Romney to be member of Marriott's board

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BOSTON, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he is rejoining the Marriott International board of directors.

"It is an honor to once again be able to serve in the company of leaders like Bill Marriott and Arne Sorenson and to support the work of the tens of thousands of Marriott associates who make Marriott International the renowned success that it is," Romney, 65, said in a statement.

"We will benefit from his tremendous energy and capability to guide long-term success in an increasingly complex business environment," Marriott Executive Chairman J.W. Marriott Jr. said in a statement.

Romney has been a board member several times, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday. He was a member from 1993 to 2002, leaving when he was elected Massachusetts governor. He also served from January 2009 to January 2011.

Romney earned nearly $114,000 as a board member in 2010, campaign finance records he filed in 2011 indicated.

Romney, whose first name is Willard, was named after the hotel chain's founder, J. Willard Marriott, a friend of Romney's father, the Globe said. The Marriott was the preferred hotel during Mitt Romney's two presidential bids.

Since his loss Nov. 6, Romney has been largely out of the public eye, except for a private lunch last week with President Obama. The Globe said Romney plans to move into an office with Solamere Capital, an investment firm co-founded by his son, Tagg, and his campaign's national finance chairman, Spencer Zwick. Romney is subleasing the space, and reportedly doesn't plan to have a role in the firm.