Board of Directors

In April 2021, Sonya transitioned from serving as Visit Sacramento’s longtime Chief Marketing Officer to the Chief of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. This position was created specifically to address the organization’s commitment to taking actions and creating change when it comes to DEI within Visit Sacramento, the tourism industry in the Sacramento region and beyond.

Domenic Bravo’s passion for the tourism industry and visitor engagement has been consistent throughout his nontraditional career path to his current position as the CEO of Visit Cheyenne. Domenic had a successful 20+ year career working in state park systems across the West, including 11 years as the state park administrator for Wyoming State Parks. He also spent a semester working as a professor at the University of Wyoming in the new Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management degree program, which he helped create.

Bennish Brown has served as President/CEO of Destination Augusta since July of 2018. 

He has led the organization through a destination rebrand, partnered with his Board of Directors on adopting a formal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion position for the organization, guided his Board through updating the organization’s Vision and Mission statement to reflect its evolving role, and championed the Destination NEXT (DNEXT) platform to develop Destination Augusta’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan.

A trusted advisor to leaders at many major destinations and travel brands around the world, David is President & CEO at Miles Partnership and has overseen the company’s transformation from a small regional publishing firm into the global strategic marketing consultancy it is today with more than 400 team members and 150 clients worldwide. Miles focuses exclusively on travel and tourism, providing clients with strategic solutions that range from marketing and communications to destination management and sustainability consulting.

As President and CEO of Visit Cincy (formerly known as the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau), Julie Calvert leads the region’s destination marketing and management organization. Her strategic vision and collaborative approach help maximize the size and impact of Cincinnati’s visitor economy and expand the region’s travel, tourism, and convention industries.

As Vice President of Marketing for Travel Manitoba, Cody leads dynamic marketing strategies that catapult Manitoba into the global spotlight. His innovative approach leverages cutting-edge trends and disruptive technologies to significantly boost visitation to the province, enhancing its reputation as a premier destination.

Victoria Cimino is an award-winning destination leader and brand expert, providing consulting services that ensure increased visitation and economic impact. Prior to establishing Cimino Consulting, she served as president and CEO of Visit Williamsburg, the official destination marketing organization for Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown, Virginia, where she provided expertise, 
leadership, and vision in all sales and marketing efforts.

Zeek Coleman is Vice President, Americas at Tourism Economics; an Oxford Economics company dedicated to understanding the relationship between travel and the economy.

Zeek spearheads the delivery of economic solutions to DMO, association, and corporate clients and has a reputation for his ability to translate complex data into meaningful insights.

Zeek loves to play basketball and once competed against Alonzo Mourning, Robert Horry & Antoine Walker on a reality TV show called, “Pros vs. Joes.”

In more than 15 years with MMGY Global, Craig Compagnone has played a lead role in shaping account and brand planning, client strategy, marketing technology and business development for the company. As chief operating officer and part of a four-member global leadership team, Craig oversees company operations, business strategy and staff support for 10 international offices, seven operating brands and a stack of services that support more than 400 clients across five continents.

SANTIAGO C. CORRADA is an accomplished, recognized leader with over twenty five years of public service experience, with proven success in effectively and efficiently transforming the professional culture of many diverse institutions.  His outstanding relationship building skills result in the resolution of highly complex issues through consensus.  Corrada has the demonstrated ability to soundly and fiscally manage a convention center resulting in record surplus revenues.

Erin Francis-Cummings, President & CEO of Destination Analysts, has spent the last nearly two decades studying travelers from across the globe and translating their evolving, complex, and fascinating behaviors and opinions into marketing insights for Destination Analysts’ more than 200 clients. Erin has designed research strategy and facilitated consumer research for some of the world’s greatest destination brands, from Bermuda to Fiji, Florida to California.

Ryan George is a Tucson native and graduate of the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona.  In 2001 he co-founded simpleview, drawing his dual degree in Accounting and Management Information Systems as well as five years of professional experience as a governmental auditor and IT Director at a regional accounting firm.  

Yrjötapio ”Y.t.” Kivisaari has served as President and CEO of Visit Oulu since 2021. Oulu is the Cultural Capital of Europe 2026 and the fifth largest city in Finland.

Lyn Lewis-Smith is CEO of BESydney and leads a global team of professionals spanning Europe, North America and Asia who are charged with securing global meetings of strategic, economic and social benefit to Sydney, Australia. The organisation works across sectors which include infrastructure, technology, professional services, advanced manufacturing, education and health.

Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, serves as the President and CEO of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), where she is focused on advancing the professional practice of association management. Prior to ASAE, Michelle served as the President and CEO of Association Forum for seven years; as Managing Director of Strategy and Innovation at the American Society for Quality (ASQ); and Vice President of Strategic and Future Focused Research Programs at ASAE.

Kristin McGrath, Executive Director of the Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau since April 2022, has more than 25 years of tourism industry experience, specializing in destination management, sales, and marketing. Prior to making the move to Pasadena, she held sales leadership positions at Visit Albuquerque, Richmond Region Tourism, and the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Since 2015, Rose Noble has been an essential member in the travel and tourism industry. Currently serving as the CEO at Visit Spokane, the official Destination Organization for the City of Spokane and Spokane County, Washington, she is the key decision-maker for marketing, sales, and public relations strategies. In addition to executing all the bureau's strategic planning initiatives, she also holds responsibility for overseeing destination advocacy and community engagement in her current role.

Brett Oetting is the President & CEO of Visit Corpus Christi, the largest Destination Management Organization on the Texas coast with a team of 30+ award winning tourism professionals responsible for driving an annual economic growth to the Coastal Bend.

In Brett’s time in South Texas, he led Visit Corpus Christi to become one of less than 30 DMO’s worldwide with Destinations International DMAP with Distinction international accreditation and became one of only two DMO leaders in the country to create Tourism Public Improvement Districts (TPID) in two different cities.

Bringing 30+ years of Travel Industry experience, Steven Paganelli joined Tripadvisor in January 2013 now serving as Director of Destinations, Hotels, & OTAs, Americas. In his role, Steve spearheads innovative ways to connect DMOs, Hotels, and OTAs with a ½ billion monthly Tripadvisor travelers, supports a seasoned sales team, and manages strategic relationships with key industry organizations.

Kristen Jarnagin Reynolds has been at the helm of Discover Long Island, the official regional organization charged with furthering Long Island’s $6.3 billion tourism economy, for more than six years. A transplant from Arizona, her experience as a destination leader spans more than 25 years in roles at the state tourism level, in corporate and luxury resorts and as the statewide lobbyist for tourism and economic development advocacy.

Martha J. Sheridan is President & CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB).

As the CEO of Tourism Richmond, British Columbia’s 4th largest Destination Marketing & Management Organization, Nancy specializes in strategic planning, destination development, stakeholder engagement, business development and marketing strategy. 

Sara Toliver, CDME, is President/CEO of Visit Ogden. Visit Ogden is the DMO for Weber County in northern Utah.