Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546515
B M & T ••• September/October 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 15 You know Kasey Summerville is listening when she leans in. Not the polite, nod-and-wait kind of lis- tening. The kind that makes you think she's filing away your story for later, maybe to tell it back to you when you need it most. That's the first thing you notice about the new President and CEO of Visit Albany. The second is that she means it when she says, "For me, destination marketing starts at home." Summerville arrived in Albany on October 1, 2025, after two decades building tourism in Little Rock, Ark. She was born in Flint, Michigan, raised by her grandmother, Delia Mae Zachary Stephens, in public housing in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, received her undergraduate degree at 42, and earned her master's at 45. "The odds weren't always in my favor," she said, with the easy laugh of a woman who beat them anyway. She took the job because Albany felt familiar. "One of the things I noticed was that they had similarities to Little Rock," she said. "I saw opportunities to come here and make a difference. To make an impact." When she got to Albany, the city's campaign was already wait- ing: Feel the Movement. "I thought it was a perfect tagline for the direction in which the city was going," she said. "I love that because we really are moving." Albany, approximately 150 miles south of Atlanta and about 90 miles from Tallahassee, Florida, has 26 hotels and meeting options for groups ranging from approximately 20 to 2,500 people. The city's facilities include the Albany Civic Center, which can accom- modate more than 10,000 people, the Albany Municipal Auditorium, hotel meeting spaces, conference facilities, an HBCU, Albany State University, anchoring its west side, historic venues and attractions that can become part of the meeting experience. The city has a significant Civil Rights legacy, and a rich music his- tory that includes Ray Charles and the Freedom Singers. Summerville's job is to sell that. Not just to tourists, but to the people who live there. "We market Albany for leisure," she said. "But our residents are our first ambassadors. We have to stay con- nected to the community." So she started there. She started a tech club for locals, launched a Black History campaign with the city and county, created the Black History Living Legacy Project, and got Visit Albany back on the tradeshow circuit. She also helped run the marathon's 20th year — a Visit Albany production. Summerville's resume reads like a master class in transferable skills. Fifteen years as the elected Tax Assessor for Clark County, Arkansas, and vice president of Marketing, Communications and Community Engagement at the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. She has a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Webster University, a BA in Organizational Leadership from Philander Smith University, and the Certified Destination Management Executive credential from Destinations International. But ask her what qualifies her, and she doesn't lead with the titles. "Leadership is love and service," she said. "It's not about the title. It's about leading with love, and effective leaders are servants. I have approached all of my roles thinking, how can I serve the peo- ple I represent?" She learned that from her grandmother, who raised her from age 10 in the projects of Arkadelphia. "Living with her taught me how to be a lady and to be hospitable," Summerville said. "The small town values and Southern roots. The hospitality side I learned from my grandmother's house." A C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H KASEY SUMMERVILLE BY DARLENE DONLOE THE WOMAN WHO FELT THE MOVEMENT How Kasey Summerville is teaching Albany, Georgia to market itself — by starting at home