Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/52019
as deputy general manager for three years. He accept- ed the position of president and chief executive officer of the Las Vegas Monorail Company in July of 2005. He holds both Bachelor of Science and master's degrees in economics and teach- es economics part-time at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He is married and has three daughters. BEVERLY NICHOLSON-DOTY serves as commissioner of Tourism for the United States Virgin Islands, a cabinet- level position. She oversees the Department of Tourism's advertising and marketing strategy, its national and inter- national tourism-related efforts and prod- uct development. Since her appointment, the U.S. Virgin Islands has experienced n o t e w o r t h y growth in airlift, making the desti- nation among the most easily accessible in the Caribbean from key markets in the United States, Canada and Europe. The destination has also enjoyed significant growth in cruise arrivals, particularly on the island of St. Croix, as a result of strategic rebrand- ing of the destination, numerous prod- uct development initiatives, and aggressive lobbying of the cruise industry. Considered by many to be the hidden gem of the USVI, today St. Croix is gaining popularity among travelers for its unique cultural offerings, histor- ical attractions, and natural beauty. Notwithstanding her achievements in the global marketing arena, Nicholson- Doty holds most dear the initiatives she has implemented locally. In 2008 she launched a Territory-wide tourism awareness campaign to actively engage the local community in the tourism industry and to promote excellence in customer service. The campaign has led hundreds of businesses, industry 52 employees, and students throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands to take the Department of Tourism pledge of excel- lence. Nicholson-Doty began her career in the hotel industry while attending the College of the Virgin Islands. Quickly ris- ing the ranks from reservations clerk to director of marketing and sales, her hotel experience spanned three of the U.S. Virgin Islands where she gained an appreciation for the unique offering of each island. Nicholson-Doty has served as Commissioner of the USVI Department of Tourism since 2007 and was elected vice chair for the U.S. Territories during the 2010 Caribbean Tourism Organizat- ion Leadership Strategy Conference in Barbados. GREGORYA.O'DELL serves as the president and chief executive officer of Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia. Events DC owns and operates the 2.3 million-sq. ft.Walter E.Washington Convention Center, the historic Robert F. KennedyMemorial Stadium and sur- rounding Festival Grounds, and the non-military func- tions of the DC Armory. The organization also built and now serves as the land- lord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-cer- tified major professional sports stadium in the United States and administers the his- toric Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. As president and CEO,O'Dell oversees Events DC's three lines of business: Conventions and Meetings, Sports and Entertainment and Special Events. His pri- mary responsibilities include oversight of the development and promotion of hospi- tality, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities that generate economic and cre- ate community benefits for the District of Columbia. O'Dell also oversees the organization's development effortswhich include leading the negotiationswith the private developer in the public-private partnership for the 1,175-room Washington Marriott Marquis hotel. Scheduled to open in 2014, the WashingtonMarriottMarquis hotelwill cre- ate more than 2,000 construction and per- manent hotel jobs in the District of Columbia. R. DONAHUE PEEBLES, recog- nized as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the nation, is the owner of The Peebles Corporation, the country's largest African-American real estate devel- opment company with a $4 billion development port- folio of luxury hotels, high-rise residential and Class A commercial prop- erties and developments in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Las Vegas and Miami Beach. Donahue, who has been featured in numerous publications and appears regu- larly on CNN, CNBC and FOX, is also a top-selling author. His first book, The Peebles Principles, distills the lessons he learned on the road to building his suc- cessful company and personal fortune. His first-person accounts of his most intriguing deals illustrate the principles that guide Mr. Peebles in all of his transac- tions. His second book, , released in September 2008, outlines the fundamen- tal tools for real estate investing and details how tomakemoney in anymarket. Peebles currently serves on the National Finance Committee of President Barack Obama. Dr. PHYLLIS QUALLS-BROOKS serves as assistant commissioner for community and industry relations for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. She joined the depart- ment in the Spring of 2004 as assis- tant commissioner of marketing and moved to her cur- rent position in 2005. In her role, Black Meetings & Tourism November/December 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com t oR e a lE s t a t eW T e h a e l t P h e e b ls e P a t h