Rasheeda Martin
Rasheeda Martin currently serves as the Senior Director of External Relations at Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (VAAAC), where she oversees the sales, services, external communications, and partnership teams, working to strengthen relationships with government entities, industry partners, and local communities. Prior to joining VAAAC, Martin spent over seven years with Explore York, a destination marketing organization based in York, Pennsylvania, ultimately serving as Director of Sales, Services & Partnerships. During her tenure at Explore York, Martin led a team focused on increasing visitation and hotel room nights in York County through sports, meetings, group tours and international travel. Through her various roles within the organization, she gained a unique perspective into the needs of hosting organizations and worked with rights holders to execute events. Combining her passion for sports, as a former Division I athlete in lacrosse, with her results-driven tourism experience, she worked on numerous high-profile sports projects, including the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s Indoor Winter Games, PDGA Amateur Disc Golf World Championships, the International Senior Softball Association’s Senior Classic, and heavily promoted the Memorial Park Sports Complex, a 72-acre sports facility featuring eight softball fields, a skate park, batting cages, volleyball courts and more. At Explore York, Martin was recognized for her exceptional performance in surpassing sales targets, achieving consistent revenue growth, and elevating sports tourism as a key driver of local tourism. Her strategic insight and customer-centric approach significantly increased visitor spending and enhanced York County’s reputation as a premier sports tourism destination. Additionally, Martin holds an STS (Sports Tourism Strategist) accreditation from the Sports Events & Tourism Association, highlighting her commitment to excellence in the field and in 2025, she joined the Destination’s International Advisory Leadership Board.