Melissa Cherry serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Destinations International and is responsible for the development and execution of the overall marketing and communications, information technology, meetings and education strategies to promote and elevate the Association's mission and brand to drive awareness of its impact to advance the success of the destination marketing industry worldwide.

Prior to joining Destinations International, Cherry was senior vice-president for marketing and cultural tourism at Choose Chicago. During her four-year tenure at the city’s official destination marketing organization, she led Choose Chicago’s domestic and international marketing strategies, including all efforts for brand strategy, integrated marketing, research, advertising, official publications and collateral, website, social media and event marketing. Cherry’s 20 years of experience in the industry includes prior positions at the Chicago History Museum and the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (then known as the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau).