Gathan is a 15-year veteran of the tourism industry, having spent time at Louisville Tourism in Louisville, KY in various marketing roles, before accepting the role of vice president of marketing at VisitLEX in July of 2015.

Gathan is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of all marketing and communications efforts. These initiatives will advise and facilitate engagement opportunities for partners and members, and position Destinations International as an industry thought leader across the globe. 

As a frequent industry speaker, he speaks at local, regional and national tourism conferences across the country on various marketing topics and trends and in 2021 was selected as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization” by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI).