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ICI•pg_42-52__BMT_pg3-58 1/22/13 3:27 AM Page 51 assistant director of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and prior to this appointment she served on the Governor's Cabinet for Tourism in the Siegleman Administration. She was responsible for the state's group tour marketing initiatives for 22 years. She is the author of the nation's first Black Heritage Tourism Guide. In 1994, she received the Phoenix Award from the American Society of Travel Writers, a delegate to the Nation's First White House Conference on Travel and Tourism. In August 1997 she received the Nation's first "Trailblazer Pioneer Award for Multicultural Tourism," from the Multicultural Tourism Conference, and the award is henceforth named, "The Frances Smiley Trailblazer Award." Smiley was recognized by Black Meetings & Tourism magazine as one of the "Most Influential African Americans in Tourism" in the United States in '97-'11. In July of 1999 She was inducted in the Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame, in May 2003 into the West Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame, and in May of 2008 received the APEX Award for outstanding service to the industry from BM&T. MONICA SMITH CMP, CASE, CDME is president & CEO of the Macon-Bibb County Convention & Visitors Bureau. This year the MBCCVB will continue proactive focus on convention and group tour sales and provide training and education to assist partners in enhancing customer service. A Cornell University graduate, Smith is a member of MPI and the NCBMP. She also serves on the Destination Travel Foundation Board of Trustees and the boards of the Southeast Tourism Society and Georgia Association of CVBs . ROBERT L. STEELE, III, CHA, is president and COO of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI). Steele oversees the day-to-day operations of the Educational Institute, as well as directs the overall vision and strategies in conjunction with the board of trustees. Steele's responsibilities also include representing EI as its spokesperson and leader, formulating profitable and productive strategic business alliances to enhance EI, increasing penetration of the international markets, and enhancing marketing efforts within the industry. With more than 30 years of hospitality experience, Steele has spent his entire career with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, serving as general manager of the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay; the Hyatt Regency Baltimore, Baltimore, Md.; Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, D.C.; and Hyatt Fairlakes, Fairfax, Va., prior to his current position. Steele is the past chairman of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), having held the position of 2007 chairman of the board. An active and long-time supporter of AH&LA, Steele has served on various committees and boards, including the Strategic Planning Committee; Multicultural & Diversity Advisory Council; Membership/-ales & Marketing Committee; Credit Card Advisory Council; Financial Management Committee; Lodging Industry Rating Advisory Committee; ADA Task Force; Audit, Certification & Credentials Committee; Engineering & Environment Committee; Human Resources Council; and Loss Prevention Committee. ZITA STEGLCH-ROSS has served as the director of Convention Sales at the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau since February of 2008. In this post she is tasked with managing the daily operations of the convention sales department and assisting in the development of sales and marketing strategies for Orlando's meetings and convention industry. She also serves as the Bureau's senior national sales executive, a position she has held since September of 1998, responsible for citywide accounts in the Northeast territory and citywide AfricanAmerican accounts nationwide. These accounts consist of a minimum of 60,000 gross sq. ft., and a maximum 2,000,000 sq. ft. exhibit space. Prior to joining the CVB, Steglich-Ross was a senior sales manager at InterContinental Hotels Group, and before that, a sales manager at both the Hyatt Regency Miami and the Sheraton Kensington Hotel. Steglich-Ross, who has been a supplier for the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners for over 18 years, holds a degree in accounting from Tulsa Community College. MELVIN TENNANT is president and chief executive officer of Mee Minneapolis, the official Convention and Visitors Association. He became the organization's second CEO in 2008. Since joining Meet Minneapolis, Tennant has overseen convention sales and marketing programs that bring direct economic impact of approximately of $900 million to the area. With an annual budget of $9 million and a staff of 50, he recently oversaw the effort to reposition the destination's brand, using the new tagline: "Minneapolis, City by Nature." He also played an integral role in laying the groundwork and implementing logistics for Minneapolis Saint Paul's successful hosting of the 2008 Republican National Convention. Additionally, Tennant oversees the management and operations of iDSS, a private company that delivers a complete web-based series of software applications for destination marketing organizations, associations, hotels and corporations. Tennant has proved himself a leader in the travel industry with his current involvement on the boards of the U.S. Travel Association, Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Minneapolis Downtown Council and the Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA). Previously, he served on the boards of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Center for Association Leadership, Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the MPI Foundation, and is a past chairman of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). During his career Tennant has received many accolades, most notably the RMCA's President Award, MPI's Chapter Legacy Award – Carolina Chapter and Black Meetings & Tourism magazine's APEX Award. Tennant received his bachelor's degree from Rice University, master's degree in Christian Leadership Studies from Liberty University and holds an Association Executive Certification from ASAE. 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