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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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Terry Kraft, President & CEO, USS Midway Museum
USS Midway Museum has appointed Rear Admiral Terry Kraft (ret.) as its new President & CEO. The son of a Navy captain, Terry grew up in San Diego and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1981. He was designated a naval flight officer in 1982. Terry’s 30-plus years in the service included stints commanding an aviation squadron, ship and aircraft-carrier strike groups, and overseas shore facilities. With his extensive and diverse leadership experience, the USS Midway Museum’s board believes he is the right person to guide the museum and its team into the future. As Terry takes the helm, one of his first major projects will be the development of a $60 million public park on Navy Pier which will include a bayfront promenade and an amphitheater.
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Dennis Quinn, Senior Vice President, Hotel Commercial Strategy, Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort has announced Dennis Quinn has rejoined the team as Senior Vice President, Hotel Commercial Strategy. Most recently, Dennis served as Senior Vice President of Sales for Universal Studios Hollywood, where he was responsible for leading a global sales team, driving sales strategy and developing the distribution client experience to promote ticket sales and private events. In his new role, he will oversee the strategy and management of the Resort Sales and Marketing team’s hotel portfolio, focusing on consumer marketing, revenue management, meetings and events, travel industry sales, and long-term development initiatives. He brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise from his nearly 25 years at Universal in both Hollywood and Orlando.
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Anne-Marie Schiefer, Vice President of Marketing, Travel Costa Mesa
Travel Costa Mesa has hired Anne-Marie Schiefer as its new Vice President of Marketing. She joins the Travel Costa Mesa team after nearly 13 years of marketing the beautiful city of Laguna Beach. Anne-Marie has a deep knowledge of Costa Mesa, living there for almost 30 years. In her new role, she will be leading the marketing department and all marketing and PR efforts to showcase the story of the eclectic mix of Costa Mesa. Her new team is excited to see how her creative energy and love of Costa Mesa impact the mission, vision, and culture of the organization and city.
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Alex Stall, Marketing & Destination Services Coordinator, Visit Laguna Beach
Visit Laguna Beach has appointed Alex Stall as its new Marketing & Destination Services Coordinator. She most recently served as the Sales & Marketing Coordinator for Visit Dana Point, where she oversaw social media and sales. Alex received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Boise State University in Environmental Studies. During her short time in her new role, she has already begun forming new relationships with businesses within the community. Visit Laguna Beach is excited about the fresh ideas and passion Alex will continue to bring to the team.
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Matt Stiker, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Madden Media
Madden Media has announced Matt Stiker as its Senior Vice President of Strategy. He brings a wealth of executive-level marketing communications experience to the agency. Prior to joining Madden, Matt was the Senior Vice President of Travel for BVK, where he worked with the Aspen Chamber Resort Association, the Town of Ocean City, Maryland, Visit Estes Park Colorado, and Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, Florida. In his new position, Matt will focus on brand strategy and business development. His combination of agency experience and tourism expertise will ensure Madden continues to grow and generate positive results for clients.
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Mechelle Best, PhD, Dean of College of Health & Human Development, California State University – Northridge
California State University, Northridge (CSUN) has appointed Dr. Mechelle Best as Dean of the College of Health & Human Development (HHD). Dr. Best is in her fifteenth year of service at CSUN and has been Interim Dean since November 2021. Prior to assuming the interim role, Dr. Best was in her second term as Chair of CSUN’s Department of Recreation and Tourism Management. As a professor, Dr. Best developed and taught a range of graduate and undergraduate tourism courses, as well as core courses for the Minor in Sustainability. She has served in a variety of leadership and management positions at CSUN as well as in the state and international tourism industry. She looks forward to continuing her work at CSUN as Dean of HHD.
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Chris Durrant, General Manager, City Cruises by Hornblower
City Cruises has announced Chris Durrant as San Diego’s newest General Manager. Chris Durrant started with what was previously Hornblower Cruises & Events in June 1998 as a barback and server. Throughout his years at City Cruises, he has worked in various positions such as a bartender, event manager, trainer, food and beverage operations manager, and associate director of food and beverage. Chris graduated from SDSU in 2003 with a degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management.
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Nicole Hankton, Executive Vice President, Visitors Bureau, Visit Walnut Creek
Visit Walnut Creek has promoted Nicole Hankton to Executive Vice President, Visitors Bureau. Prior to her promotion, she served as Director of Sales & Marketing. Nicole came to the Visit Walnut Creek team with a passion for hospitality and tourism and 15 years of experience in marketing, sales, and public relations. Earlier in her career, Nicole worked for hotels in Oakland by supporting the efforts of the sales teams to bring a stronger variety of conferences to the largest hotel in the city. She has accomplished a variety of sales tours, media visits, promotions, and targeted marketing campaigns specific to the hotel industry.
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Papia Gambelin, Managing Director, State & Local Government Affairs, United Airlines
Papia Gambelin is the Managing Director of State & Local Government Affairs, Western Region for United Airlines. She is a nationally recognized executive in business, community, and government leadership. Prior to joining United Airlines to manage west coast government relations, Papia was president of Platinum Advisors’ Silicon Valley division, where she led political strategy and public affairs initiatives for respected Fortune 100 brands. She has developed political strategies, brokered partnerships between private firms and nonprofit associations, advised public agencies on communications plans, and represented developers and companies to gain approval of land use projects from local and state governments.
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Nathan Kopp, Director, Sports San Diego
Nathan Kopp is Director of Sports San Diego, the primary organization responsible for marketing San Diego as a sports destination and driving visitor demand through recruiting, supporting, and hosting world-class sports events. The organization launched in January 2022 with the support of the San Diego Tourism Authority and Tourism Marketing District. Nathan is an event professional with 14 years of experience working in sports within the collegiate, professional, Olympic, and endurance sectors. His event portfolio includes five Super Bowls, 2014 Sochi Paralympic Team Processing, 2015 Toronto Pan American Games, over 25 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series races, FIH World Cup, UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, and more.
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Danny Orloff, Tourism Marketing Director, Visit Redding
Danny Orloff is Tourism Marketing Director for Visit Redding—an organization with a mission to encourage tourism in Redding, where cultural entertainment, downtown dining, and top tier accommodations are just minutes from waterfall-filled hikes, cycling trails, and nationally celebrated kayaking and fishing. Danny grew up in the North State and graduated with a degree in Marketing from California State University, Chico. While attending CSU Chico, he created a clothing line called Fight the Stereotype. After graduating, he worked in the athletic industry holding positions as Store Manager Trainer for Finish Line and Product Manager, Consumer Experience Manager, and Marketing Specialist for NIKE. Danny is thrilled to bring his experience to highlight Redding and the North State.
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Where Can Travel Take You?
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To encourage those entering the workforce to consider careers in travel and tourism, CalTravel is launching an awareness campaign highlighting real life stories of opportunity and success from its diverse membership of destination management organizations, resorts, attractions, airports, and other businesses and nonprofits in the industry.
“Where Can Travel Take You?” is designed for Instagram Reels and TikTok, and will showcase self-made videos by professionals in the industry in an effort to reach the next generation of hospitality workers. In each video, a CalTravel member will highlight where the travel industry has taken them in life, showcasing unique opportunities and benefits afforded by their careers.
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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 gabriella@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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