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2006 Speakers
BERKELEY W. YOUNG Young's experience includes serving as the Executive Director of a rural tourism development authority (CVB) and chamber of commerce in which he oversaw the creation and success of a start up research-based tourism marketing program. Then, Young was hired as Director of Sales and quickly promoted to General Manager of a large golf resort managed by the nation's largest hotel management company. Young joined Randall Travel Marketing, Inc. in 1998 as Director of Client Services and served as Vice President from 2000 to 2004. In 2004 Young formed his own Charlotte, NC based company focusing on research and strategic planning for all aspects of the tourism industry. Young's firm continues to partner with Randall Travel Marketing and specializes in working with City and County governments in the development of local tourism infrastructure, branding and marketing. In the last eight years Young has worked with communities in twenty-one states and is a popular speaker at regional and national conferences and conventions. Travel & Tourism Publications
CURT COTTLE Curt Cottle is a consultant based in Columbia, S.C. , with more than 20 years experience in marketing and communications, as well as economic and community development. His expertise also includes local leadership and board development; heritage and cultural tourism development; fund-raising strategy and implementation; public policy development and advocacy. Current clients include state tourism offices, heritage areas and communities interested in asset-based strategies for development. He was the first and only director of the Office of Heritage Tourism Development at the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. He also was the founding president of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, which his office later managed under an agreement with the nonprofit board of directors. The Corridor is a national heritage area representing 14 counties across western South Carolina , with more than $10 million in project and operating funding during his tenure. Representing the Corridor, Curt served on the Executive Committee of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas, for which he was the founding secretary-treasurer, 2001 national conference chairman and project leader for the creation of the Alliance 's Heritage Development Institute. He also represented the group to Partners in Tourism: Culture & Commerce. Curt served as co-chair for the heritage managers group of Travel South, a joint marketing effort of 12 southeastern states, and serves on the Steering Committee of the Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance. In 2002-03, Curt chaired an ad hoc committee of state heritage tourism directors in an effort to define priorities and opportunities for the states in the field of cultural heritage tourism. Curt holds a master's degree from Harvard University 's Kennedy School of Government, as well as a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina . In addition to having served on more than 20 boards for national, state and community organizations, Curt recently co-taught Community Development and Local Leadership as part of the University of South Carolina's master's program in public administration.
RANDY I. COHEN Randy Cohen is vice president of research and information at Americans for the Arts—the national organization advancing the arts in America —where he has directed the research and arts policy information initiatives since 1991. While at Americans for the Arts, Randy produced the two benchmark economic studies of the U.S. arts industry: Creative Industries: Business & Employment in the Arts, a research and mapping study of the nation's arts businesses using Dun & Bradstreet data; and Arts & Economic Prosperity, the most comprehensive economic impact study of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences ever conducted. He established the Institute for Community Development and the Arts, which researches and publishes how the arts address social, educational, and economic development issues; edited the award-winning Monograph series; and published numerous reports about local arts agencies, united arts funds, arts education, and public and private sector support for the arts. Randy worked in partnership with the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to produce Coming Up Taller the White House report documenting 225 arts programs for youth-at-risk and with the U.S. Department of Justice to produce the YouthARTS Project, the first national study to statistically document the impact of arts programs on at-risk youth. Randy is a spokesman for Americans for the Arts on arts research and policy issues. He has given speeches in 45 states and regularly appears in arts news stories including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, BBC, and on CNN. Prior to joining Americans for the Arts, Randy worked as a policy and planning specialist for the National Endowment for the Arts; founded the San Diego Theatre for Young Audiences and served as its managing director; and worked in medical research for Stanford, Scripps Clinic, and NASA. Randy is currently chairman of the Takoma Park Arts & Humanities Commission, a municipal cultural agency in Maryland.
ANA KOVAL Ana B. Koval, President/CEO of the Canal Corridor Association has worked in the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor since 1996. Ana has served as the project director on several projects in addition to her management and fundraising responsibilities. Ms. Koval has a background in historic preservation and regional planning. She joined the Association in 1996 after running a historic preservation business Nevada and California , Rainshadow Associates, since 1983 and managing over 150 projects in historic preservation and heritage tourism. Two of her projects received a National Trust Honor Award in 1994 and an American Planning Association-Nevada Chapter Planning Award in 1993. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and an emeritus member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Board of Advisors. She is a founder and past President of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas, a coalition of national heritage areas.
SHELDON SNODGRASS Sheldon Snodgrass launched his professional career out of a Military cargo plane at the US Army Airborne School in 1987. After four years as an Army officer, Sheldon advanced through various professional roles in the sales and marketing arena. He cut his teeth as a commission-only sales representative in Boston where his success led to a promotion as a sales trainer for the world's third largest travel franchise company (Uniglobe Travel). He then moved his young family to Western Massachusetts where he spearheaded the strategic marketing efforts of a spin-off entity for the largest utility company in New England (Northeast Utilities). Sheldon was then recruited to the technology sector, working first to create a sales organization in a boutique software company (REMI), then as an account executive for a global information technology consultancy (Covansys, stock ticker: cvns). When Covansys moved its Springfield branch to NYC, Sheldon remained in the Pioneer Valley , where he had discovered boundless opportunities to provide sales and marketing know-how to small companies. Along the way he earned an MBA from UMass Amherst, became a certified Entrepreneurial Business Planning Instructor through the NxLevel Educational Foundation. Sheldon is also a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach, a designation earned in the only program of it's kind endorsed by world famous Author, Jay Conrad Levinson, the creator of the Guerrilla Marketing series of books. He has parlayed his affection for small businesses, his corporate sales and marketing experience, and continuous professional development to create his own consulting firm called The Steady Sales Group. He now specializes in helping people get a dollar out of every dime spent on sales and marketing. Lest he be to consumed with work, his two young daughters and roles as a ski instructor and white water rafting guide keep him focused on matters of the heart. Mr. Snodgrass also volunteers his time as a support group facilitator for the Men's Resource Center of Western Massachusetts.
BARBARA STEINFELD Barbara is the Director of Tourism for the Portland Oregon Visitors Association. Until recently, she was the cultural tourism director there for 7 ½ years, the fourth one in the country to be hired by a visitors bureau. Barbara has a BA in anthropology from Northwestern University , 30 years of tourism marketing experience and an appreciation for all art forms. She moved to Portland in 1997 from Florida where she worked in international tourism for nine years, particularly in Latin America and Europe , with the Tampa Convention & Visitors Bureau. Previously Barbara was a development consultant in the Nebraska Department of Economic Development's Tourism Division. Originally from Omaha , Barbara spent eight years in Israel where she worked as a tour guide, a community development officer for Save the Children and with turkeys. (Yes, the gobble, gobble kind!) Barbara is a founding member and current chair of the Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance, a Certified Tour Professional of the National Tourism Association, happily serves on the Board of Directors of the Travel Industry Association of America's National Attractions Council and sings in the Portland Symphonic Choir.
NEAL SHOEMAKER Neal Shoemaker, President of Harlem Heritage Tours has been the guiding force behind Harlem Heritage Tours since it's inception in 1998. Shoemaker started the company in an effort to provide tourists with authentic experiences and to use the industry of tourism as a tool to preserve Harlem 's history and strengthen the community's economy. Having been born and raised in the community, Shoemaker is very committed to helping change the perception that people have of Harlem . Harlem Heritage Tours offers a wide range of tours. All of the experiences are developed with uniqueness, cultural preservation and authenticity in mind. On any given day or night you can catch members of the Harlem Heritage staff with a group taking in "The Roots Of Harlem Multimedia Bus Tour", "Jazz Nights in Harlem", "Harlem Renaissance Day Trip", "Boys Choir of Harlem", and many other excursions. Shoemaker and Harlem Heritage Tours have been featured on Good Day New York, C-Span and NY1. The company has also been showcased in the New York Times, Amsterdam News, USA Today, Time Out New York , Newsweek, Harlem Times and City Guide Magazine. Shoemaker holds a B.A. in Communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo, with a minor in African-American Studies. In addition to his business endeavors, Shoemaker is an avid volunteer supporting many of the not-for-profit organizations in his community.
TERRY OLSON Terry Olson has been involved in shaping the arts in Orlando for more than 20 years. He came to Central Florida with SAK Theatre, a company he had co-founded and eventually managed for 21 years. SAK helped open Walt Disney World's Epcot Center and had troupes performing there for seven years before Terry's company opened the SAK Comedy Lab in Downtown Orlando. He has helped start and run more than a dozen arts groups including the Orlando Theatre Project, the Orlando International Fringe Festival, the Central Florida Theatre Alliance, the Downtown Arts District and the new Orange County office of Arts & Cultural Affairs where he serves as its first Director. He has traveled as a producer and performer to cities across North America, the British Isles and Australia and is a fervent cultural and heritage tourist to this day. He attends as many as 40 arts events each month.
SHELTON G. STANFILL Shelton g. Stanfill retired in 2006 after serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia . He put a life long passion for the arts into action by guiding the Woodruff Arts Center to creative and financial success when he joined the staff in 1996. It is a legacy of prosperity he has left throughout his career. During his tenure he grew Woodruff to be the largest arts center in the Southeast by making it home to five divisions, including the Atlanta College of Art, Alliance Theatre Company, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art and 14th Street Playhouse and second among the United States arts centers in revenues. He presided over more than 1,200 exhibits and performances annually and governed the addition of more than 280,000 square feet of new visual/performing and educational space making the Woodruff the third largest arts center in the country in square footage dedicated to the arts. After serving as director of the National Arts Festival, XII Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria in 1967through 1971 and 1973 through 1981, he worked as the director of cultural programs at Colorado State University from 1981to 1988, for the next five years he was the executive director of the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth College; in 1994 he became president and chief executive officer of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts near Washington, D.C.; and finally, president of the Music Center of Los Angeles County, the third-largest performing arts center in the country. Highlights of the roughly 12,000 programs presented during his career have included the Bolshoi Opera, Paris Opera Ballet, No Theatre of Japan, The Rolling Stones, Dizzy Gillespie and the Thomas Moran-100 Years of Yellowstone Park Exhibition. One of Shelton 's strongly held beliefs is that an important step Atlanta needs to take – in order to be fully cosmopolitan – is to leverage the arts as an economic and community development engine. He initiated the addition of a cultural tourism department within the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau in 1998 and served as its board chair until 2003.He served as Chairman of the Board for the Midtown Alliance in Atlanta until 2005, providing guidance to what has become the arts and cultural district of Atlanta and the poster child for "new urbanism" in Atlanta. A strong proponent for diversity within the arts, Shelton developed the Woodruff's Celebrate Diversity Through the Arts initiative and played an integral role in its growth. Shelton was awarded the 2006 Most Notable Georgians Award by Georgia Trend Magazine. In 2004, he was honored by the International Society for the Performing Arts Foundation's, Patrick Hayes Award for life-long achievements. He is also a recipient of the Atlanta Business Chronicle's, Atlanta 's Most Influential Award, in addition to receiving the Williams E. Morgan Achievement Award, University of Colorado . He also serves on the Board of Counselors for The Carter Center; and the Boards of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Cities Foundation, Atlanta Civic League, National Film Preserve, Peachtree Corridor Task Force, Russian-American Cultural Foundation and the International Society of Arts Presenters.
LENWOOD SLOAN After thirty five years of national and international service to cultural and heritage programs, Lenwood Sloan returns to the State of Pennsylvania to serve as Director of Cultural and Heritage Tourism. Mr. Sloan, a graduate of Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh , received his undergraduate training at Temple University in Philadelphia . In 1970 he left Pennsylvania to pursue a professional career in the performing arts. During the past thirty five years he has trained with the Joffrey Ballet Company, the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, the Martha Graham School , and the prestigious London Contemporary Dance Center . In addition, he has received fellowships as choreographer, artistic director, and playwright from the City of San Francisco , the states of California and Louisiana , and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2003, Mr. Sloan received a prestigious fellowship to the Lincoln Center Directing Lab. His choreo-drama, "The Vo-Du Macbeth" was selected in 2004 as one of the ten new works of the south by Southern Repertory Theater, of New Orleans and Gambit Magazine. His administrative credits include directing the Dance on Film Program for the City of San Francisco , and serving regional coordinator for the State of California , Deputy Director of the California Arts Council, Co chair of the New York State Council on the Arts- Presenting Panel, and National Presenting and Commissioning Program Director for the National Endowment of the Arts. From 1996-2000 Mr. Sloan received the Industry Professional of the Year Award from the Louisiana Travel and Promotion Association, served as artistic director for the American Society of Travel Agents National Conference, received two Gambit Magazine Business Awards for Heritage Tourism, and managed the Arts Heritage Tourism Program for the City of New Orleans. In addition, Mr. Sloan served on the board of directors of Southern Arts Federation. Mr. Sloan is well known for his historical recreations of legendary African Americans. He served as researcher, choreographer and on air talent for the Emmy award winning production of Ethnic Notions, Wrote a series of celebrated articles on the Black and Irish experience in American soon to be included in the University of Virginia's publication, "Re-imaging Ireland", and served as choreographer for the original New York and national touring productions of "Williams and Walker". Recently Mr. Sloan served as choreographer for WITF Harrisburg's award winning documentary on Stephen Foster, and has been a frequent lecturer at Carnegie-Mellon Institute, Heinz School of Arts Management, in Pittsburgh.
STEPHANIE HUGHLEY Since 1999, Stephanie S. Hughley, Executive Producer of the National Black Arts Festival has been responsible for creating and developing the unique artistic vision of the Festival. As the chief executive officer and in consultation with the Board of Directors, Ms. Hughley is responsible for the development of the Festival's strategic vision and she serves as the official spokesperson for the institution. The scope of her responsibility includes artistic and programmatic policy, external and community relations, fund development and strategic planning, as well as operational, financial and administrative management. She is a relationship builder who maintains a high professional profile and is able to access financial resources and develop unique collaborative ventures with other organizations, public and private, for profit and non-profit. Ms. Hughley previously served the Atlanta cultural community from 1987 through 1992, as the founding Artistic Director of the National Black Arts Festival (NBAF). During that period, she conceptualized and implemented the artistic content for each festival, which spread across eight artistic disciplines. Ms. Hughley was the Theatre and Dance Producer for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Cultural Olympiad. She played an integral role in creating the Olympic Arts Festival featuring culture and entertainment events that preceded and ran concurrently with the 1996 Olympic Games as well as other cultural festivals leading up to the Olympics including Norway (1992), A Mexican Tapestry (1992) and Celebration Africa (1994). Prior to her first move to Atlanta , Ms. Hughley was the General Manager of the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) in New York City . During her time at NEC, Ms. Hughley mounted and supervised twelve original productions as well as four national and international tours. From 1995 to 1999, she held the position of Vice President of Programming at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). Earlier in her career, Ms. Hughley worked extensively on Broadway as the Company and General Manager for a variety of successful productions including Your Arms Too Short to Box with God, Ain't Misbehavin', For Colored Girls…, A Lesson from Aloes and Bubblin' Brown Sugar. She was also a professional dancer with a number of esteemed companies including the Dance Theater of Boston and the African/Caribbean and Ballet Companies of Boston 's National Center of Afro-American Artists at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts. Ms. Hughley, a graduate of Kent State University (B.S.) and Antioch College (M.Ed.), currently serves on the board of Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition (MAACC) & Atlanta Convention Center and Visitors Bureau (ACVB). She is a member of the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers, and acts as a consultant to a number of performing arts institutions including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and National Music Center in Washington, D.C.
ALF NUCIFORA A native of Brisbane, Australia, Alf Nucifora graduated from the University of Queensland with a B.A. Degree. He furthered his formal education in the United States , attending the Harvard Business School , where he earned an M.B.A. Degree. Alf entered the advertising and marketing business on the corporate side working for two Fortune 500 companies, first in Australia and then in the United States. He then made the move to the advertising business and later advanced into agency management. Currently, he serves as principal of a marketing consulting firm, having "retired" from the responsibilities as Chairman of the Southeast office of a $310 million advertising agency in 1990. Alf, who is an avid spokesperson for the continued growth and success of the marketing communications industry, gives 100+ speeches and seminars a year dedicated to sales, marketing and communications to Fortune 500 companies, organizations and associations across the country and abroad.
ANDREW YOUNG Ambassador Young is a founding principal and Chairman of GoodWorks International. He has brought his long-held mission of facilitating economic development in the Caribbean and in Africa to an active role in GoodWorks. Ambassador Young has held a wide variety of leadership positions over the past several decades. Beginning his career as an ordained minister and top aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the civil rights movement, he went on to be elected to three terms as a United State Congressman before being appointed as the United States' Ambassador to the United Nations. Subsequently, he served two terms as the Mayor of Atlanta and assumed a leadership position as Co-Chairman of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Ambassador Young as Chairman of the $100 million Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund. Ambassador Young remains active in community matters. He often sets time aside to talk to various schools and universities on a range of issues. He participates in events that foster sound public policy, economic development, human rights and education. Ambassador Young travels extensively to meet with officials and other individuals interested in improving the economic situation in Africa and the Caribbean. He has headed numerous missions to the continent of Africa and continues to use his extensive network to facilitate new business developments. His interest in international affairs is not limited to Africa and the Caribbean. He speaks and attends conferences focusing on global affairs. Boards
DAN ROWE Dan Rowe is the Deputy Commissioner for Tourism for the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), the state agency that markets Georgia's business and tourism assets globally. Rowe oversees the activities of the department's Tourism Division, which works to promote Georgia as a first-rate travel, meetings and convention destination, thereby enhancing the state's economic climate and improving the quality of life for Georgia citizens. His responsibilities include oversight of a worldwide marketing program to promote Georgia as a destination for leisure and business travel and attract capital investment for tourism development. Tourism representatives are located throughout the state, plus Germany and the United Kingdom. In 2005, the tourism industry generated over $28 billion in travel spending in Georgia. Rowe is the liaison between Georgia's public, private and industry tourism partners and state efforts. He is the Executive Director of Georgia's Tourism Foundation, which pools the state's tourism marketing resources and leverages the private sector to support the growth of tourism in Georgia. Rowe's extensive experience includes nearly two decades in resort management, marketing and tourism consulting. He most recently served as the Chief Executive and Managing Director of the Tourism Development Alliance of Georgia (TDAG), the state's leading tourism policy and advocacy organization. Rowe also co-founded Banyan Tree Consulting Group, a public affairs and marketing company that specializes in working with tourism clients. In previous years, Rowe served successful stints at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Brasstown Valley Resort and Aspen Skiing Company. In 2003, he received the Larry Allen Award for Tourism Excellence at the annual Governor's Tourism Conference in recognition of outstanding support and leadership in Georgia tourism.
WILLIAM M. "BILL" NIX William M. Nix is currently Vice President for Marketing and Governmental Affairs for the Palm Beach County Cultural Council . He is responsible for planning and overseeing programs in marketing, public relations, and advocacy on behalf of the cultural industry. As part of the Tourist Development Council, Bill is responsible for promoting cultural tourism on a local, regional, and national basis. Since joining the Cultural Council in 1998, he also implemented multicultural initiatives and cultural programs which impact children. Bill hosts Arts and Attractions Alive, a weekly radio show, and Cultural Capital, a weekly television program on arts and culture in Palm Beach County . Bill serves on a number of regional committees on behalf of the Council including the South Florida Cultural Consortium, Florida Association of Local Arts Agencies, the Cultural and Heritage Tourism Committee of Visit Florida, the public/private tourism agency for the state of Florida , and is a member of the National Steering Committee of the Cultural and Heritage Tourism Alliance. Bill is a business administration graduate of Morehouse College , holds an MBA degree in Finance from Northwestern University , and additional Executive Education at Cornell University . He worked for the IBM Corporation for 20 years in strategic and financial planning management before leaving in 1987 to open Nix Communications Group, Inc. He has been a speaker, college teacher, management instructor and has served on a number of local civic and social boards. Bill is originally from Atlanta GA , married to Deborah, a school counselor, and has a son, William.
DR. ANDY AMBROSE Dr. Andy Ambrose is the new Executive Director of the Tubman African American Museum in Macon, Georgia . Prior to this appointment, Dr. Ambrose was employed for fourteen years at the Atlanta History Center, where he served in numerous capacities and as an administrator of a large number of History Center departments and divisions, As Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the AHC, Ambrose oversaw exhibitions, education and programs, museum collections, two historic houses (Swan House and Tullie Smith farm), the gardens department, and the James G. Kenan Research Center. In addition to his museum administrative responsibilities, Dr. Ambrose has authored magazine and journal articles and two books – Atlanta: An Illustrated History and Metropolitan Frontiers (co-authored with Dr. Darlene Roth). He is also the co-editor of a recently-published book from the University of Georgia press entitled The South in the Twentieth Century. While at the History Center , Dr. Ambrose curated several exhibits, served as the associate editor of Atlanta History: A Journal of Georgia and the South and taught college classes and courses on historical research and public history. He is currently co-curating an exhibit on the 1906 Atlanta race riot that will open at the Martin Luther King National Historic Site Visitors Center in September 2006. Dr. Ambrose holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in history from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D in American Studies from Emory University . His doctoral dissertation, entitled "Redrawing the Color Line," examined residential segregation and the history and patterns of black housing in Atlanta from 1940 to 1973. Other areas of research interest and publication include southern history, African American history, women's history, public history, museum studies, and urban studies.
LAWRENCE J. PIJEAUX, Jr., Ed.D. The Institute is a state-of-the-art, multi-media facility housing exhibitions of historical events from post-World War I racial segregation to present-day racial progress. A native of New Orleans , Louisiana , Pijeaux received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA ; a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA ; and a Doctor of Education Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS . He has completed post-graduate work at The Getty Leadership Institute for Museum Management on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley . He has affiliations with several professional and civic organizations including the American Association for State and Local History, American Association of Museums, Alabama Museums Association, Birmingham Area Museums Association and the Southeastern Museums Conference. Pijeaux is active on the boards of several civic and cultural organizations including United Way of Central Alabama, Inc., Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel Advisory Board, Rotary International and 100 Black Men of Birmingham. In December 2004, Pijeaux was elected to a three-year term as President of the Association of African American Museums. Pijeaux was selected the Alabama Tourism Executive of the Year in August 2006 by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is accredited by the American Association of Museums
SHEL HOLTZ, ABC Shel Holtz, ABC (Accredited Business Communicator), is principal of Holtz Communication + Technology, which focuses on helping organizations apply online communication capabilities to their strategic organizational communications. His clients have included CIGNA, AT&T, IBM Global Services, Sears, the Alzheimer's Association, Kimberly Clark Corporation, Scholastic Inc., Alcan, EDS, Aetna, Tennessee Valley Authority, BellSouth, John Deere, Deloitte & Touche, Manulife Financial, Hewitt Associates, General Mills, Prudential, Rockwell, Allstate Insurance, USAA, Applied Materials and Monsanto. Before forming Holtz Communication + Technology in February 1996, Shel was senior communications consultant and the communications practice leader for Alexander & Alexander Consulting Group in San Francisco, California . (A&ACG has since been acquired by Aon Consulting.) Shel has nearly 30 years of organizational communications experience in both corporate and consulting environments. He is a five-time winner of IABC's Gold Quill award (most recently winning in 1997 for external Web sites), and was named IABC/ Los Angeles 's Communicator of the Year in 1988. In 2005, Shel was named an IABC Fellow, the highest honor IABC confers on its members. Based on his knowledge and experience, he wrote "Corporate Conversations," a guide to employee communications, published by Amacom. "Public Relations on the Net," published by AMACOM and recently issued in an updated second edition, and "The Intranet Advantage," published by Ziff-Davis Press. He also wrote the manuals, "Communication and Technology" and "Communicator's Guide to Intranets," published by Ragan Communications and "Writing for the Wired World," published by IABC. Shel graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in Journalism from California State University , Northridge, in 1976. He lives with his wife, Michele, and his daughter, Rachel. His son, Benjamin, serves in the US Army with the 101st Airborne.
TRACEY WICKERSHAM Tracey is the Director of Cultural Tourism for Seattle's Convention & Visitors Bureau, where her charge is to promote Seattle as a preferred destination to potential visitors interested in art, heritage and culture. Previously, Tracey was the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for The 5 th Avenue Theatre, one of the nation's largest subscription-based theatre companies, and birthplace of the current Broadway hit Hairspray. As the former Cultural Programs Manager for the City of Kent, she provided leadership for comprehensive municipal cultural programs including festivals, professional performing arts events, a percent for public art program, community grants, art exhibits and arts education. Tracey has a BA in International Studies and French from the University of Puget Sound, a Certificate of French Studies from L'Institut d'Etudes Francaises de Touraine, and 18 years of arts marketing and arts administration experience. She serves on the steering committee of the national Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance, many local arts and cultural marketing committees, and on the Board of Directors of Plymouth Housing Group, and award-winning nonprofit developer of housing for very low income and formerly homeless people. For the last 16-plus years, Tracey has fostered her love of music through her weekly volunteer radio programmer position at KBCS 91.3 FM as the host of Womanotes. She attends hundreds of cultural events each year, both at home and while traveling, and she considers the need to be informed and aware of all of Seattle's arts and cultural offerings to be a delightful requirement of her job.
JANIS DOFNER Janis Dofner has served as Director of Communications for Steel Industry Heritage Corporation since 2001. She is responsible for communicating the mission and accomplishments of the SIHC and promoting its programs and products through print and electronic media. In addition, she is responsible for the management of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Areas tour program and for the content and growth of the Rivers of Steel web site. Ms. Dofner has over 20 years experience in the field of tourism, public relations and marketing. Prior to SIHC, she was the Associate Director of Communication for the Visit Pittsburgh.
SIGRID "SiSi" CARROLL Sigrid "Sisi" Carroll is the Senior Business Development Manager at Antenna Audio. She is responsible for identifying and forming new business relationships with clients in the Eastern United States . Prior to joining Antenna, Ms. Carroll's career was based in museums and marketing. She was Director of Marketing for Museumshop.com, an e-commerce company that partnered with museums from around the world to sell their products online. Ms. Carroll worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York where she was the manager of e-commerce. She holds an MBA from the College of William and Mary and a degree in Art History from Sweet Briar College.
SUSAN WILCOX In July of 2000 Susan Wilcox became the first Chief Deputy Director of the industry-led California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC), a non-profit organization created to market California as a desirable travel destination and to increase the Golden State 's share of tourism-related revenues. Susan is responsible for overseeing the advertising and cooperative marketing campaigns seeded through the Commission and serving as a spokesperson for California 's $78 billion tourism industry. CTTC strategy has been to provide seed funding to the industry segments within the tourism industry to act as a catalyst to leverage resources available for common marketing goals. Cooperative funding has been developed from private and other governmental sources in every major category of California Tourism's program. This unique public/private partnership not only has allowed California Tourism to retain a competitive edge in the global marketplace, but to create the most progressive marketing program in the nation. The CTTC has developed programs in response to specific consumer interests while vacationing. The California Cultural Heritage Tourism Council is one of those programs and Susan acts as Co-Chair of the Council to implement the program based on the consensus of its members. California has the #1 share of Cultural Heritage Travel Visitors in the Nation with 11% of the market. Prior to her selection as Marketing Director of the CTTC, Susan served the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency as the Marketing Director in the Office of Marketing and Communications. In that capacity, she put together the first time ever-cooperative advertising campaign for the economic development community and brought together the economic development regions of the state with tourism regions to create the $1.3 million "Taste of California" events touring the globe with the new IMAX film "Adventures in Wild California". Susan is a native Californian who has enjoyed a wide-ranging career in California state government.
PATRICIA WASHINGTON Patricia Washington is Vice President of Grants & Development for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) where she directs the Cultural Tourism Marketing Grant Program and serves as agency point person for cultural and heritage tourism and multicultural marketing on a local, statewide and national level. Patricia also leads the Boundless Philadelphia project, a comprehensive new marketing initiative that is a collaboration with area environmental groups and outdoor attractions, aimed at promoting Greater Philadelphia's natural assets and outdoor recreational opportunities. Patricia also directs the Philadelphia Neighborhood Tourism Network, a collaborative project initiated in 2001 to highlight the culturally rich and diverse neighborhoods of Philadelphia, and to build their capacity to participate in the region's tourism industry. Before joining GPTMC, Patricia worked in philanthropy, as a program officer at the William Penn Foundation, where she was instrumental in developing citywide community arts and youth development initiatives. Prior to that, Patricia was program director of the Painted Bride Art Center, a multi-disciplinary arts presenter. A former lawyer, Patricia previously served as an assistant city solicitor in Philadelphia's Law Department and entertainment lawyer representing artists in the music industry. She holds BFA and JD degrees from Howard University. Patricia serves on the boards of Preservation Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums & Historical Organizations, The Mural Arts Program, and the Multicultural Affairs Congress of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Travel & Lodging Association's Cultural & Heritage Tourism Advisory Committee and is on the steering committee of the National Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance.
KAREN KIMBEL Karen Kimbrel is a native of Colquitt , Georgia and is a cum laude graduate of Troy State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. She is a founding member of Swamp Gravy, Georgia 's Folk Life Play and served as Executive Director of the Colquitt/Miller Arts Council for 11 years. During her tenure at the Arts Council, Karen and the citizens of her community increased the Arts Council's assets from 0 to $4.5M and created a cultural tourism industry that attracts thousands of visitors each year. Kimbrel is the founder and owner of Karen S. Kimbrel Consulting, which focuses on creative community and economic development using culture, heritage, art, and tourism. She has served on numerous boards including an advisory committee for The Ford Foundation's Listening Tour. An accomplished grant writer and frequent speaker and presenter for various conferences, panels, and workshops on tourism, community arts, and cultural programming, Karen and her husband Billy live in Colquitt , Georgia on the family farm with 4 dogs, 6 cats, and 50 cows, where they are active members of Colquitt United Methodist Church . In her spare time she enjoys writing music (she has written over 25 songs for the 14 Swamp Gravy Plays), walking, bird watching, folk art painting, boating, and fishing.
MARK VAUGHN Mark Vaughan, executive vice president, sales and marketing of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), has spent more than 20 years in the hospitality industry. Vaughan has been with the ACVB since September 2005 when he joined the organization in his current role. As executive vice president, sales and marketing, Vaughan is responsible for increasing visitation to the metropolitan Atlanta area through the development and implementation of all sales and marketing programs for the ACVB. A seasoned hospitality professional, Vaughan has 23 years of experience in a variety of sales and marketing positions within the industry. Vaughan began his career with the Benchmark Management Company in 1984 before joining the Marriott International team in 1986. He continued his career with Marriott, serving in sales and marketing management positions for the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington, Ky. , the Raleigh Marriott Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, N.C. , the Dayton Marriott Hotel in Dayton , Ohio , the Fort Lauderdale Marina Marriott in Fort Lauderdale , Fla., and the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta. He served as the market director of sales and marketing for the Marriott Southeast region prior to his most recent post at the Marco Island Resort, Golf Club and Spa. Prior to joining the ACVB, he spent 21 years with Marriott International, most recently as the director of marketing for the Marco Island Marriott Resort, Golf Club and Spa, where he was responsible for the total sales and marketing effort for the 730-room ocean front property. The recipient of numerous Marriott sales and marketing awards for his efforts, Vaughan is also an active member of the hospitality community. He has served on the executive committee of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the Atlanta Sports Council Board of Directors, the ACVB Hotel Convention Committee, the Fort Lauderdale CVB Advisory Committee, the Dayton CVB Advisory Committee and the President Galveston Restaurant Association. A native of Lexington , Ky., Vaughan received a degree in business administration from Eastern Kentucky University . He and his wife Cheryl have been married for 21 years and have three children.
SUSAN WEINER "One of the most important parts of my job is helping Georgians understand that the arts enrich our souls and our pocketbooks." Susan S. Weiner, Executive Director of the Georgia Council for the Arts, has degrees in Theatre Arts and Education and has worked as a professional stage actress regionally and internationally. She is an entrepreneur whose management consulting company, Weiner Associates, has worked with clients such as the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, General Electric and the State of New York on training, strategic planning, fundraising, and partnership development. Her career also includes serving as mayor of the city of Savannah from 1992-1995 and as a counselor for the Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia.
SHEILA ARMSTRONG Sheila Armstrong is the co-founder of the newly established US Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council and the Director of Cultural & Heritage Tourism for Shop America Alliance. She was the co-producer of the 2005 US Cultural & Heritage Tourism Summit. Sheila lives in Hilton Head Island , South Carolina where she serves as the Executive Vice President of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. Her responsibilities include the Strategic Planning and Marketing of the Symphony, the Hilton Head International Piano Competition and the International Young Artists Music Festival. She also supports the marketing and public relations for the Hilton Head Women in Philanthropy. Sheila continues to work as a Marketing Consultant specializing in strategic marketing particularly in the areas of historic and cultural tourism and shopping tourism. She is a contributing writer for The Hilton Head Monthly magazine and has just published "Making Music," a book commemorating the Hilton Head Symphony's Silver Anniversary. Prior to moving to Hilton Head, Sheila served as Regional Director of Marketing for The Taubman Company in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, overseeing the marketing of major regional shopping centers throughout the United States.
DEAN ROWLEY Dean Rowley has served as historian for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, GA for the past twenty-five years. In his tenure he has continued to learn about and interpret Dr. King's life by guiding and assisting various teams of historians in conducting background research on Dr. King and his community, developing an oral history program about Before joining the Martin Luther King Jr. NHS, Mr. Rowley was an associate professor of history for Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. He holds a B.S. in Pre-Med Biology from Morris Brown College, an M.A. of American History from Atlanta University and an advanced study degree in Black Urban History from Emory University. In his spare time he enjoys computers, photography and anti-hunger activism.
Jay Hakes was appointed the Director of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum (Atlanta Georgia) in 2000. He m anages one of eleven presidential libraries under the National Archives and Records Administration. The research component of the library contains the primary papers of the Carter presidency as well as records relating to Carter's life before and after his time in office. These materials are open to historians, other researchers, and the general public. Some materials are available at the Library's web site www.jimmycarterlibrary.org. The site also contains a Museum with numerous exhibits on Carter's life and presidency. The Museum contains a detailed replica of the oval office, some of the most impressive gifts of state, and sections on major issues of the Carter presidency, such as limiting the spread of nuclear weapons, the signing of the Panama Canal Treaty, and the Camp David Accords. Major travelling exhibits on various aspects of American history are also featured. He continues to speak on modern energy policy and issues related to improving the management of public agencies. In his previous role he was the administrator of Energy Information Administration for the Department of Energy, from 1993 to 2000. He was presidentially appointed, when the Senate confirmed manager of independent statistical and analytic agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. During his tenure, he oversaw the collection, dissemination, and archiving of the nation's energy data series. Final review and approval for a wide variety of analytic and forecasting products that form the foundation for almost all major work on energy issues throughout the governmental and private sectors. He was a major spokesman on energy issues, often times testifying frequently before congressional committees on a wide variety of energy issues. He was interviewed and quoted by most major news organizations and provided regular briefings on energy trends to the Secretary of Energy. He used strategic planning to provide higher levels of customer service. EIA web site was highly advanced and rated as one of sixteen best in federal government by Government Executive. He developed comprehensive system of performance measures, which indicated increasing levels of public recognition and customer usage. In 1998, organization received highest Baldridge quality management ranking of any headquarters organization in the history of DOE.
ROBERT GERSTENECKER Like Robert Gerstenecker, an acclaimed and world-traveled chef, his food is an experience that takes you around the globe in just a few courses. ‘Food without borders,' is how Gerstenecker best describes his seasonal offerings of the finest and best ingredients available. From his ever-changing Sunday Brunch offering to the sought-after reservation for his Chef's Table, Park 75's food and dining is simply unforgettable. A 15-year veteran of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Gerstenecker joined Park 75 as executive chef in September 2004, a promotion he considers a culinary dream come true. A former executive sous chef at Four Seasons Atlanta from 1998-2002, he helped open Park 75 and played an instrumental role in developing the restaurant's menu. In 1991 he joined the Four Seasons family as an apprentice chef at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. In 1995, he continued his culinary journey to Four Seasons New York as a restaurant chef and banquet chef. In 1998, he moved south to become part of Park 75's opening team, followed by a promotion to restaurant chef and executive sous chef. After four years in Atlanta , Gerstenecker moved farther south to Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach where for the past two years, he mastered the use of tropical ingredients and cooking with seafood. In between all of his Four Seasons experience, Robert has also worked abroad in Hong Kong as the restaurant chef at Quo Quo, which he helped open and developed a French menu using Asian ingredients. A native of Ontario , Canada , Gerstenecker gained an appreciation for food through his mother. "When I was a child, mother would send me out on the family farm to gather everything from produce to meat and vegetables that were pickled, canned and used year-round," recalls Robert. Today, one of his favorite pastimes include planting and harvesting his own crops. Gerstenecker often uses his home-grown produce to accent some of the restaurant's most popular dishes. Gerstenecker, who best describes his food as "a use of the best ingredients cooked to perfection," also says that any great dish must include the three T's - taste, texture and technique—and consist of flavors he describes as the three S's—sweet, salty and sour. "My menu is always creative, vibrant and a reflection of the best and freshest ingredients cooked and prepared with passion." Gerstenecker is a "top honors" culinary graduate of George Brown College . He is excited to once again call Atlanta his home while living out his dream of becoming an executive chef in his favorite city-Atlanta! Gerstenecker is married to his wife, Brooke. Together, they consider the family pug, Zoe, their only child for the moment. Park 75 - one of only two Mobil Four-Star restaurants in Georgia for the fifth year in a row - is a 68-seat restaurant with a comfortable and fun atmosphere highlighted by the room's rich marble, bold columns and tall windows. Recognized by Zagat Survey for the best "brunch in the world," and "10 thumbs up for service," the restaurant is located inside Four Seasons at 75 Fourteenth Street in the heart of the arts in Midtown. Reservations are recommended but not required by calling at 404-253-3840. Breakfast: Mon. to Sat. 6:30 a.m. to 11: 30 a.m. and Sun., 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
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