The Weekly Community News of Associations, CVBs, and Hotels
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Panama City Beach CVB Executive Arrested for Grand Theft
By Jonathan Trager
Aaron Lee, Vice President of Administration at Visit Panama City Beach, was arrested on January 3 and stands accused of stealing more than $100,000 from the northwest Florida organization.
On January 5, the Bay County Sheriff’s office held a press conference about the situation. At that time, the 48-year-old Lee had been charged with grand theft over $100,000, which carries up to a 30-year prison sentence, and five counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, each of which carries up to a five-year prison sentence.
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Industry Movers
Rachel McDowell
Rachel McDowell joined the Louisville Tourism Sales Department as a convention sales assistant. She previously was the CVB’s city information agent and strategic alliances associate, having joined the Kentucky bureau in 2023. McDowell is a graduate of the University of Louisville. She hold a bachelor’s degree in sustainability, sustainable societies and was an independent study researcher, where she worked with data for more 100 neighborhood revitalization plans.
Madison Woods
Madison Woods is now Communications Manager for Visit Springfield, Missouri. She joins Visit Springfield with extensive experience in media relations and brand communications. Most recently, she served as public relations manager of Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge. Prior to her work in tourism and hospitality, Woods served as a news reporter at KY3 News in Springfield. Woods holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Missouri State University.
Dana Miller
Dana Miller has been named as the Director of Sales and Marketing at the InterContinental Boston. He has more than 12 years of experience. Miller earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Indiana University, before first beginning his career in hospitality in 2009 as a regional sales manager at Hilton Worldwide Regional Sales. He was general manager at the Lighthouse Inn in West Dennis, Massachusetts.
Patrick Reynolds
Patrick Reynolds has been appointed Director of Sales for Destination Rogers in Arkansas. Prior to joining the bureau late last year, he was dual director of sales at B&T Hospitality Management in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was director of sales of the Hyatt Place and Courtyard by Marriott in Fayetteville. Reynolds also spent more than 20 years in management roles with hospitality companies across California, Arizona, and Texas.
Olivia Novak
Olivia Novak has been promoted to Director of Marketing of Visit Lancaster. She has been with the Pennsylvania organization since 2019. Previously, she spent time at marketing manager as well as being a tourism sales manager. She was part of Destination International’s 30 Under 30 class in 2022. A soccer coach, Novak was Kutztown’s University’s sports information assistant. She has earned degrees from Kutztown University and Temple University.
Mark Sergot
Mark Sergot is now IHG Hotels & Resorts’ (IHG) Chief Development Officer for the Americas. Sergot will lead IHG’s Americas Development organization, including its leadership team, spearheading the region’s growth across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. Sergot has more than 25 years of experience in sales roles across hospitality. He joined IHG in 2020 as vice president of global sales operations & enablement.
Association NEWS
Around Associations
U.S. Travel: Government Shutdown Costs Sector $6.1 Billion… Joshua Friedlander, Vice President, Research, U.S. Travel, has shared that the 43-day federal government shutdown resulted in $6.1 billion in total economic losses across travel and related sectors. On average, the nation saw 88,000 fewer trips per day.
“Federal government shutdowns are more than political standoffs,” he wrote. “They create immediate, measurable disruptions to America’s travel system, affecting both the supply of travel services and Americans’ ability and willingness to travel.”
Friedlander is encouraged by strong bipartisan support for a solution. He said a national survey conducted by Ipsos in partnership with U.S. Travel found that four out of five Americans support paying air traffic controllers and TSA officers when they are required to work during a government shutdown.
He concluded: “The takeaway is clear: government shutdowns are costly, disruptive and unnecessary. They disproportionately harm a sector that supports 15 million jobs and underpins America’s economic growth. Protecting the continuity of travel operations and ensuring essential workers are paid gives due recognition to an industry that has proven to be essential.”
Find more at ustravel.org.
Hotel NEWS
Checking Inn
A new 120-suite hotel opened in Orange Beach, Alabama, the property’s manager, Vista Host, announced on January 12.
The SpringHill Suites by Marriott Orange Beach Gulf Shores “represents everything we value as a company,” said Evan Studer, CEO of Vista Host.
The property offers guests a resort-style pool, complete with a poolside bistro called Salt & Sips, and The Blue Heron Room, a 1,080-square-foot meeting space. The property will be managed by Matthew Sutherland, who brings more than two decades of hospitality experience to the hotel’s general manager role.
Sutherland is joined by Cole Walker who will take the role of Sales Manager. Walker has previous experience with Visit Nashville, Vista Host said.
Capital Hilton, a landmark hotel in Washington, D.C., will spend the year celebrating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.
“Capital Hilton has witnessed decades of U.S. history unfold within its walls, from presidential and world leaders visiting and more,” said Paolo Pedrazzini, General Manager, Capital Hilton. “As we look ahead to America’s 250th anniversary, we wanted to create something that felt both commemorative and immersive for guests visiting us throughout the year.”
The celebration includes a slate of themed food and beverage programming, the Capital 250 Package, and the debut of a series of collectable pins available for purchase. “These pins will have three unique designs per season, relating to U.S. History, Washington, D.C., and the hotel,” the hotel said.
For more information, visit capitalhilton.com.
Sharon Houghton
CVB Updates
Destinations International (DI) has announced the appointment of Sharon Houghton as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), a newly elevated executive leadership role focused on driving sustainable revenue growth and advancing DI’s global impact.
As Chief Revenue Officer, Houghton will lead revenue-focused strategies across DI’s products and tools portfolio and partnerships, ensuring that offerings generate both meaningful member value and long-term financial sustainability.
Most recently, Houghton founded Rev-Engine, a specialized consulting firm focused on accelerating revenue growth. She also served in senior revenue leadership roles at Outside Inc., a company focused on recreation and fitness.
“Sharon’s leadership, growth mindset and deep experience building innovative partnerships will be instrumental as Destinations International continues to expand its offerings and strengthen the value we deliver to our members and partners,” said Don Welsh, President & CEO of DI. “Her ability to align revenue strategy with mission-driven impact makes her an exceptional addition to our executive team.”
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