Sarah Schaffer has been appointed Vice President of Communications at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. She had most recently been Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Baltimore since 2018.

Cody Chomiak has been appointed Vice President of Industry Engagement at Bandwango. He joins from Economic Development Winnipeg, where as director of marketing, he oversaw both economic development and tourism for nearly 10 years. Among his career achievements to date—there are a good number—we’re chuffed that Cody cites winning an eTSY Award for (the brilliant and funny) “Autocomplete–Winnipeg Edition” for Best Video-Small Budget.

Walton County, Florida, county commissioners have voted 3-2 in favor of terminating the employment contract of Jay Tusa as executive director of Visit South Walton. Prior to joining the Tourist Development Council five years ago, he had been with the Louisiana Office of Tourism, River Parishes Tourist Commission, and New Orleans & Company.

Michelle Thana has been named Director of Marketing at Washington Tourism Alliance, the membership-based nonprofit organization that was established after the closure of the Washington State Tourism Office in 2011. She joins from Visit Vancouver USA where she had been marketing director since 2019 and had previously been in a marketing role at Travel Portland.

Ryan Hauck, a Wyoming native, has been named as the next executive director of the Park County Travel Council to replace retiring director Claudia Wade. He previously worked as a director for Visit Casper.  

In Georgia, Marietta Visitors Bureau has promoted Courtney Spiess to Executive Director from her former role as marketing and public relations manager since 2018. Her background also includes the Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau. In her new role, she replaces Amanda Sutter who left the bureau in March.

Welcoming Candice Hobson to the DMO world from her background in hotel sales. She joins Visit Aurora, Colorado, as National Sales Manager.

PCMA has appointed Meghan Risch to a new leadership position, Vice President-Strategic and Corporate Communications. Last year, she orchestrated the launch of Tourism Diversity Matters, a tourism industry initiative. Risch’s background includes 12 years in communications at Choose Chicago.

Zach Brown is now SEO Analyst at Simpleview. His background includes Discover Lancaster, Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Bureau, and Visit Bucks County.

Carroll Rheem, Founder and CEO, has introduced iolite group with a video that reviews three tenets supporting her new practice. She was most recently the VP of Research and Analytics at Brand USA.

Melvin Tennant, CEO of Meet Minneapolis, joined The Travel Vertical Podcast this week as our very first guest in the new podcast series.

Related: A Conversation With Melvin Tennant

We’re grateful to Melvin and to Kristen Montag, Senior Public Relations and Communications Manager at Meet Minneapolis, for making this timely conversation possible. Listen in for insights on the strategies this DMO has employed in a time of layered crises coupled with worldwide media attention.

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Colorado Tourism Office Director — State of Colorado, Denver

President & CEO — Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

President & CEO — Destination BC, Vancouver

President & CEO — Visit Oakland

President & CEO — Visit Phoenix

President & CEO — Visit Franklin, TN

CEO — Barbados Tourism Marketing, Inc. (deadline May 27)

President & CEO — Visit Carlsbad, CA

Executive Director — Visit Yuma, AZ

President & CEO — Visit Franklin, TN

President — Meet Chicago Northwest

President & CEO — West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce, WI

CEO — Explore Skagit Valley, WA

Executive Director — Walton County Tourist Development Council, South Walton, FL

Executive Director — Corpus Christi Sports Commission, TX

Executive Director AND Conference Sales Director — Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority, GA

Executive DIrector — Luzerne County, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Executive Director — Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, TX

President — River Heights Chamber of Commerce, Inver Grove Heights, MN

Managing Director of CVB Operations — City of Grapevine, TX

Vice President Marketing — Visit Florida, Tallahassee

Chief Marketing Officer — Travel Nevada

Senior Vice President Convention Development — Louisville Tourism, KY

Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion — Travel Portland, OR

Vice President Marketing AND Vice President Sales — Visit Wichita

Controller — Meet Minneapolis

Finance & HR Manager — Visit SLO CAL, San Luis Obispo, CA

Director of Business Development — Visit Napa Valley, CA

Director of Brand Marketing/Content Development — Sonoma County Tourism, CA

Director, Marketing (Sports, Meetings & Conventions) AND Director, Diversity & Inclusion Programs AND Senior CRM & Digital Marketing Manager AND Social Media Manager AND Destination, Visitor Center & Retail Specialist AND Destination Specialist, Meetings and Conventions — Experience Columbus, OH

Director of Marketing — Visit Walla Walla, WA

Director of Sales & Marketing — Visit Santa Cruz County, CA

Director of Communications AND Travel Specialist — Santa Monica Tourism, CA

Public Relations Manager — Visit California

Digital Marketing Specialist AND Brand Communications Specialist AND Vacation Rental Liaison AND Operations Coordinator — Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, CA

Director, Content Strategy — Choose Chicago

Director, Digital Marketing — The Palm Beaches, FL

International Marketing & Communications Specialist AND Membership Development Manager— Park City Chamber of Commerce/Convention & Visitors Bureau, UT

Marketing Manager — Visit Tri-Cities, Kennewick, WA

Marketing & Communications Manager — Downtown Lafayette Unlimited, LA

Business Development & Community Engagement Manager — Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau, WI

Director, Insights & Analytics AND Partner Services & Relationship Manager AND Senior Manager Convention Sales — Destination Cleveland

Business Analyst — Visit Grand Junction, CO

Market Analyst — Visit York County, Rock Hill, SC

Content & Engagement Manager — Cincinnati USA

Social Media Content Manager — Visit Greenville SC

Manager Video & Digital Marketing — Think Iowa City

International Marketing & Communications Specialist — Park City Chamber of Commerce / CVB, UT

Marketing & Communications Manager — Kent County Tourism Corporation, Dover, DE

Marketing & Communications Specialist — City of Cottage Grove/ CVB / Economic Development Authority, MN

Visitor Services Manager — Boulder Convention & Visitors Bureau, CO

Visitor Services Operations Supervisor — Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau

Research Specialist AND VIC Program Operations Manager — Georgia Department of Economic Development, Tourism

Tourism & Cultural Programs Manager — City of Cedar Falls, IA

Destination Manager — Discover Front Royal, VA

Economic Development Tourism Manager — City of Danville, VA

Community Development Manager — Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, CO

Destination Development Events Manager — Rockford Area Visitors and Convention Bureau, IL

Destination Services Manager — Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Concord, NC

Destination Services Manager — Visit Raleigh, NC

Florida Market, Group Meeting Sales — Visit St Pete Clearwater, FL

Group Sales Manager, Eastern Region — Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau (East Coast based)

National Sales Executive — Traverse City Tourism, Remote

Sales Manager — Fresno/Clovis Convention & Visitors Bureau, CA

Tourism Coordinator, Group Sales — City of Georgetown, TX

Director / National Sales Manager AND Email Marketing & Personalization Specialist AND Coordinator, Member Programs & Services — NYC & Company

Meeting & Conventions Marketing Manager — Visit Milwaukee

Sales Manager — North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association, CA

Convention Sales Manager — Alexandria/Pineville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, LA

Sales Manager — Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports, and Tourism/Experience Columbia, Columbia, SC

Hospitality Sales Executive AND Senior Sales Executive —Visit Modesto, CA

Communications & Event Coordinator — Waconia Area Chamber of Commerce, MN

Digital Content Marketing Coordinator — Wild Horse Pass Development Authority, Chandler, AZ

Partner Services & Relationship Manager — Visit Visalia, CA

Destination Development Events Manager — Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, IL

Senior Director, Membership Engagement — Destinations International, East Coast

VP Marketing & Communications — Downtown Center Business Improvement District, Los Angeles

Marketing & Communications Manager — Downtown Community Benefit District, San Francisco

Chief of Business Development — Port of Everett, WA

Marketing & Brand Partnerships Manager — LAFB Network, Los Angeles

Senior Director of Events — Comcast Spectacor Events, Philadelphia

Digital Project Manager — AEG Global Touring, Los Angeles

Local Sales Manager — Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu

Director Sales & Marketing — Official ASM Global/Greater Columbus Convention Center, OH

Director Sales & Marketing — Official ASM Global/Dayton Convention Center, OH

Marketing Manager — Spectra/Iowa Events Center, Des Moines, IA

Marketing Manager — Spectra/Sandler Center, Virginia Beach

Sales Manager — Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports, and Tourism, Columbia, SC

Sales Manager — MidFlorida Event Center, Port St. Lucie

National Sales Manager, Trade Shows — Las Vegas Sands Corp., The Venetian

Convention Sales Manager — Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center, WV

Sales Manager — Greater Ontario Convention Center & Visitors Bureau, CA

Conference Sales Manager — UPMC Events Center @ Robert Morris University, PA

Chief Sales Officer — Arrivalist, NYC or Naples, FL

Email Marketing & Automation Manager, Kansas City AND Account Executive, NYC — MMGY Global

Project Manager — Miles Partnership, Sarasota, FL

Content Writer — Expedia Group, Seattle

Client Success Manager AND Product Owner AND Partnership Outreach Manager AND SDET/QA Automation Architect — Bandwango, Murray, UT

Social Media Strategist-Tourism AND Community & Content Manager — Sparkloft Media, Atlanta (possibly Portland, DC, or Miami)

Strategic Copywriter AND Senior Designer AND Relic Account Manager — Relic Agency, Provo, UT

Product Designer — Zartico, remote

Customer Success Representative AND Content Manager — Simpleview, Tucson

Marketing Manager/Demand Generation AND Product Marketing Manager — CrowdRiff, Toronto

Digital Advertising Strategist — TwoSix Digital, Detroit Metro

Client Success Manager — Destination Counsellors International, remote

Branded Content Editor — Skift, (remote US/UK)

Senior Strategic Consultant — Destination Think, remote

Account Executive, Lifestyle & Travel PR — BerlinRosen, NYC

Client Engagement Marketing Manager AND Content Marketing Producer — FareHarbor, Denver

Digital Sales Account Executive — Travel Spike, remote

Associate Director of Digital Strategy — Oakland Museum of California

Senior Web & Interactive Manager — California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco

Marketing Manager — Central Amusement Int’l., Luna Park/Coney Island, NYC

Entertainment Programming Director — Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, PA

Guest Experience Manager — Summit One Vanderbilt, NYC

Copywriter, Brand Communication — Holland America Line, Seattle

Senio Manager, All-Inclusive Marketing — Hilton, McLean VA

Director of Brand Marketing — Loews Hotels & Co., NYC

Senior Manager, Events — ESPN–Las Vegas Bowl/Vegas Kickoff Classic

Director of Sales — Live Nation Entertainment, Phoenix

Brand Strategist, Messenger — Facebook, Silicon Valley, CA

Data Scientist, Ads Growth — TikTok, Silicon Valley, CA