Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/4253
Attractions Association, Travel & Tourism Research Association, Southeast Tourism Society, and the Capital City Classic Board of Directors. Collier-Wilson serves on the Mississippi Telecommunication Conference and Training Center Commission and the Advisory Board of Downtown Jackson Partners. She also created the Hometown Hero Awards to recognize outstanding achievements in Jackson tourism. LEWIS H. DAWLEY III, a 30+ year veteran of the con- vention center industry, serves as regional vice president of Convention Center Operations and Business Development for SMG. Prior to joining SMG he was general manager and CEO of the Washington Convention Center Authority, Washington D.C. Dawley is one of a handful of industry experts to manage the planning, construction and grand opening of four convention cen- ters. Before Washington, Dawley served as the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority's general manager, where he developed a strategic operational plan for the opening of the 1.3 mil- lion-sq. ft. facility and directed day-to-day operations. Dawley also opened and operated the COBO Convention/Exhibition Center in Detroit, where he was general manager from 1977 to 1989, and the Minneapolis Convention Center, where he was director of Operations from 1989 to 1991. Dawley is a member of several professional organiza- tions including the International Association of Assembly Managers, the National Association of Exposition Managers, the Professional Convention Management Association, the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners and the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association. ELLIOT FERGUSON serves as President and CEO of Destination DC, the official con- vention and tourism corporation for the nation's capital. A twenty- year veteran of the CVB industry, Ferguson leads Destination DC's efforts to generate economic devel- opment for the District through meetings and tourism, overseeing the organization's convention and tourism sales, marketing, finance and business development opera- tions. Prior to working at the WCTC he served as vice president of Sales at the Atlanta, Georgia CVB. He has also served as director of Sales for both the Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia CVBs. VALERIE C. FERGUSON, a 28-year veteran of the hos- pitality industry, serves as regional vice president and managing direc- tor, Loews Philadelphia Hotel. Ferguson is the past chairperson of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA), where she spearheaded "Opportunity of a Lifetime," a campaign to promote hospitality careers throughout the United States. She currently serves on the AH&LA Diversity Committee. Ferguson arrived in Philadelphia in 1998 with a corporate mandate to direct the $115 million conversion of the landmark PSFS Building into the luxury, convention-driven Loews Philadelphia Hotel. She was fur- ther charged with leading the property through its high-pro- file opening in the spring of 2000, into the National Republican Convention and beyond. Before joining Loews Corporation in 1998, Ferguson served as general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta and held general manager positions at Hyatt properties in Atlanta, Chicago and Flint, Michigan. GERRY FERNANDEZ is founder and president of the MultiCultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA), an educational non-profit organiza- tion that promotes the economic benefits of multicultural diversity in the restaurant, foodservice & lodg- ing industry. Under Fernandez' leadership, MFHA has become the industry's main source for multicul- tural information and is considered one of hospitality's elite organiza- tions. Fernandez conducts lectures, workshops and strategy sessions for some of America's best- known companies, organizations and brands. An accom- plished restaurateur and foodservice professional, Fernandez has received numerous awards including being named one of industry's "Fifty Power Players" by Nation's Restaurant News. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Foodservice Management from Johnson & Wales University where he also received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration for his contribution to the industry's diversi- ty efforts. MONTE FORD is senior vice president and chief infor- mation officer at American Airlines. Widely regarded as a leader in the field of information technology, Ford joined American Airlines at a time when the airline needed to regain its technological leadership position. Ford's manage- ment has been critical in restoring American to the forefront of technological innovation. Black Meetings & Tourism October/November 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 48