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Celebrating Tourism Careers
Organizations are continuing to fill their open positions, members are expanding their horizons by taking on new roles, and others are saying “bon voyage” as they announce their well-earned retirements. Join us in celebrating members’ successes and wishing them luck on their new adventures!
Read on to see who’s going where, plus check out the latest open positions in our industry.
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Geoff Freeman, President & CEO, U.S. Travel Association
U.S. Travel Association (U.S. Travel) has named Geoff Freeman as its new President & CEO, effective September 1. Over the past 20 years, Geoff has built an approach to association leadership that is centered around industry unity and transformational change. He previously served as President & CEO of the American Gaming Association and is the current President & CEO of the Consumer Brands Association. He also held previous leadership roles at U.S. Travel, where his strategic work led to the industry’s signature bipartisan legislative victory establishing the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 and creating Brand USA. In his new position, Geoff will continue bringing a fresh, strategic approach to advancing the mission of U.S. Travel in its next era. He succeeds Roger Dow, who is stepping down following a 17-year tenure.
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Alex Bastian, President & CEO, Hotel Council of San Francisco
The Hotel Council of San Francisco has named Alex Bastian as its new President & CEO, effective July 18. Alex is a San Francisco native with a background in law. For over a decade, he worked for the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, including over 4 years as Deputy Chief of Staff. Most recently, Alex served as a Special Advisor to the Los Angeles District Attorney, where he was responsible for providing guidance and direction in the development of internal and external messages and media strategies, as well as policy and legal strategies. His many years in San Francisco cultivated deep connections that will serve the Council well during the coming years of revitalization and renewal for the industry. He succeeds Kevin Carroll, who is retiring after a decade-long tenure.
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Kristen Buhring, Sales Manager, Visit SLO CAL
Visit SLO CAL has hired Kristen Buhring as Sales Manager. Kristen is a Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo graduate with a degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration. She completed her first internship at a hotel in Morro Bay and went on to pursue a career in hospitality in Southern California. Kristen relocated back to the Central Coast in 2020 after spending seven years in Orange County as a Sales and Event Manager for Hilton and Marriott hotels. She said that being back in SLO County makes her feel as though her life has come full circle. She grew up there, went to college there, and started her career there. She couldn’t dream of a more beautiful location to promote travel, and looks forward to giving back to a community that she holds close to her heart.
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Tim Schroepfer, President & CEO, California State Railroad Museum
The California State Railroad Museum Foundation has promoted Tim Schroepfer to President & CEO. During the pandemic, Tim engineered the return of a sold-out Polar Express train after a two-year hiatus and quickly mastered the demands of running a fundraising and support organization for a world-class museum. Tim joined the foundation as Director of Events & Marketing in 2019, then became Interim Chief Operation Officer last year before his latest promotion. In his new role, he will manage a staff of 26, overseeing fundraising; sponsorship; membership efforts; marketing; social media; and public relations; and direct community events and activities. He succeeds Cheryl Marcell, who left the foundation in 2021.
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Sabrina Demayo Lockhart, Executive Director, California Attractions & Parks Association (CAPA)
Sabrina Demayo Lockhart leads the California Attractions and Parks Association (CAPA) as its Executive Director. CAPA members include parks both large and small, from the famous theme parks of Southern California to small family-owned businesses found in communities throughout the state. Sabrina has more than two decades of experience within the Capitol community. She previously served as Vice President of Communications for the California Independent Petroleum Association. She also held multiple senior staff level positions within the California State Legislature and served as chief deputy press secretary for former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sabrina began her career as a television reporter and producer covering state government and politics.
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Bijal Patel, CEO, Coast Redwood Hospitality
Bijal Patel is CEO of Coast Redwood Hospitality, a 44-year-old company based in Northern California that owns and operates a portfolio of hotels and other real estate. Bijal is a third-generation hotelier who signed his first hotel franchise agreement at the age of 18. He is also the youngest Chairman in CHLA’s (California Hotel and Lodging Association) 128-year history and is the first person to fully serve two consecutive terms in that role. Over the past five years, Bijal has held leadership roles in AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association), notably as a member of the Young Professional Hoteliers Committee and as an Ambassador in the North Pacific Region. He is committed to exposing more young people, especially second and third-generation South Asian Americans, to the sophistication—and legacy rewards—of managing a generational family hotel business.
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Vince Perez, Partner, Beach House Rentals
Vince Perez is a partner with Beach House Rentals, a thriving vacation rental management company located on the California Coast. His expertise spans across multiple disciplines in the hospitality and technology fields. Prior to his successful technology ventures, Vince was a respected executive in the hospitality industry serving in senior executive leadership roles in operations, sales, and marketing for premier companies, including Japan Airlines, Nikko Hotels, and Hyatt Corporation. He is also the founder of Fetch My Guest, the underlying technology that powers the Stays Group, which is the largest network of independent vacation rental brands in North America driving the #bookdirect revolution. Vince is a regular contributor to industry publications and often speaks at industry events.
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Terry Whitaker, Associate Vice President, (W)right On Communications
Terry Whitaker is Associate Vice President of (W)right On Communications, an award-winning California public relations firm. He leads the lifestyle practice group, which includes hospitality and tourism, senior living, wellness, higher education, and major events. Terry, a communications veteran with nearly two decades of experience, is passionate about creative thinking, fresh ideas, and satisfied client partners. Before joining the (W)right On team, Terry was based in Sydney, Australia where he represented American brands including the NFL and MLB, as well as Visit California, Budweiser, IBM, TEDx, and others. His work has been honored with a Bronze Media Lion Award at the Cannes International Advertising Festival.
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Kevin Carroll, President & CEO, Hotel Council of San Francisco
Kevin Carroll has announced that he is retiring as the President & CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco, after serving in the position for more than a decade. During his time at the organization, he doubled the size of the council and introduced new educational programs, including a women in leadership event. His tenure also included guiding the hotel industry through the closures and turbulent times of the pandemic. Now that recovery is in motion, he believes it’s a good time to make his exit. Following his retirement, he plans to relocate to the East Coast, where his partner lives. He will miss San Francisco, where he has spent most of his adult life in previous roles with the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District, Levi Strauss & Co., and the Levi Strauss Foundation.
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Roger Dow, President & CEO, U.S. Travel Association
As announced last year, Roger Dow, President & CEO of U.S. Travel Association, will be stepping down in July following 17 years of service in this position. Roger has guided U.S. Travel and the broader industry through periods of remarkable growth, marked by 10 consecutive years of expansion from 2009 to 2019. He has also helped it successfully navigate tremendous challenges—most recently, bringing the travel industry together during the Covid-19 pandemic. He is credited with leading the legislation that created Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization, and developing policies and programs that enabled domestic and international inbound travel to thrive. The board is grateful for his steadfast leadership and profound influence on the industry.
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Know someone looking for a fresh start? Check out our Tourism Career Opportunities page! This job board serves to connect employers with talented, qualified travel and tourism professionals looking for new opportunities to succeed.
Is your organization hiring? If so, please send us your open positions! We will help you get the word out to our ever-growing network of travel and tourism leaders across the state (at no cost!). To submit an open position, please reach out to tricia@caltravel.org.
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If you know about about any retirements, promotions, new hires, or other career moves, or if you have any news of your own, please let us know for an upcoming newsletter. Please send news to me at tricia@caltravel.org.
Thanks,
Tricia Alvernaz
Director of Operations
tricia@caltravel.org
408-904-8474
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