Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/348155
RONNIE BURT has recently been selected as the new president and chief executive officer of the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association (KCCVA) A seasoned sales and marketing executive with more than 23 years of hospitality and tourism industry experience, Burt currently serves as vice president of sales and services for Destination DC (DDC). As president and CEO, Burt will manage a staff of 40 and a budget of $10 million in efforts to attract visitors to the Kansas City region. In his role at DDC, Burt oversees a team of 25 people that include leading strategic sales and service efforts, hous- ing and business development for the nation's capital and its growing convention facilities, to include the new Washington Marriott Marquis. Burt's responsibilities included maximizing the use of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and the hotel inventory to create maximum economic impact to the District of Columbia and the surrounding region. Burt will begin his new role on June 11. CLEO BATTLE was appointed executive vice president of the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau in January 2013. Battle's responsibilities include developing relationships with clients in Washington and Chicago, representing the Louisville Bureau at industry tradeshows and conferences and providing strategic leadership and oversight of the Bureau in all aspects of its fiscal and daily operation. Battle has worked in the hospitality industry for 28 years. Prior to coming to the Louisville Bureau, Battle spent the last 12 years as vice president of Sales & Services for the Richmond Convention & Visitors Bureau in Richmond, VA. He also held the positions of director of Sales and sales manager at the Richmond CVB. Battle began his hospitality career in the hotel industry working for Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn and Sheraton Hotels. 29 B M & T ••• May/June 2014 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com MICHAEL CARTER is the newly appointed vice president of Visit Tulsa. He was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and after high school he graduated from Tuskegee University. Michael has had a successful corporate career in sales with Coca-Cola and Gatorade. He also was the Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for OmniCare Health before making his leap into the hospitality industry where he has had a prominent sales career with various hotel companies such as, The Ritz-Carlton and Starwood. Carter has also worked for Visit Savannah, Loudoun Convention & Visitors Bureau and most recently the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau. He is a Certified Tourism Ambassador. During his career he has been active in ASAE, PCMA, MPI and GSAE. He is a member of the 100 Black Men of America and Volunteers with the USO. Carter is a foodie, he enjoys trying new restaurants, and a pas- sion for cooking and grilling, traveling and sporting events. GREG DESHIELDSserves as executive director of the Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress – the first mul- ticultural division of a Convention & Visitors Bureau in the nation. In his role as executive director, DeShields works to drive convention business to the City by promoting the multicultural fabric that helps make Philadelphia a global leader. DeShields is key in communicating this message, and further increasing the City's imprint in the multicultural meeting and convention marketplace. LARRY ATCHISON serves as associate director of Sales, Services & Sports at the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB). In his position, Atchison has the primary responsibility of working with organizations based in the Northeast and working with convention and sports sales initiatives within the bureau. Atchison, a 30-year veteran of the hospitality and meeting industry, has been with ACVB for 20 years. After serv- ing as ACVB's National Sales Manager for four years in Washington, D.C., he returned to Albuquerque in 2006. He also served as Interim Vice President of Convention Sales & Services for the Bureau in 2009 and Vice President in 2010.