Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/704649
B M & T ••• March/April 2016 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 21 highest-ranking African-American general man- ager that I had an opportunity to have access to. He was really instrumental in helping me navi- gate my career. In fact, he was actually the first person I called about the position at the Convention & Visitors Bureau. He also taught me a lot about presentation and having presence in the boardroom, and how to navigate owner- ship, which I have now been able to parlay into my experience at the Bureau in terms of being flexible with customers and how to read a room when you walk into it as well as the people in that room. So there's a lot of life lessons I learned from him as well." When it comes to her leadership style, the 48- year-old Coker Graham explained it as being very hands-on, yet also very collaborative: "I like when we brainstorm and share ideas because I think that leads to diversity of thought, which is great. I think each of us brings expertise to the table in our own dis- ciplines and you can see that very quickly when you allow folks to assemble together to share ideas. I would also say that I'm one who holds folks accountable and that's because I hold myself accountable. I don't ask anything of my team that I'm not willing to do myself, which I thin k is important. I would say that I'm fair, consistent and I hope that I am an innovator. You can never rest on your laurels because the compe- tition is always right there nipping at your heels. So you've got to make sure that whatever your product or service is it is consistently at the top of its game. It's important to take the time to eval- uate to see how you might have done things bet- ter. And you re ally have got to think outside the box; don't limit yourself to just what's in front of you; look further down the road and into the future to make sure that you're prepared." Coker Graham has had a very specific blue- print for her hospitality career and she has an equally specific footprint she wants to create as president and CEO. "First and foremost is diversity and inclusion. (Those before me) have done an outstanding job with that. Our team at the Bureau is very diverse, in terms of thought, as well as age, gender, LGBT and all the other sectors in the market that we do business in. I can honestly say that our team is a reflection, not only of our city, but also as it relates to the customers that we serve – the meeting planners and their associations, not to mention the guests," she said. It's not lost on me that I am the first African-American female to be president and CEO of the Bureau and I am cur- rently the only African-American female of a large DMO. So one of the things I want to do is take where we are now and move forward and advance the opportunities for diversity and inclu- sion. I want to make sure that there is sustainable programming for that, however we need to get that done. That's an agenda item I'd like to push forward, certainly in Philadelphia, but within the industry as a whole. I don't want to be the only African-American female, or the only female for that matter, of a large DMO. I want to open those doors." "The other thing is, the meeting industry changes every day, so I want to make sure that Philadelphia is at the forefront of that change. Partnerships with the meeting planners are important, but so are partnerships with the community and the business leaders so we can help deliver a world-class convention. I want to make sure that I am creating and developing new partnerships, and creating and sustaining the relationships we already have, but also tak- ing them to a new level to make sure that we are seen as a thought leader when it comes to conventions," she added. "Lastly I have a pas- sion for community service, so I would like to see the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau really take hold of a community service project, and really involve the other hospitality entities in Philadelphia, to put forth some kind of project that makes a difference in the city. And then, if we're able, to translate that to our industry nationwide, that would be fantastic. But in the Philadelphia region alone there are over 60,000 hospitality workers and I want to make sure that we're seen as a community partner." Among her many professional accomplish- ments include the fact that she was a nominee for General Manager of the year for Hyatt Hotels Corporation 2004 and 2006. She is a past secretary and board member of the Illinois Hospitality and Lodging Association (IHLA) and past board member of the Oak Brook, Illinois Economic Development Committee. She has served as Chairman of the American Hotel and Lodging Association's Women in Lodging Networking Group (WIL); and she was 1st ßVice Chair for the Greater Philadelphia Hospitality and Lodging Association (GPHA). She was also the recipient of the 2011 John Wanamaker Award (Individual Award) given by the YMCA of Philadelphia and Vicinity. She served as a board member with Greater Philadelphia Marketing Corporation, Girls, Inc. and a board member with Boys Scouts of America Cradle of Liberty Council, where was hon- ored in 2015 with the Cradle of Liberty Good Scout Award. She is a member of the Philadelphia Chapter of Links, Incorporated. Not only is Coker Graham seri- ous about her work; she is serious about playing a role in the lives of to day's youth. That is why some of her time away from work is spent with those youth-related programs and organizations. "I am a firm believer that it takes a village. I grew up in that model – my mom was a single parent. She relied very heavily on the neigh- borhood as well as her family and friends to raise three daughters. I also had teachers who helped me along the way and neighbors who took an interest i n me and helped me move forward to reach my full potential," she noted. "So I am a huge advocate of students and showing them positive role models because I believe when kids have hope, then you can def- initely tap into that potential for them to be all that they can be. But I am very careful when I do accept board seats because I want to make sure that I have time to do what I need to do to serve that non-profit or whatever the organiza- tion is, yet still do my day job. I'm also very careful to understand the mission of that organization. I take mentoring and being a role model for kids very seriously. My dad passed in 2013 but in his (service) program we put "Each one teaches one," and I absolutely believe in that." "I am a firm believer that it takes a vil- lage. I grew up in that model – my mom was a single parent. She relied very heavily on the neighborhood as well as her family and friends to raise three daughters. I also had teachers who helped me along the way and neighbors who took an interest in me and helped me move