Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/4253
Black Meetings & Tourism October/November 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 49 Ford has been an outspoken voice on issues of diversity and inclusion both in print and public forums, including a notable keynote address at the Black Data Processing Association's (BDPA) National Conference. In 2009, American Airlines was named one of the "Best Companies for Blacks in Technology" by BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com. Prior to joining American, Ford held senior management positions with The Associates First Capital Corporation, Bank of Boston and Digital Equipment. He has also served on several public and private boards and is currently on the board of Oncor Electric, the largest ener- gy distribution utility in Texas. Ford earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Northeastern University in Boston. Today he and his family reside in Southlake, Texas. AVA GARDNERis currently the director of citywide mar- keting for the City of Kansas City, Missouri and handles the overall marketing efforts for the City. Gardner previously was director of sales and marketing at the Kansas City Convention and Entertain- ment Centers, which is a depart- ment of the City of Kansas City, Missouri. There she was responsi- ble for the sales and marketing efforts of the convention facilities. Previously Gardner was citywide sales manager at the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, charged with selling and marketing to national organizations and companies to con- vene in Denver for conventions and meetings. She also served on the Tier III Denver County Cultural Council (Science and Facilities Cultural District), which distributed grants to art and cultural entities. Her current position involves selling Kansas City as a meet- ing and business destination. She creates marketing plans, messaging, and strategies for the city under the direction of the city manager's office, and supports marketing and convention efforts involving local and national member participation. Gardner cultivates and manages external relationships with industry partners, corporate partners, and ad agencies, as well as political entities within the city. She is a Certified Meeting Professional, which is a professional certification provided by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). Gardner is also a member of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP) for which she serves on the Conference Planning Committee, Professional Convention Management Association, International Association of Assembly Managers, and the American Society of Association Executives. ED GRIER serves as president of Disneyland Resort. In this position Grier oversees the over- all operation, management and long- term growth of the Disneyland Resort, including its three hotels, two theme parks, and Downtown Disney retail, dining and entertainment dis- trict. The largest employer in Orange County, California, the resort employs 20,000 Cast Members and creates an additional 45,700 indi- rect and third-party jobs. During his 27 years with Disney, Grier has held numerous executive positions, including general manager for the Tokyo Disney Resort, and general manager of Operations for Epcot and the Disney- MGM Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Born and raised in Atlanta, Grier earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. MICHAEL GUNN, CMP is the vice president of Convention Sales for the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau. In this position he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Convention Sales staff in booking state, regional, national and international conven- tion business for the Greater Birmingham area. He supervises a staff of 14, and prepares monthly, quarterly and annual sales and mar- keting business plans. Gunn is a board member of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP) and a former member of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) foundation board. He has over 26 years of industry experience. TANYA HALL works as the executive director of the Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress (MAC), a division of the PCVB, to ensure that Philadel- phia's multicultural communities are included in every aspect of the Philadelphia hospitality industry. Since MAC's inception in 1987 as the first division of a CVB in the nation, the MAC and PCVB have measured an increase of more than 800% in multicultural bookings, resulting in an economic impact of more than $1 billion. SARA B. HAMLIN has been in the tourism industry for more than 20 years. She has been vice president of Tourism