Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/22095
competitive 21st-centurymeeting and convention facility. On behalf of the DMCVB, Alexander navigated the efforts to land some of the world’s most coveted sporting events, including Super Bowl XL in 2006 and the 2009 NCAA Men’s Final Four. He also created and leads the Detroit Metro Sports Commission, a wholly-owned sub- sidiary of the Bureau responsible for landing the 2003 and 2008 AAU Junior Olympic Games, the 2008 Women’s International Bowling Congress, and contributing to the successful bid for the 2005 MLB All Star Game. Before stepping into his current DMCVB role, Alexander was an executive in the for-profit arena. He was the Managing Director of The Westin Hotel – Detroit Renaissance Center (now under Marriott ownership), responsible for the marketing and operations of one of the nation’s largest hotels. He also served as General Manager of The Westin Miyako in San Francisco; The Westin-O’Hare in Chicago and The Westin Hotel Cincinnati. In addition to his chairmanship of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, Alexander is a board mem- ber of the American Society of Association Executives, the Michigan Society of Association Executives, The Parade Company (Detroit), The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, The Detroit Zoological Society, New Detroit and Forgotten Harvest. JESSIE ALLEN, is the general man- ager of the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility, the sec- ond-largest convention center in the nation. Allen has managed several departments within the Orange County Government structure during his 33-year tenure. LARRY ATCHISON, has been recently promoted to vice president of Convention Sales, Services & Sports at the Albuqu-erque Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB). In his new position, Atchison has the primary responsi- bility of directing the convention and sports sales initiatives within the bureau. Atchison, a 28-year veteran of the hospitality and meeting indus- try, has been with ACVB for 17 years. After serving as ACVB’s sales manager for four years inWashington,D.C., he returned to Albuquerque where he was promoted to Senior Director of Sales in 2006. He most recently served as Interim Vice President of Convention Sales & Services for the Bureau. 54 DON H. BARDEN is owner, chairman and CEO of Barden Companies, Inc., The Majestic Star and Fitzgeralds Casinos and Hotels, and Waycor Development Company. In December 2001, Barden acquired the Fitzgeralds Casino Hotel with properties in Las Vegas, Mississippi and Colorado; additionally acquir- ing Trump Indiana Casino and Hotel in 2005. His conglomerate operates in the casino, real estate development and entertainment industries from his corporate head- quarters in downtown Detroit. With a business career spanning more than 40 years, Barden is recognized as one of the top Black entrepreneurs in the country. He has guided Barden Companies and its affiliates from earnings of $600,000 to 2005 revenues of more than $519 million, making it one of the largest African- American-owned businesses in the country. Prior to establishing Barden Companies, Mr. Barden spent 20 years in Lorain, Ohio, where he became the first elected Black city councilman in Lorain history and served two terms before leaving to pursue other business endeavors. He founded a weekly newspaper, the Lorain County Times, and served five years as the publication’s publisher and edi- tor. As news anchor for WUAB-TV in Lorain and host of a weekly talk show for the NBC affiliate in Cleveland, Barden spent 11 years as an on-air personality in Ohio. CLEO BATTLE is vice president of Sales and Services for the Richmond Metropolitan Convent- ion andVisitors Bureau. Battle has worked in the hospi- tality industry for 23 years. He began his position as vice president at the Bureau in 2000. Previously he served as the Bureau’s director of Sales and SalesManager. Before joining the RichmondMetro CVB, he spent 10 years in the hotel indus- try as generalmanager,assistant generalmanager and direc- tor of Sales in Syracuse,LosAngeles,Phoenix andDenver. Battle, a native of Denver, Colorado attended Metropolitan State College earning a B.A. degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management in 1988. He later earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from Averett College inVirginia in 1997. Battle currently serves as president of theVirginia State UniversityHospitalityAdvisoryBoard,American Society of Association Executives Industry Partner Alliance Committee, International Association of Exhibitions & Events Diversity Task Force, Destination Marketing Association International Sales & Marketing Committee and amember of theManchesterYMCABoard. Black Meetings & Tourism November/December 2010: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com