Board of Directors

Destinations International is driven by volunteer leadership. The members of our volunteer boards and committees truly play an important role in helping us achieve our mission to empower our members so that their destinations can excel.

We are a tax exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(6), and governed by a 34-member Board of Directors which directs the affairs of the association, determines policies, actively pursues its purpose and supervises the disbursements of funds.

Executive Committee

Scott White

President & CEO, Visit Greater Palm Springs

Association Chair

Leslie Bruce, CDME

President & CEO, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism

Association Chair Elect

Kyle Edmiston, CDME

President & CEO, Visit Lake Charles

Association Treasurer

Rickey Thigpen, MCTP, Ph.D

President & CEO, Visit Jackson

Association Secretary

Al Hutchinson

President & CEO, Visit Baltimore

Immediate Past Chair

Monica Smith, CMP, CASE, CDME

President & CEO, Southeast Tourism Society

Director at Large

Fred Dixon

President & CEO, Brand USA

Director at Large

Beth Erickson, CDME

President & CEO, Visit Loudoun

Director at Large

Bethanie DeRose, CDME

Executive Vice President, Hunden Partners

Ex Officio

Board of Directors

Sonya Bradley

Chief of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Visit Sacramento

Domenic Bravo, CDME, CTA, CPM

CEO, Visit Cheyenne

Bennish Brown

President & CEO, Destination Augusta

David Burgess

President & CEO, Miles Partnership

Julie Calvert

President & CEO, Visit Cincy

Cody Chomiak, CDME

Vice President of Marketing, Travel Manitoba

Victoria Cimino

Principal, Cimino Consulting

Zeek Coleman

Vice President, Americas, Tourism Economics

Craig Compagnone

Chief Operating Officer, MMGY Global

Santiago Corrada

President & CEO, Visit Tampa Bay

Karen Fisher,CDME

Chief Financial Officer, Visit Pittsburgh

Erin Francis-Cummings

President & CEO, Future Partners

Ryan George

Chief Executive Officer, Simpleview

Yrjötapio "YT" Kivisaari

CEO, Visit Oulu

Lyn Lewis Smith

President & CEO, Business Events Sydney

Michelle Mason, CAE, FASAE, CQIA

President & CEO, ASAE

Kristin McGrath, CDME

Executive Director, Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau

Rose Noble, CDME

President & CEO, Visit Spokane

Brett Oetting, CDME

Chief Operating Officer, Visit KC

Steven Paganelli, CDME

Senior Director, Americas Sales, Tripadvisor

Foundation Secretary/Treasurer

Kristen Reynolds, CDME

President & CEO, Discover Long Island

Martha Sheridan

President & CEO, Meet Boston

Foundation Chair Elect

Nancy Small

CEO, Tourism Richmond

Sara Toliver, CDME

President & CEO, Visit Ogden

Upcoming Board Meetings

The Destinations International Board of Directors will be meeting on the following dates:

Q4 2024: December 11, 2024, in Chicago, IL
Q1 2025: February 27, 2025, Virtual
Q2 2025: March 23, 2025, in Savannah, GA
Q3 2025: July 8, 2025, in Chicago, IL
Q4 2025: December 10, 2025, TBD