PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Randy Fiveash has announced his retirement as Connecticut Director of Tourism after 13 years in the post and 40 years as an industry leader. He has served as Commissioner of Tourism for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as Executive Director of the National Tourism Foundation and served in CEO positions of Convention and Visitor Bureaus in Myrtle Beach, Arlington (TX), Gatlinburg, and Branson. The media release indicates, “A new director will be named in the coming weeks.”
In response to an enquiry from The Travel Vertical, the following statement was received from spokesperson Jim Watson, “The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) is undertaking a national search for the new Director of the Connecticut Office of Tourism. In the meantime, the experienced team at the Connecticut Office of Tourism will continue to support and promote Connecticut tourism businesses, which are absolutely critical to our state’s economy.”
Amy (Rajkovich) Alpers, a Stockton, Calif. native, joins the leadership team at Visit Stockton as the Director of Marketing & Communications. She has spent the past seven-plus years as Tourism Development Specialist at Visit Idaho after receiving degrees from Boise State University in visual art and marketing and a Master of Public Administration.
At Visit Salt Lake, Clay Partain, Director of Sports Market Sales for six-plus years, has taken on an expanded role as Managing Director of Sports Salt Lake, a newly formed division of the DMO. VSL’s Sports Salt Lake team includes Kristen Hiester as Marketing Manager, Chris Robinson as Sales Manager, Caryn Bradshaw as Sports Services Manager.
Emily Machen is appointed as the new Marketing Director at Eastern Shore of Virginia Tourism Commission. She has run her own business providing marketing expertise to businesses around the world for the past three years and has experience in photography, videography, and social media content creation and strategy.
In North Carolina, Beth Carden has retired as Executive Director of Henderson County Tourism Development Authority.
William Knox joins as a partner of The Collective Best, a new consultant group of several sports / tourism veterans founded last year. Knox is the director of Grand Park sports campus in Westfield, Indiana and is a former board member for the Sports Events and Tourism Association.
Alexis Tymorek for the win — first person in the history of this newsletter to appear in people news for two consecutive weeks. She moves “onwards and upwards-— literally” from Marketing Executive at Madame Tussauds in New York City to Marketing Executive at Summit One Vanderbilt. (Watch out, TikTok!)
In Boston, Kim M. Janey became the first woman and the first Black to serve as the city’s mayor. Formerly president of the Boston City Council, she stepped into the role when the 54th mayor, Marty Walsh, was confirmed as the newest U.S. secretary of labor.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Destinations International has developed a new certification: PDM, Professional in Destination Management. The PDM program is available on demand at the Online Learning Center, which offers flexibility of time and cost. The program is designed to help those new to the industry build specific competencies in destination organization management by completing an educational curriculum developed by industry experts.
- How destination organizations and the various departments within an organization function
- The role of a destination organization within a community
- How destination organizations enhance and benefit their communities
- How to sell your destination to business and leisure travelers
The instructors are industry veterans, who will bring forth the necessary skills and knowledge to help entry level professionals start their careers in the travel and tourism industry.
- Maura Gast, FCDME, Executive Director— Visit Irving
- Jack Wert, CDME, Executive Director — Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB
- Kristin McGrath, CDME, VP Sales, Services, Sports — Visit Albuquerque
- Wes Rhea, CDME, CEO— Visit Stockton
RECOGNITION & SUPPORT
eTourism Summit has launched the new 2021 Emerging Tourism Stars program to recognize astute individuals in the eTourism Community of digital travel and tourism professionals. Remember the high school yearbook tag, “most likely to succeed”? That’s who we’re looking for and we need you to tap them, please.
ABOUT EMERGING TOURISM STARS
Are you impressed by an up-and-coming colleague? Do you know someone who is new to the industry and deserves a shout-out for their enthusiasm and creativity? Perhaps there’s a social media manager who kills it day-in and day-out. Or maybe it’s a tourism partner who always has a fresh, new idea…or, it could be you?
JOBS
President & CEO — Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
President & CEO — Visit Phoenix
President & CEO — Visit San Antonio
President & CEO — Visit Greenville, SC
President & CEO — Visit Franklin, TN
President & CEO — Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, FL
President & CEO — Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority
President & CEO — Washington County Visitors Association, OR
President & CEO — Experience Olympia & Beyond — OR
Executive Director — Explore Lawrence, KS
Executive Director — River Parishes Tourist Commission, LA
Executive Director — Sabine Parish Tourist Commission, LA
President & CEO — Big Sky Chamber of Commerce & Visit Big Sky, MT
Executive Director AND Conference Sales Director— Valdosta–Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority, GA
Chief Executive Officer — Bermuda Tourism Authority
Vice President of Marketing AND Vice President of Sales — Visit Wichita
Vice President of Marketing — Visit Florida
Senior VP, Multicultural and Community Development — Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
Chief Marketing Officer — Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
VP of Sales — Explore Asheville, NC
Senior Director-National Accounts — Visit Spokane
Director of Marketing & Public Relations — Visit Beloit
Director of Brand Marketing — Sonoma County Tourism, CA
Director of Communications — Santa Monica Tourism
Deputy Director of Marketing — Destin-Fort Walton Beach, FL
Senior Manager-SEO —NYC & Company (Remote)
Creative Marketing Manager — Wisconsin Department of Tourism
Manager of Video & Digital Marketing — Think Iowa City
PR & Communications Manager AND Finance & HR Manager — Visit SLO CAL, San Luis Obispo, CA
Communications & PR Manager — Visit Durango, CO
Marketing Research & Analytics Manager — Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, PA
Marketing Manager — Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau, VA
Business Analyst — Visit Grand Junction, CO
Tourism Sales Manager — City of Omaha
Group Sales Manager AND Group Sales Coordinator — Visit Vancouver USA
Sales Consultant — Visit Plano, TX
Sports & Events Sales Manager — Travel Salem, OR
Destination Services Manager — Discover The Palm Beaches, FL
Social Media & CVB Relations Manager — Pinehurst|Southern Pines|Aberdeen Area CVB, NC
Tourism & Economic Initiatives Coordinator — City of Prescott, AZ
Digital Marketing Coordinator — Wild Horse Pass Development Authority, Chandler AZ
Senior Director-Membership Engagement — Destinations International, Wash., D.C.
VP-Editorial Content/Public Affairs — NYC Department of Economic Development Corporation
Marketing & PR Rep — Port of San Diego
Director of Sales & Marketing — Official ASM Global/Greater Columbus Convention Center, OH
Chief Sales Officer — Arrivalist, NYC or Naples, FL
Account Director AND Content Manager — Miles Partnership, Denver (Remote)
Senior Media Planner — MMGY Global, Overland Park, KS
Digital Content Editor AND Advertising Marketing Content Manager AND SEO Analyst AND Product Manager — Simpleview, Tucson (Remote)
Business Development Rep — Threshold 360, Greater Tampa Bay
VP-Multicultural Brand Strategy & Idea Lab — iHeart Media, NY
Assistant Editor — Northstar Travel Group | Meetings & Conventions, Successful Meetings and Incentive, Secaucus, NJ
Editorial Director — Afar Media
Managing Account Supervisor-Travel — Ketchum, NYC
Account Executive — Aqua Marketing & Communications, St. Petersburg, FL
Assistant Account Executive (x3) — Quinn, NYC/LA/MIA
Marketing Manager — Lindblad Expeditions, NYC
Director of PR — Peek, Remote
Brand Marketing Manager — River Park Square, Spokane
Director — Jack Daniel’s Homeplace — Lynchburg, TN
Director of Tourism — Six Flags, Valencia, CA
Sr. Manager-SEO & Websites — Brookfield Properties, Chicago
Destination Management-Sr. Project Manager — Silversea Cruises, Miami
Director of Marketing — Pacific Hospitality Group, Napa, CA
Communications Manager — The Ritz-Carlton Miami Beach
Communications Manager — Edition, Buffalo-Niagara, NY
Sponsorship Director AND Web Designer — American Dream, East Rutherford, NJ
CRM Manager — Summit One Vanderbilt, NYC
Sr. Destination Manager — GetYourGuide, NYC
Director Sales & Marketing — Legends, NYC
General Manager — Legends, Las Vegas
Marketing Associate-Social Media — Legends, Atlanta
Marketing Director — Ars Nova Theater, NYC
Communications Manager — Mystic Aquarium, CT
Marketing Manager (x2) — Macerich, Niagara Falls, NY and Scottsdale, AZ
Marketing Manager — Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland
Global Brand Marketing & Social Media Director — Groupon, Chicago
Head of Paid Media-Canada — Amazon, Seattle
Community Marketing Lead — TikTok, Los Angeles
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