 domestic hotels and held management and marketing agreements with over 80 hotels in Europe that carried the Grand Heritage name. Revenues were in excess of $75 million annually. Mr. Burruss holds an equity position in the following Magna-managed hotels: Eastland Park Hotel, Portland Maine; Holiday Inn, Plantation, Florida; Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, Hagerstown, Maryland; Casa Grande Hotel, South Beach, Florida; Hotel Lawrence, Dallas, Texas; Hampton Inn, Bowie, Maryland; Comfort Suites BWI Airport, Linthicum Heights, Maryland; Hampton Inn & Suites, Warwick, Rhode Island; Cartwright Hotel, San Francisco, California; and Days Inn, Ft. Pierce, Florida.