Black Meetings and Tourism

Black Meetings & Tourism February/March 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 20 The San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) recently welcomed a new team member to the Sales & Services Division. Brenda Morales , who joined the Sales team as a national sales manager, will manage meetings (250 peak rooms and below) in the Northeast, Southeast and Canada regions. Morales' professional experience includes marketing, promotions and event planning with aMAEzing Marketing, Clear Channel Radio and the San Antonio Public Library. Morales received a B.A. in Communications from the University of Iowa. Todd Christian Alexander has been pro- moted to the position of sales manager for the Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC). He is responsible for selling the PCC space to the multicultural, social, military, educational, reli- gious, and fraternal groups. Alexander joined the PCC in 2007 and previously served as an event coordinator. Prior to that, Alexander was an account executive for DiNella Marketing in the Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Alexander is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he majored in Computer Science and Management Information systems, and resides with his wife Wesen, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Loán Sewer serves as director of Sales for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism . In this role, she oversees the destina- tion's North America sales team (in six regions) from Washington, D.C., and spear- heads outreach efforts for the destination to the travel community and the general public. Sewer is a talented marketing and commu- nications professional whose experience in sales, marketing, public relations and advertis- ing spans numerous industry sectors such as tourism and hospitality, international travel security management, media and the federal government. Sewer's hospitality experience has been primarily sales-focused and spans the hotel, convention and visi- tor bureau and event management arenas. The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau (Austin CVB) recent- ly announced the addition of Arron Brooks as executive meetings manag- er. In this role, Brooks will promote Austin as a premier meeting and con- vention destination among groups based in the Midwest and eastern region of the country. Most recently, Brooks served as membership and tourism manager with the Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce, where he recruited and managed new members, planned special events and worked closely with Austin CVB. He has an additional five years of management experience with the H.E.B. Grocery Company, a major regional food retailer. An Austin native, Brooks graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree in Communications. The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex recently hired Andrea Faush as director of Real Estate. Faush's primary focus will be leasing office space in the BJCC Medical Forum, a 10-story office and meetings tower adjacent to the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel. Faush previously worked with downtown real estate company Corporate Realty. She has also worked with Bushnell Realty and as property manager with EGS and manager at Hydinger & Stewart Commercial Properties, all based in Birmingham. Faush is a Birmingham native and a graduate of the University of Alabama and UAB. She serves on numerous civic and charitable communities and has two daugh- ters, Brittany (18) and Tyler (15). The Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau (LCVB) is happy to announce the addition of Lauren McAlpin to its staff. McAlpin, who joined the Bureau in October of last year, is the new Visitor Services manager. She will work at the Bureau's VIC assisting visitors with accommodation, attraction, enter- tainment, dining and event informa- tion. She will also assist with Louisville merchandising and volunteer support. She is a recent graduate of the University of Kentucky.

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