Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/140546
•pg_38-45__BMT_pg3-58 6/21/13 11:14 PM Page 41 The Ambassador West, Choice Hotels, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts and Intercontinental Hotels Group holding positions as sales manager, senior sales manager and director of sales. AVA POPE serves as director of sales for the Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. A long term veteran of the hospitality industry, Pope has held her current position at the bureau for over 20 years. Pope's duties/responsibilities include (but are not limiteded to): managing, assisting and training five sales managers and three sales assistants; implementing a strategic sales/marketing plan each fiscal year; creating and maintaining a complex budget annually; servicing key accounts; and participating in and attending various conferences, meetings and tradeshows. CHERYL RICHARDS serves as senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer (CDIO) for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (Dallas CVB). The 24-year Bureau veteran creates and implements a strategic plan to elevate the DCVB as a leader in diversity and inclusion at the local, national and international levels. She reports to Dallas CVB President and CEO Phillip Jones and serve as the liaison to the newly formed Diversity & Inclusion Ad-hoc committee, chaired by Monica R. Alonzo, Councilmember, City of Dallas. Richards most recently served as Dallas CVB's vice president of Strategic Alliances responsible for establishing the membership sales and service standard for the bureau, overseeing corporate partnerships, member-based publications and daily operations of the member services department. PEGGY B. RILEY is director of Multicultural Sales for the Greater Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau and is a Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME). She has been with the Bureau for 18 years. Her responsibilities include: assisting with the solicitation of minority conventions, meetings and group tourism; minority marketing and community affairs, enhancing employment opportunities within the convention and tourism industry for minorities; and providing access to the lucrative travel, meetings, conventions and tradeshow market for minority-owned businesses. Riley received her B.A. degree in Communications from the University of Louisville, her Kentucky Tourism Certification from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY and her CDME from Destination Marketing Association International. She is a member of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners; The International Association of Hispanic Meeting Professionals; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Bates Memorial Baptist Church, Louisville, KY. JOHN ROLFE was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. Since March 2012, Rolfe has served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GHCVB). Before joining GHCVB, John was the CEO and President of Go Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau. He also has served as the Vice President of Economic Development for the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce and as Deputy Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce. During his eighteen years in the hospitality industry, he has served as Director of Finance and Administration at both the Wichita and San Jose (CA) Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Rolfe is a graduate of Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, holding a bachelor's degree in business administration and has been involved with various boards and civic organizations. He currently serves as a Board of Director for the Texas Travel Industry Association and Destination Marketing Association International. GARY SIMON joined the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau in 1996. In 2001 he was named director of the newly created Multicultural Affairs department. The department's goal is to work with multicultural and ethnic based associations and organizations to drive convention and meeting business to Sacramento. Also in 2001, Simon's department coordinated Sacramento's first Juneteenth Festival – a celebration of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The festival has become a staple community event, drawing more than 10,000 people annually. Simon is committed to promoting the diversity and cultural heritage of the Sacramento region. His work includes establishing partnerships with local organizations to promote culture and civic awareness, including Native American Day, Pacific Rim Festival, MLK Celebration, Black Expo, Festival De La Familia, Juneteenth Festival, Chinese New year, Russian American Festival, Hmong New Year and the Chinese Mall Celebration to name a few. ZITA STEGLICH-ROSS serves as director of Convention Sales at Visit Orlando, where she is responsible for the organization's day-to-day sales operations. Steglich-Ross, a Certified Meeting Professional, works closely with a 30-person sales and support team on all aspects of the sales process for Visit Orlando, the No. 1 most visited destination in the U.S. She also sits on the boards of the American Diabetes Association of Central Florida and the Florida Hall of Fame Highwaymen Artist, Inc. In addition to her community involvement, she is also a member of numerous key industry organizations such as the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, Meeting Professionals International and the Professional Convention Management Association. Previously, she has served as a committee member of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, both the Mid-Eastern Athletic and Southwestern Athletic conferences and as a board member for the Urban League of Central Florida. 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