Kyle Edmiston, CDME

Kyle Edmiston is the President/CEO of the Visit Lake Charles serving in that capacity since 2019. Previously, he was the Chief Operating Officer of the CVB, served for 6 years as the Director of the Louisiana Office of Tourism under two different Lt. Governor administrations and served for 6 ½ years as the President/CEO of Experience Ruston.

Kyle was awarded the Destinations International Destination Organizational Leadership Award for 2023 in the $3-$10 million budget category. He was awarded the Marion “Butch” Fox Advocacy Award by Louisiana Travel Association in 2022 and Visit Lake Charles was honored by LTA as the CVB of the Year for 2019 and 2022. In 2017, Kyle was honored as the National State Tourism Director of the Year by his colleagues and was named one of the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in the United States for Marketing by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). He was awarded the Southeast Tourism Society Rising Star Award in 2009 and earned his Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) from Destinations International in 2008.

Currently, he serves on the Executive Committee of the Destinations International Board of Directors as Secretary, and he is the Immediate Past-Chair of the Board for the Louisiana Travel Association and serves on their board. He is a past chair of the Brand USA Board of Directors, the Travel South USA Board of Directors, and the Louisiana Association of CVBs. He also serves on the U.S. Travel Association Board of Directors.