Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/348155
B M & T ••• May/June 2014 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 32 PEGGY B. RILEY is director of Multicultural Sales for the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau in Louisville, Kentucky. She joined the Louisville CVB in 1995 and during that time earned the des- ignation of Kentucky Certified Tourism Professional (KCTP) and Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME). Her responsibilities include generating leads and assisting with the solicitation of minority conventions, meet- ings, family reunions and group tourism. Some of the many major conventions and meetings that Riley has helped book in Louisville include, Church of God In Christ Women's International Conference/Crusade; The National Urban League Board of Trustee Retreat; The National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners; The African American Travel Conference; Travel Professionals of Color; NAACP Region III Civil Rights Training Institute; AME Zion Midwest Episcopal District Annual Conference; and Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International. WANDA PAUL, CPA is senior vice president of Finance and Administration for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. Promoted to that position from Controller in 1988, Mrs. Paul's responsi- bilities include administration of the Bureau's $16 million budget; oversight of all financial oper ations and technological improvements. She also oversees administration for 64 full time employees and the coordination of all office purchasing, administrative and legal matters. A graduate of Temple University with a B.A. in Business Administration/Accounting, Paul began her career as an auditor with Deloitte Haskins and Sells in 1979. She served under the Goode Administration from 1983 to 1985 and joined her present employer in August of that year. Paul also serve s on various professional and civic boards in the Philadelphia area over the last 30 years and is the recip- ient of numerous awards, including the Philadelphia Business Journal's 2012 CFO Community Service Award MICHELE PONDEXTER joined the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau-Choose Chicago in September of 2012 as director of Diversity Sales. A proud native of Chicago, Pondexter knows the city well and appreciates its rich cul- ture and diversity. Her mission is to ensure that groups have a great experience during their stay and that they leave Chicago truly understanding why she is so proud of Chicago and that they too will love the city so much that they return again and again. Pondexter's career path in the hospitality and tourism industry began a few years after college. She has spent many years on the sales teams of several great hospitality organizations, all of them in Chicago. Those companies included: The Ambassador West, Choice H otels, 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 veter- an 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 limited to): managing, assisting and training six 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) at the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB). In this position, Richards' duties include creating and imple- menting a strategic plan to elevate the DCVB as a leader in diversity and inclusion at the local, national and inter- national levels. She serves as the liaison to the newly formed Diversity & Inclusion Board committee, chaired by Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem Monica R. Alonzo, City of Dallas. Richards, who has been with the bureau for 25 years most recently served as vice president of strategic alliances responsible for establishing the membership sales and service standard for the bureau, overseeing corporate part- nerships, member-based publications and daily operations of the member services department. LAURIE NELSON-CHOICE joined Visit Baltimore in May 2010 as director of Diversity and National Sales. Her focus is on developing the multicultural convention market for the city of Baltimore, as well as working with select asso- ciation and government organizations in the Washington, DC area. Prior to Visit Baltimore, Nelson-Choice worked with VISIT Milwaukee for over 10 years as director of Eastern Regional Sales in Washington, DC. Nelson-Choice has a BS in Communications from Ohio University and is a founding member of two industry organizations: Just Because – a networking group for meeting planners of color in the Washington, DC hospitality industry and the Network of Latino Meeting Professionals, a non-profit industry organization for Hispanic meeting planners.