Leadership/Governance

Greg Edwards Chair *2012-13*	Greg Edwards is the President & CEO of the Greater Des Moines CVB and has a member of DMAI since 1990. As a travel industry executive, Greg has led CVBs in Illinois, Kansas and Iowa. With nearly 30 years experience in the hospitality field, he has lead the destination marketing efforts in Des Moines for 10 years. In addition, he spent 7 years as President/CEO of the Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, 4 years as both Interim President and Director of Marketing for the Overland Park (KS) Convention & Visitors Bureau and 7 years with Marriott Hotels both in Overland Park and Des Moines. He has been active within DMAI serving on the Branding and MINT Committees. Greg is the recipient of many awards, from Manager of the Year with Marriott Hotels to being recognized by his industry peers at the Upper Midwest CVB Conference with the Individual Professionalism Award.
Martha Sheridan, CMP *Chair-Elect* *2012-13*	Martha Sheridan is president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB). In her role she leads an organization whose mission is to create vibrant growth for the local hospitality economy by promoting, developing, and expanding a united visitor industry. She oversees all day to day operations at the PWCVB, leading a staff of 20 destination sales and marketing professionals. In 2010 Sheridan spearheaded efforts to form the Rhode Island Sports Commission, now a division of the PWCVB Sheridan has over 20 years� experience in destination marketing. Prior to her current position she served as Vice President of Sales at the Newport County (RI) Convention and Visitors Bureau. Sheridan has been actively involved with DMAI for a number of years serving on the Education Committee and chairing the Technology Committee. In addition to her current role with DMAI, Sheridan has held leadership positions with several local, regional and national organizations including the RI Hospitality and Tourism Association Education Foundation, Meeting Professionals International New England Chapter (MPINE) and the New England Society of Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Sheridan is the recipient of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association�s (RIHA) Mary Brennan Tourism Award for outstanding achievement in tourism promotion and in 2010 was named RIHA Woman of the Year. She is also the recipient of the MPINE President�s Award and the MPINE Supplier of the Year Award. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and lives in Wakefield, RI with her husband, Arthur and three children.
Scott Beck Secretary/Treasurer *2012-13*	Scott Beck is President/CEO of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. Prior to joining the Bureau, Scott was the General Manager of the Salt Lake City Marriott City Center hotel in 2001, and worked with the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee as a host hotel for AT&T and the European Broadcasting Company. In addition to working as a host hotel, Scott Beck and his team were the official food and beverage provider for the now infamous Bud World Event that took place during the 2002 Winter Olympics at Gallivan Plaza. Prior to the Marriott City Center, Scott was the General Manager of the Cedar Breaks Lodge Hotel and Spa in Brian Head, Utah. Prior to the Cedar Breaks Lodge Hotel and Spa, Scott spent nine years at Sundance Resort, initially as the Director of Food and Beverage and then as Director of Sales and Marketing. Scott began his hospitality management career with Gastronomy as part of the opening management team for the Baci Trattoria and Club Baci in Salt Lake City. Scott is an active member of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors. An active skier, biker, and Utah outdoor enthusiast, Scott married to Lesly Allen Beck and father to four daughters, Hannah, Miranda, Sophie, and Olivia.
Kevin Kane Immediate Past-Chair 2012-13	Kevin Kane is president and CEO of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau and president of its subsidiary MMG LLC, which manages the Memphis Cook Convention Center and the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. He is a board member of US Travel Association and sits on the International Tennis Hall of Fame Executive Committee. In his Memphis community, Kevin is dedicated to maintaining a strong awareness of tourism and meetings and their value as local economic generators. Since joining the CVB 17 years ago, he has grown the organization with new offices and visitor centers, expanded sales team, a satellite office in DC and representation in Europe and the UK. Kevin serves as chairman of the Memphis Rock �N� Soul Museum, executive committee member and past chairman of the Blues Foundation, and executive committee member of Memphis-Shelby County Sports Authority. He is a board member of Riverfront Development Corporation, Metropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association, Memphis Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Christian Brothers High School. He sits on the community advisory board of the Junior League of Memphis and was president of the 2009 AutoZone Liberty Bowl. He has been recognized as Outstanding Young Tennessean, 2007 Memphis PRSA Communicator of the Year, winner of the Dean Campbell Award for Community Service, member of the Christian Brothers High School Hall of Fame, St. Michael School Distinguished Alumnus, and Downtowner of the Decade by Memphis Downtowner Magazine.
Michael D. Gehrisch *President & CEO, DMAI* *Ex-Officio*	During his ten years as President & CEO of Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), Michael D. Gehrisch has reenergized and positioned DMAI as one of the world�s leading hospitality associations. With Michael at the helm, the association repositioned itself in 2005 as Destination Marketing Association International (previously the International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus), to enhance the relevancy and visibility of its members to individuals outside the industry. Michael led the industry�s historic Destination Marketing Accreditation Program initiative, which established a consistent standard for destination marketing operations, and which has accredited over 100 DMOs around the globe. Michael also guided the Destination & Travel Foundation (the consolidated entity of the DMAI and U.S. Travel Foundations) through two major fundraising efforts, 2001�s Destination Ahead campaign, and the 2009 Destination Excellence campaign, raising over US$6 million for vital destination marketing research and resources. His keen understanding of tools needed for DMO success led to the development of the groundbreaking 2008 Futures Study, which revealed key need areas facing the destination marketing industry which the Destination Excellence campaign seeks to answer through innovative tools and resources. Additionally, Mr. Gehrisch currently serves on boards for the Convention Industry Council, the U.S. Travel Association, and Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, with previous service on the American Society of Association Executives Board of Directors. The proud recipient of the NYSAE Education & Research Foundation�s 2007 Vision Award, Michael has been named one of the �25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry by Successful Meetings in 2012,, one of the �25 Most Influential Travel Executives� by Business Travel News and one of Tradeshow Week�s �100 Most Influential People in the Tradeshow Business� in 2006, and was ranked among the �Top 25 Most Influential People� in the meetings industry by Meetings News magazine in 2004. Michael has more than 29 years experience in the hospitality industry, including working for 13 years as Executive Vice President for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) in Washington, DC. Earlier in his career, Gehrisch held management positions with Marriott and Hilton hotels.

Board of Directors

Jerad Bachar, CDME, CASE *2010-13*
Tammy Blount, FCDME *2010-13*	Tammy Blount is the President & CEO of the Monterey County CVB. Tammy started her tourism career in the hotel industry in 1987. In 1989 she began an 11 year journey with Tourism Vancouver in Vancouver, Canada. In 2001 she moved to Texas, and led various sales and marketing teams there until March of 2007 when she returned to the Pacific Northwest. Prior to taking the helm in Monterey, Tammy was the President & CEO of the Tacoma Regional CVB in Washington State. During her time there she participated in various regional, statewide and national tourism initiatives. Tammy was the inaugural Chair of the Washington Tourism Alliance. She is an active advocate for tourism, having been an architect of the new statewide association. Tammy serves on the Board of Directors of DMAI � Destination Marketing Association International, as well as Co-Chairing DMAI�s advocacy committee and serving on its education committee. Tammy holds an FCDME (Fellow Certified Destination Marketing Executive). She lives in Carmel-by-the-Sea and enjoys golf, music and exploring the beautiful region in which she lives.
Robin Carson *Chair-Elect D&TF, 2012-13*	Robin Carson is responsible for overseeing all operations pertaining to Kingsmill Resort and Kingsmill on the James residential community, a Xanterra Parks Resorts property in Williamsburg, Va. Carson�s longstanding career with Worlds of Discovery theme parks subsidiary, Busch Entertainment Corporation, began more than 30 years ago at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. In 1985, Carson was promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sesame Place in Langhorne, Penn, the nation�s only theme park based on the award-winning television show Sesame Street�. She was promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager of SeaWorld San Antonio in 1991. From there, Carson was appointed Executive Vice President and General Manager for Busch Gardens Africa and Adventure Island in Tampa Bay, Fla., a position she held until moving to Busch Entertainment Corporation�s corporate office in 2003 to assume the role of Vice President of Marketing for Busch Entertainment Corporation. Carson was promoted to Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Kingsmill in August 2006. She serves on the Board of Directors of the United States Travel Association and the Destination & Travel Foundation.
Elliott Ferguson, II *2011-14*	Elliott Ferguson serves as President and CEO of Destination DC, the official convention and tourism corporation for the nation�s capital. A twenty-year veteran of the CVB industry, Ferguson leads Destination DC�s efforts to generate economic development for the District through meetings and tourism, overseeing the organization�s convention and tourism sales, marketing, finance and business development operations. Ferguson began his tenure with Destination DC in 2001 as Vice President of Convention Sales and Services. Prior to working at Destination DC he served as Vice President of Sales at the Atlanta, Georgia CVB. Ferguson currently chairs the Hospitality Alliance of Washington, DC, the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, the Hotel Association of Washington, DC and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. Ferguson also serves as an official spokesperson for the DC hospitality industry and has been quoted in major media outlets including CNN, Fox Business News and the Washington Post. Ferguson received a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Business Administration from Savannah State University. His many memberships in the industry include the American Society of Association Executives, National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, Religious Conference Management Association, Professional Conference Management Association, International Association of Exhibition Executives and Destination Marketing Association International. Ferguson is a resident of Capitol Hill, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and is an active mentor with Capital Partners Inc.
John Groh *2012-15*	John Groh describes himself as: Husband. Father. Marketer. Social & Civic Entrepreneur. Idea Generator & Implementer. Destination Developer. Agitator. Gen X Leader. When folks feel the need to say something more formal, they say John is a native of Rockford, Illinois. He worked for the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for eight years in marketing positions, ending as executive vice president. He joined the Rockford Chamber as executive vice president only to return to RACVB as President/CEO in 2009. He is responsible for growing the economy by overseeing the marketing of Illinois� second largest metro region. John is board president of Riverfront Museum Park and facilitator of Next Rockford, a gen x leadership group. He contributes as a board member of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Laurent House, and led an effort to raise $1 million in one month to acquire the home. A highlight of his career, John played an active role a mayoral-appointed commission that restructured the oversight of the city�s multiple downtown entertainment venues; the results of which have been transformational. John obtained his MBA from Northern Illinois University and BA from Bethel University in St. Paul. He lives in Rockford with Kaylene, his wife, and three sons.
Jack Ferguson *2011-14*	As the President & CEO of the Philadelphia CVB, Jack Ferguson has more than 41 years experience in the hospitality business and is known for his energized, can-do leadership style. Ferguson�s vision is centered on three areas � enhancing the customer experience, maximizing marketing and technology and educating the Philadelphia region�s workforce. Ferguson has been instrumental in partnerships with Select Greater Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce to connect meetings and conventions with local business opportunities. Currently, Ferguson serves on the boards of the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Widener University�s School of Hospitality, Temple University�s School of Tourism & Hospitality Management, Jefferson School of Nursing, the Mayor�s Philadelphia International Airport Advisory Board, U.S. Travel Association and Philadelphia OIC. A native of Philadelphia, Ferguson received degrees in hotel administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Paul Smith�s College in New York. He has continued in executive education at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. Ferguson and his wife, Jo, reside in Upper Gwynedd, PA. They have three adult children and two grandchildren.
Leonard Hoops *2012-15*	Leonard Hoops is president & CEO of Visit Indy, the official destination marketing organization of Indianapolis. He leads a team of 60+ full-time staff and oversees an annual budget of more than $14 million. Hoops has been a DMAI member since 1995. Prior to joining Visit Indy, he served as executive vice president & chief customer officer of San Francisco Travel, where he directed convention sales and marketing, convention services, and global tourism business development. Hoops has also served as senior vice president & chief marketing officer for the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau, senior vice president of marketing for the San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau, and managed corporate communications for a $1 billion division of FMC Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif. Hoops has been named one of the �25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality & Travel Sales & Marketing� by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. He earned a bachelor�s degree in journalism from San Jose State University and an MBA from Santa Clara University. Hoops was born on the island of Trinidad, grew up in Texas and California, and lives in downtown Indianapolis with his wife, Dorene; son, Cannon; and daughter, Avalon.
Marina James *2011-14*	Marina R. James is the President and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg Inc. Marina has an extensive background in executive management with over 19 years experience in hotel operations, issues management and negotiations, customer service, tourism development, and asset and financial management. Prior to joining Economic Development Winnipeg Inc., Marina was Vice-President, Hotels for Westcorp Properties Inc. of Edmonton and General Manager of Place Louis Riel Hotel in Winnipeg from 1991 to 2005. Previous to this, Marina was a Manager of Marketing and Sales. In addition to her work, Marina has been very involved in the community and is a Past Chair of the Manitoba Hotel Association, Manitoba Tourism Education Council and the Audit, Finance and Governance Committee of Travel Manitoba. Marina holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Guelph and is a Certified Hotel Administrator.
Cheryl Kilday, CDME *2012-15*	Cheryl Kilday is the President and CEO of Visit Spokane where she has been at the helm since 2010. She has more than 25 years experience in the tourism industry including destinations in Oregon, Virginia, and now Washington State. Cheryl has been active in DMAI for several years including serving on the Education and Advocacy Committees. Cheryl is the President of the Washington State Destination Marketing Organization, serves on the Board of the Washington Tourism Alliance as Vice Chair, and is on the Board of the Spokane Symphony. She has earned the prestigious designation as a Certified Destination Marketing Executive (CDME) and is also a Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA). Career honors include receiving the 2010 Judy Patterson Tourism Award, earning organizational accreditation for Visit Loudoun through the Destination Marketing Association International in 2009; a 2008 Emmy� Award for a series of heritage videos, a Destiny Award through the US Travel Association for a promotional campaign and a Gold Adrian Award through the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.
Raymond Kim *2010-13*	Raymond Kim is currently a member of Advisory Board for the President of Korea. He is Secretary General of Greater Busan CVB and has been with the bureau since 2005 and DMAI Global Committee member. With experiencing of working as a consultant for the promotion of cities in China and Japan in addition to South Korea, he was also a war-correspondent for Reporters Without Borders from 1994 to 2004. He was Deputy Director of the Treasury, Seoul Foreign Correspondent club from 2000 to 2001. He was a Peace Planning Commissioner, UNESCO in 2000. He passed the Post-Graduate Diplomat Courses, United Nation in 1987. He is a graduate of Institut d'Etudes des Relations Internationales de Paris in 1988.
Karolyn Kirchgesler *2010-13*	Karolyn Kirchgesler is the President & CEO of the Saint Paul RiverCentre Convention & Visitors Authority. She came to Saint Paul in December 2004 to serve as President of the Saint Paul Convention & Visitors Bureau. Under her leadership the Saint Paul Convention & Visitors Bureau consolidated with the Saint Paul RiverCentre Authority, the organization who was responsible for management oversight of the convention center. The mission of the Saint Paul Convention & Visitors Authority is to generate economic growth for Saint Paul by effectively marketing the RiverCentre campus, Saint Paul and the region as a preferred convention and tourism destination. Prior to coming to Saint Paul, Ms. Kirchgesler served as the Executive Director of the Greater New Haven Convention & Visitors Bureau in New Haven, Connecticut (1997-2004), an organization that represented and marketed 19 municipalities in Connecticut. Prior to her time in New Haven she served as the Director of Sales & Marketing for the Sioux Falls Convention Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Originally from the Midwest, she started her career in the convention and visitor industry in 1986 when she went to work for the Aberdeen Convention & Visitors Bureau in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Ms. Kirchgesler is an ex-officio board member of Capital City Partnership, whose membership is made up of 52 of the metropolitan area�s largest corporations. In addition, she also serves on the membership committee of DMAI and is a member of Midwest Society of Association Executives, Minnesota Association of CVBs, Professional Convention Management Association, and American Society of Association Executives.
William Pate Executive Committee Member *2011-14*	William Pate is the president and CEO of the Atlanta CVB, in charge of maintaining tourism as one of the city�s top economic drivers. Prior to joining ACVB, Pate served as president of Career Sports & Entertainment, a national sports marketing and representation firm. Pate was the Chief Marketing Officer for BellSouth, one of the world's largest communications companies, until the corporation was acquired by AT&T. In this role, Pate spearheaded the development and marketing of the BellSouth brand both nationally and internationally. Pate also held positions at MCI, and at Knapp Inc., an Atlanta-based marketing services firm specializing in solutions for large corporations. Pate has received many awards and honors for his work from both Advertising Age and the American Marketing Association. Pate is the former chairman of the Atlanta Sports Council, Chick-fil-A Bowl and ACVB. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance Theatre Company, the Georgia State University Board of Trustees and the Carter Presidential Center Board of Councilors. A native of Atlanta, Pate grew up in Decatur and attended Georgia State University, where he received his undergraduate degree in journalism and his graduate degree in communications.
John Rolfe *2010-13*	John Rolfe serves in the role as COO for the Greater Houston CVB since February 2012. Prior to his position in Houston, he served as President & CEO of Go Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau. Before joining the GWCVB he was Vice President of Economic Development for the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce and served as Deputy Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce for five years. His experience also includes more than twelve years in the hospitality industry, serving as Director of Finance and Administration at both the Wichita and San Jose (CA) Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Mr. Rolfe is a graduate of Wichita State University, holding a bachelor�s degree in business administration and is involved with various civic organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission, the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation, Travel Industry Association of Kansas (Immediate Past President), Governor�s Council on Travel & Tourism, and Wichita Collegiate School. John also serves on the Mayor�s Downtown Revitalization Steering Committee.
Richard W. Scharf *2011-14*	Richard W. Scharf Jr. was named president & CEO of VISIT DENVER in March 2004. Scharf has worked for VISIT DENVER since 1993, most recently as the executive vice president of sales and marketing. From 1988-1993, he owned a publishing and consulting company representing more than 400 colleges and universities as conference sites. His career in the hospitality industry began with Hilton in 1983. Scharf was one of the chief consultants for studies conducted about the expansion of the Colorado Convention Center and the construction of Denver�s new 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Convention Center Hotel. In 2005, Scharf led a successful campaign to increase the lodging tax in Denver in order to competitively market Denver as a convention and leisure destination. Voters approved the measure by a margin of two to one, resulting in a marketing budget increase of nearly 50 percent. In 1999, Scharf was the second person to be awarded the Colorado Hotel Sales & Marketing Association�s Hall of Fame Award, in 2002 he won the Governor�s Tourism Award and in 2007 he was named Business Person of the Year by the Rocky Mountain News. In 2008, he was awarded the Meetings Industry Council of Colorado�s 2007 Leadership Award. Scharf is an active member of several national and local industry organizations and boards of directors. Scharf is a graduate of Purdue University.
Gary Sherwin, CDME Executive Committee Member *2011-14*	Gary Sherwin is President and CEO of Visit Newport Beach Inc. and is a 24 year veteran of the destination marketing industry. Prior to joining Newport Beach in 2006, he served for seven years as the Vice President, Market Development for the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority, where he co-authored the book published by DMAI, Destination BrandScience, which is now the standard for destination brand development across the globe. He also previously served as the Vice President of Marketing for the Long Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Director of Media Relations for the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is a Communications and Political Science graduate of California State University Fullerton, where he was named to the school�s Wall of Fame in 2000 and is an adjunct member of the faculty. Gary is also an instructor and co-creator of the DMAI CDME Brand and Positioning course. Currently he is the Vice President of the Orange County Tourism Council and is Second Vice Chairman of the California Travel Industry Association Board of Directors.
Olivia Simmons, CDME *2012-15*	Olivia Simmons has been involved in destination management since 1994 and accepted her position as President & CEO of Visit Topeka Inc. in 2009. Prior to her current position, Simmons served six years as Vice President of Go Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau and served nine years as the Director of the Greater Hutchinson Kansas Convention & Visitors Bureau. Simmons is active within the community serving on several local boards that include the Topeka Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Expocentre and the Mulvane Art Museum. Simmons also serves in several areas of Heartland Visioning, a community-wide initiative to develop and implement a shared strategic vision for the city Topeka. A past accomplishment that Simmons is extremely proud of is to have assisted in the Accreditation of both Wichita and Topeka DMOs. Her past involvement in the tourism industry includes serving as Chair of the Kansas Governor�s Council on Travel & Tourism, chair of the Travel Industry Association of Kansas and most recently served as chair of the DMAI Education Committee from 2010-2012. Originally from Idaho, Olivia has lived in Kansas for 28 years, is married to Ray Simmons and combined have six children and twelve grandchildren.
Christopher Thompson, CDME *2012-15*	Christopher L. Thompson is President and CEO of Brand USA, the public-private partnership responsible for launching the United States� first-ever nationally coordinated tourism marketing effort. In this role, Chris is responsible for accelerating the organization�s efforts on building and executing effective marketing strategies to increase inbound travel to the United States, resulting in increased U.S. exports and increased employment. These programs consist of marketing, public relations, and partnership programs critical to the overall marketing of the United States as the world�s premier travel destination, as well as communications programs to provide travelers with vital information that inspires and makes it easier to explore the vast range of experiences and destinations available in the U.S.A. Chris previously held the position of President and CEO for VISIT FLORIDA�, where he led the state's DMO in partnership with the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors, the Florida Commission on Tourism and the statewide tourism industry. With over 30 years of professional experience including 27 years in tourism at the state and local levels, his tourism career began in 1983 with the Division of Tourism in the former Florida Department of Commerce. He was appointed Bureau Chief over Domestic Tourism in 1986, and in 1988 was appointed the first Executive Director of the Leon County (Florida) Tourist Development Council, adding the position of President and CEO of the Tallahassee (Florida) Area CVB in 1991. In 2009, Chris was named one of the "Top Twenty Five Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing" by HSMAI. In 2010, he received the prestigious CDME designation, while leading VISIT FLORIDA as the first-ever state DMO to receive accreditation by DMAI.
Julie Wearn, CDME *2012-15*	Julie Wearn is CEO of the �Perfectly Positioned� Roseville Visitors Association located right next to Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota. With over 30 years of travel industry experience Wearn has lead the Roseville Visitors Association for the past 6 years. In 2008, Wearn and her CVB staff earned the Award of Excellence � Education from the Midwest Society of Association Executives for the 1st Annual Roseville Winter Jazz Blast and the 2008 Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce -Celebrate Success Award for �Shines for All To See� written by Dean Sorenson and commissioned by the Roseville Visitors Association in celebration of the Sesquicentennial of the State of Minnesota. Prior to Roseville she served as Vice President of Convention Sales and Marketing for the Saint Paul RiverCentre Convention and Visitors Authority (RCVA) for six years and as Director of Sales for Embassy Suites Saint Paul for ten years. In addition to DMAI, Wearn currently serves on several boards, MACVB, Saint Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation, North Suburban Gavel and for 12 years held a variety of leadership roles with Leadership Saint Paul through the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce ending her service as ex-officio of the Chamber�s Foundation Board.
Scott White *2010-14*	Since November 2010, Scott White has served as President and CEO at the Palm Springs Desert Resorts CVA. White previously served as the Executive Director of the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he oversaw the promotion of San Antonio's $11 billion visitor industry. White also served as the Executive Vice President of the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau, where his accomplishments included the successful bid for Super Bowl XLII in 2008. Having hosted the Rock �n� Roll Marathon in Phoenix, White was instrumental in bringing the series to San Antonio in 2008 with the largest inaugural race in RnR history. With more than 20 years of hospitality and destination marketing experience, White serves on several industry boards including the U. S. Travel Association, Texas Travel Industry Association and the U.S. Council for MPI Foundation. A Certified Hospitality Sales Professional, is active in numerous industry organizations including of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE).
Carl Wilgus *2010-13*	Carl Wilgus has held the position of President/CEO at the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau, a four county DMO located in Northeast Pennsylvania since November of 2007. In addition, he actively participates as a member for the Marketing Committee for the Monroe County United Way, is an Ambassador for the Pocono Medical Center, and is a member of the Advisor Board to East Stroudsburg Universities School of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management Program. Prior to his relocation to the Pocono Mountains Carl was the Director of Tourism for the State of Idaho, a position he held for twenty years. In 2005 he was names State Tourism Director of the Year by the National Council of State Tourism Directors. He moved the state�s top tourism position in the spring of 1987 after having spent thirteen years in Sun Valley, Idaho working in various capacities for the Sun Valley Company as a ski instructor, winter sales manager, public relations manager, and marketing director.
Lisa Furfine *2012-13*	Lisa Furfine is Associate Publisher, Schneider Publishing and is responsible for marketing and key relationships for SportsTravel magazine. She is also the show manager for the annual TEAMS Conference & Expo. Furfine is the chairperson of the Destination Marketing Association International Allied Member Advisory Council, is a member of the DMAI board and serves on DMAI�s Advocacy Committee. Her 20 years of experience includes fundraising for foundations and promotion of professional athletes. Her background also includes advertising agency work for sports- and travel-related clients, including Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
James T. Wood, FCDME Immediate Past Chair, DMAP Board	James Wood, FCDME is the President & CEO of the Louisville CVB. Under Wood�s leadership the LCVB became one of the first accredited CVBs in the United States, and contributes an annual tourism economic impact of $400 million to the city of Louisville. Wood has led the development of numerous sales and marketing strategies for the LCVB including developing several successful brand awareness campaigns including Possibility City and Bourbon Country, an initiative now including a seven county region, several national hotel chains and other select companies interested in being a part of a regional/national branding initiative. A 41-year veteran in the hospitality industry, Wood worked his way up the Marriott ranks before joining the Tampa Bay CVB as its Vice President of Convention Sales and Marketing. In 1999, Wood assumed the role of President & CEO for the Providence Warwick CVB. He was named as one of the 25 Top New Leaders for a New Century in 2000 by The Providence Journal, and was the recipient of the prestigious Mary Brennan Award Tourism Award for his numerous contributions to the hospitality community by the Rhode Island Tourism and Hospitality Association.