Marc Anderson has been promoted from his position as chief sales officer of Choose Chicago to the post of executive vice president of the organization. A 24-year veteran of the travel and tourism industry, Anderson had served for the organization, previously known as the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, from 2002 to 2007 He then served more than eight years with The Peninsula Hotels from 2007-2015 as a regional director of marketing, returning to Choose Chicago in early 205.
Jennifer Rudolph has left her post as communications director for Colorado Ski County—she had been in the post for nearly nine year—to join POWDR, one of the largest ski resort operators in North America, where she is involved in the company’s corporate communications efforts.
Benjamin Maddy has been named director of travel and tourism sales at The Madison Square Garden Company in New York City. Well-known in the tour and travel scene in New York, Maddy joins the Garden from Discovery Times Square, where he was director of sales and tourism. Prior to this, he had served as national marketing and tourism sales manager for Dave & Busters.
Dionne Hulsey has joined Visit Spokane as the organization’s new director of national accounts, Central Region. Hulsey, who will be based in Chicago, has a CV that includes tenures at Tourisme Montreal and Ottawa Tourism, as well as managing her own hospitality sales and marketing company.
Michelle Moore has been appointed director of sales for Experience Kissimmee. An industry veteran with more than 14 years of experience, Moore spent the previous 10 years with Visit Orlando in a variety of sales positions, with the most recent as destination services senior manager. Her career experience in Central Florida also includes sales positions with The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes and the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress.
Simon Lehman has been named president of Phocuswright, a well-known travel industry research organization that is a division of the Northstar Travel Group. A 25-year veteran of the industry, Lehmann most recently served as CEO of Biketec AG and Interhome AG. He has also held executive positions at Swissport and Hotelplan Group. Northstart is the parent company of brands that include Meetings & Conventions, Successful Meetings and Meeting News and Incentive.
Miles Phillips, an outdoor recreation expert at Texas A&M University Extension, has been hired by Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon State University Extension Service where his top priority will be to use Extension’s research-and-outreach-based approach to combine the many arms of the area’s tourism industry into one alliance. At Texaa A&M, his work brought together elements of the agriculture, forestry, natural resources and adventure industries to create a cohesive and sustainable tourism program.
Noelani Schilling-Wheeler has been appointed executive director of the Oahu Visitors Bureau. Schilling-Wheeler succeeds Les Enderton, who is retiring at the end of this year after leading the bureau for nearly 20 years. Schilling-Wheeler is being promoted from her position as senior director of sales and marketing, a title she has held since January 2005. She joined the visitors bureau in December 1997 as director of sales and marketing.
Reegan McCullough is leaving his post as executive director of the Oilsands Community Alliance in Alberta, to take over as CEO of The Niagara Parks Commission, which operates the parks and public spaces along the Niagara River and at the Falls. McCullough replaces former general manager John Lohuis, who retired at the end of August. Prior to his current role, Reegan served as assistant deputy minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation for the Province of Alberta. McCullough will assume his duties as CEO on Nov.7.
