Rita Santillanes, co-owner of four hotels, including two in the Spokane area, has been named to a new term on the Spokane Public Facilities District board.

Santillanes represents the Spokane Hotel-Motel Association on the five-member board. She will succeed Cal Clausen, whose term expired, and her term will expire in late 2013. Clausen is president of Spokane Valley-based Sterling Hospitality Management LLC.

The Spokane Public Facilities District operates the Spokane Convention Center, the INB Performing Arts Center, and the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

Santillanes and her husband, John, operate Best Western Peppertree hotels here in Liberty Lake and on the West Plains. Their other hotel properties are in Omak and Auburn, Wash. They also are co-developing a planned Peppertree hotel at Third Avenue and Division Street.

She was president of the West Plains Chamber of Commerce last year, and she sits on several boards, including those of the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau, Spokane Regional Sports Commission, and Inland Northwest Latino Chamber of Commerce.