Gerard Turner, Palace Hotel
One might say that Gerald “Jerry” Turner has been as much a part of The Palace Hotel as the Garden Court since he was a little kid, pressing his face against the windows of The Palace Hotel when he’d be on Market Street for the City’s many parades. He was hired away from a contracting company doing renovation work on The Palace in the early ‘70’s and worked his way up from Apprentice to Chief Engineer. Through the many years of upkeep, remodelings and renovations of this historic treasure, Jerry has overseen and guided every aspect of the work. Taking the hotel’s systems from the original 1906 boiler to 21st Century high-tech energy management was an engineering feat in itself. Jerry distinguished himself and The Palace following the 1989 Loma Prieta Quake. He was called upon by the City to assist in repairing a major pipeline that had broken on the Oakland side of the Bay. He accomplished this by working with the Navy to access a barge with a generator, and, after many hours, was able to make the necessary repairs. For this heroic effort, Jerry received commendations by the Mayor, the Admiral of the U.S. Navy and the Commodore of Treasure Island. As a pioneer in hospitality sustainability programs, Jerry’s efforts in waste diversion through recycling, and water and energy conservation have won many awards for The Palace, while helping San Francisco become a leader in “green programs.” Additionally, he is called upon by PG&E to lecture on power flow in hotels and energy usage trends. That little boy pressing his face against the windows of The Palace has now devoted 36 years of service to the The City, his hotel, and the hospitality industry. This is also Jerry’s second time as a Hotel Hero Finalist.
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