Joe David Rice (left), the longest-serving state tourism director in the country—he has held the post for 29 years—has retired. Replacing him is former Little Rock Mayor Jim Dailey (right). The announcement of the appointment came at the end of the Arkansas Hospitality Association’s recent annual Gala Dinner. Dailey was Little Rock’s mayor from 1993 to 2006 and is the current chairman of the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission.
Effective Jan. 1, 2018, Matthias Lange will take over as managing director of the DER Reiseik online travel operation. He replaces Jomique de Vries, who has left the company at his own request. The 43-year-old Lange, who began his career as a salesperson and then worked for DB Vertrieb and STA Travel, will report to Dirk Tietz, chief digital and transformation officer of the DER Touristik Group.
Loïc Prouff has joined the French tour operator Solea as sales manager for Paris and Île-de-France. His mission is to enhance the tour operator’s product to travel agents. A 20-year veteran of the industry, Prouff has previously worked with STI Voyages and Royal Caribbean.
The Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC) has announced that Jim Marchbank will continue to lead the organization after being reappointed chair of the board of directors. The appointment was confirmed by Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor for a three-year period ending in September 2020. Marchbank has been a member of the OTMPC Board since September 24, 2008 and was first appointed as Chair in 2014. Previously he served as a director at Science North starting in 1982 before becoming CEO in 1987, a role he held until 2011.
