PEOPLE
Explore Minnesota State Travel Director John Edman is stepping down after 21 years of service, effective June 3, 2021. Edman has served in national and state leadership positions: National Council of State Tourism Directors, Great Lakes USA, Mississippi River Country, The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Foundation, University of Minnesota Tourism Center, Brand USA and U.S. Travel Association, which named him State Tourism Director of the Year in 2015. Edman also spearheaded the important evolution of Explore Minnesota as its own state agency, guided by the Governor’s appointed council on tourism. Explore Minnesota’s assistant director, Leann Kispert, will lead on an interim basis until a new tourism director is appointed by Gov. Walz.
Candace Carr Strauss, president & CEO of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau announced that the DMO has joined as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, fulfilling an objective that began with a 2016 assessment. Other USA destination members are Moab Area Travel Council, Catalina Island Tourism Authority, and Arizona Office of Tourism.
Experience Kissimmee welcomes Casey Leppanen as the new vice president of marketing and communications. Prior to his new role, Leppanen served as director of marketing and fan development for Sharks Sports and Entertainment headquartered in San Jose, Calif. He also spent 10 years with sports and live events leader AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group), serving as senior director of marketing and broadcasting for the LA Galaxy and StubHub Center.
Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau has appointed Sandra Rios as the new public relations and communications manager. Her most recent marketing and PR roles were at top Florida resorts, including Longboat Key Club and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. She has served on the Visit Sarasota Marketing Committee, chair of Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee and on committees for Visit Florida.
Tom Perlozzo has been appointed in Ocean City, Maryland to fill the recently-created director of tourism and business development post. He joins from previous roles as Worcester County director of recreation and parks and tourism and economic development and as a golf resort specialist.
Kristin Hanifen returns to Lake George, NY as Warren County’s new Tourism Development and Events Coordinator. She had previously been with the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce as director of sales.
Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City has appointed Jarrod Finley as the new hotel’s opening (2022) director of sales & marketing. He had previously served as VP Sales at San Diego Tourism Authority and Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Eva Mossberg has joined the Adventure Travel Trade Association as North America Community Lead and Global Partner Coordinator. A native of Sweden based north of Boston, she has sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, crossed the Andes on horseback and has also lived in the West Indies and Portugal.
SEE TOMORROW
“I am honored to participate in the eTourism Summit panel discussion with Miles Partnership. The panel topic is ‘Recovery Requires More than Marketing.’ A tourism recovery will take a comprehensive economic development strategy that takes workforce migration, abandoned infrastructure, liquidity limitations and new consumer behavior factors into consideration. Come nerd out with me!” — Jen Paul Schroer, New Mexico Tourism
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Director — Colorado Tourism Office | Governor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade
Chief Marketing Officer —Travel Nevada
President & CEO — Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
President & CEO — Visit Phoenix
President & CEO — Visit Franklin, TN
President — Meet Chicago Northwest
President & CEO — Destination BC, Vancouver
President & CEO — Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority, WA
President & CEO — Big Sky Chamber of Commerce & Visit Big Sky, MT
CEO — Experience Olympia & Beyond, WA
Executive Director — Valdosta-Lowndes Co. Conference Center & Tourism Authority, GA
Executive Director — Marietta Visitors Bureau, GA
Executive Director — Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce, NM
Executive Director — Visit Wausau, WI
Executive Director — Park County Travel Council, Cody, WY
Executive Director AND Leisure Sales Manager — Corpus Christi Sports Commission, TX
President & CEO — Explore Newnan-Coweta, GA
Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion — Travel Portland, OR
Vice President of Marketing — Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority, NV
Vice President Marketing AND Vice President Sales — Visit Wichita
Vice President Marketing — Visit Florida
Sr. VP Marketing & Communications — Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB/Broward County
Sr. VP Finance & Operations — Visit Salt Lake
Chief Marketing Officer AND Finance & HR Manager AND PR & Communications Manager — Visit SLO CAL, San Luis Obispo, CA
Controller — Meet Minneapolis
Director, Information Technology — Visit Seattle
Director of Marketing — Experience Scottsdale
Director of Marketing — Visit Walla Walla, WA
Director, Content Strategy — Choose Chicago
Director of Marketing and Public Relations — Visit Beloit, WI
Public Relations Manager — Visit California
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 & Conventions — Experience Columbus, OH
Director of Communications — Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, CA
Marketing Director AND Director of Business Development — Visit Napa Valley, CA
Director of Brand Marketing/Content Development — Sonoma County Tourism, CA
Deputy Director of Marketing — Destin-Fort Walton Beach/Okaloosa County, FL
Director of Digital Marketing AND Digital Content Producer AND Domestic Marketing Manager AND Planning & Budget Manager AND Research Specialist — Georgia Department of Economic Development
Marketing Director — Visit Stillwater, OK
Marketing Manager — Visit Macon, GA
Marketing Manager — Visit Tri-Cities, Kennewick, WA
Marketing Manager — Visit Placer, CA
Director of Market Experiences — Discover Halifax, NS
Economic Development & Visitor Services Director — San Juan County, UT
Manager of Video & Digital Marketing — Think Iowa City
Manager, Business Development & Community Engagement — Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau
Business Analyst — Visit Grand Junction, CO
Executive Director — Pleasanton Downtown Association, CA
Director — Dayton Chamber of Commerce, WA
Senior Manager, Search Engine Optimization — NYC & Company
Director, Insights & Analytics AND Partner Services & Relationship Manager — Destination Cleveland
Research Manager — Experience Kissimmee, FL
Social Media Content Manager — Visit Greenville, SC
Social Media Manager — Experience Columbus, OH
Fellow, Social Media Strategist, Visit Sitka, AK
Digital Marketing Specialist — Visit Mason City, IA
Digital Marketing Storyteller — Visit Quad Cities, Moline, IL
Marketing Communications Manager AND Sales Manager — Visit Fresno County, CA
Marketing Specialist — Visit Yuma, AZ
Partner Relations Manager AND Digital & Creative Associate AND Social Media & Content Associate — Visit Pensacola, FL
Cultural Heritage and Tourism Manager AND Community & Public Relations Manager — Visit Natchez, MS
Economic Development Tourism Manager — City of Danville, VA
Destination Manager — Discover Front Royal, VA
Digital Marketing Associate — 1Berkshire, Pittsfield, MA
Marketing Associate — Visit Modesto, CA
Destination Services Manager — Visit Raleigh, NC
Digital Marketing Coordinator — Wild Horse Pass Development Authority, Chandler, AZ
Tourism Marketing Coordinator — Randolph County Tourism Development Authority/Heart of NC Visitors Bureau
Business Development Coordinator — Visit Visalia, CA
Group Sales Manager, Eastern Region — Visit Boise
National Account Executive-Wash., DC — Visit Milwaukee
Sales Manager — Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau, AZ
Conference Sales Manager — Visit Ithaca, NY
Convention Sales Manger — Alexandria/Pineville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, LA
Events Coordinator, City of Norcross, GA
Manager, Leisure Trade — Singapore Tourism Board, San Francisco Bay Area
Client Success Manager — Bandwango, Murray, UT
Digital Content Editor AND Content Coordinator— Simpleview, Tucson
Project Manager (Remote) AND Account Director — Miles Partnership, Denver
Email Marketing & Automation Manager — MMGY Global, Kansas City Metro
Chief Sales Officer — Arrivalist, NYC or Naples, FL
Search Engine Optimization Manager — Tempest, Philadelphia
SVP of Customer Behavior and Digital Analysis — Strategic Partners, Boston
Senior Strategic Consultant — Destination Think, (Remote)
Director, Sales & Marketing — Official ASM Global, Columbus, OH
Director, Sales & Marketing — Official ASM Global, Dayton, OH
Manager, Meetings & Events — Oklahoma Restaurant Association
Director, Benefit and Partner Marketing in Travel and Lifestyle Services — American Express, NYC
Director, Branding & Promotions — Amtrak, Washington D.C.
Vice President, Marketing & Brand Strategy — D.C. United, Wash DC/Baltimore
Product and Contracting Manager, No. Amer. / Caribbean — Your Golf Travel Limited, Atlanta
Director of Marketing — Pacific Hospitality Group, Napa, CA
Marketing Manager — Sunriver Resort, OR
Manager of Season Pass International Marketing — Vail Resorts, Broomfield, CO
Digital Marketing Manager — Catalina Island Company, CA
Digital Marketing Manager — Surly Brewing, Minneapolis
Director of Digital Marketing — SpeedVegas, Las Vegas
Marketing & Sales Manager — Meow Wolf, Santa Fe
Destination Management Senior Project Manager — Silversea Cruises, Miami
Manager, Port Operations — The World»Residences at Sea, Fort Lauderdale
Director-Strategic Partnerships & Key Accounts — Crystal Cruises, Miami
Specialist, Global Advertising — Hawaiian Airlines, Honolulu
Chief of Business Development — Port of Everett, WA
Principal Marketing & PR Rep — Port of San Diego
Asst. VP, Marketing & Sales — Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
Digital Manager, Audience Engagement — Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville
Marketing Manager — Central Amusement International Inc., NYC
Communications & Marketing Manager — National Sailing Hall of Fame, Newport, RI
CRM Manager — Summit One Vanderbilt, NYC
Director of Sales & Communications — Reunion Tower, Dallas
Marketing Manager — Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, OR
Marketing Manager — Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Beach
Marketing Manager — Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Pittsburgh
Marketing Manager — Cuvée, Denver
Market Manager US — Trip.com, NYC
League Sales & Marketing Manager — VOLO, Baltimore
Director of PR — Peek, Remote
VP Travel & Tourism — Hill & Knowlton Strategies, Miami
Account Supervisor, Travel & Hospitality — NJF, NYC
Product & Marketing Manager — Search Influence, New Orleans
Social Media Strategist/Content Creator — BlackDog Advertising, Miami
Senior Copywriter, Hospitality — Ogilvy, NYC
Sr. Media Relations/PR Director — af&co., San Francisco
Media Buyer, Programmatic — Creative Digital Agency, Las Vegas
Marketing Specialist — Suntex Marinas, Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
Marketing Manager — Metrolink, Los Angeles
Marketing Manager — Macerich, Niagara Falls
Social Media & Content Specialist — Arizona Boardwalk, Scottsdale
