Adam Burke has been named president and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism (formally, the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board). Burke, who joined the organization as chief operating officer in 2016, was named interim president and CEO in April 2020, succeeding the previous president and CEO, Ernest Wooden Jr., who retired in June, 2020.Prior to Los Angeles Tourism, Burke served as senior vice president of customer loyalty for Hilton Worldwide. At Hilton, he oversaw a network of more than 90 strategic partnerships in the travel, financial services and retail sectors
Mary Kay Vrba (left) is stepping down after more than a quarter of a century as president and CEO of Dutchess Tourism, the DMO for Dutchess County, New York, which is just 80 miles north of Manhattan. Melaine Rottkamp, who has been vice president of the agency for nearly four years, has been named to succeed Vrba.
Kurt Koch (right), CEO of TLT Urlaubsreisen, has stepped down from his post after 16 years in office. The company, a subsidiary of TUI Germany, encompasses the Take-Off, Holiday Profis and Feria brands and has a mobile travel sales channel. Koch will leave the company on September 30, at his own request, and will be replaced by André Repschinski.
Randy Newcomb has been hired as the new executive director of the Galesburg Tourism and Visitors Bureau in Illinois, a relatively new operation that was spun off from the Chamber of Commerce. Newcomb starts his new job on September 1st. Last December, Newcomb took early retirement as executive director of the Kentucky Lake CVB in Benton, a post he held for 18 years. He joined the bureau 23 years ago. “Honestly, I was just going to take a break for a little while, but I decided retirement was not for me,” said Newcomb. Galesburg was part of the Underground Railroad in the 19th century and is one of the only remaining sites of the Lincoln-Douglass.
The Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce board has named one of its own members—Christine Davis, owner of a store that features upscale cosmetics—as interim director of the Princeton Chamber and Tourism. She replaces Autumn Kirk, who had been hired last January to replace former director Kim Frey.
In Brazil, the tour operator CT Operadora, which has a number of Canadian products in its portfolio, has announced the hiring of Thiago Rodrigues as a new member of its promotion and marketing team. The announcement comes at a time when the company focuses its efforts on resuming and seeks to increase its market share. A veteran of more than 20 years in the travel and tourism industry, Thiago has worked for companies such as Freeway, TGK and more recently Terramundi.
Ray Snisky has been named president of Apple Leisure Group’s vacations division. The appointment comes as ALG says it continues to take measures to both safeguard its core infrastructure and strategically position itself for future success. According to a company statement, Snisky’s plans for the future center around increasing advisor satisfaction and business recovery. Snisky joined ALG two years ago and had served as executive vice president and chief commercial officer, vacations prior to his appointment. Previously, he had served as executive vice president of La Macchia Enterprises and as president of Funjet Vacations.
