Black Meetings and Tourism

March / April 2016

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B M & T ••• March/April 2016 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 24 LARRY ALEXANDER, president and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) and a 34-year veteran of the hospitality and tourism industry, has shaped the Bureau into the leading organization responsible for facilitating tourism economic growth in Metro Detroit. Alexander leads an innovative, multi-award winning convention sales, marketing and convention services effort that has often exceeded CVB industry standards for its performance. He overs ees an annual budget of $12 million and 51 employees. Following passage in 2009 of Michigan Public Act 554, which regionalized the management of Cobo Center under a public Authority, Governor Jennifer Granholm named Alexander as the State's appointee to the five-member Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority Board. Alexander was elected chairman at the Authority's first meeting and is currently leading a team that is transforming Detroit's Cobo Center into a competitive 21st-century meeting and convention facility. On behalf of the DMCVB, Alexander navigated the efforts to land some of the world's most coveted sporting events, including Super Bowl XL in 2006 and the 2009 NCAA Men's Final Four. He also created and leads the Detroit Metro Sports Commission, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bureau respon- sible for landing the 2003 and 2008 AAU Junior Olympic Games, the 2008 Women's International Bowling Congress, and contributing to the successful bid for the 2005 MLB All Star Game. In the realm of professional association meetings, Alexander led the team that won for Detroit the 2015 conven- tion of the American Society of Association Executives, consid- ered the "Super Bowl" of conventions. Before stepping into his current DMCVB role, Alexander was an executive in the for-profit arena. He was the managing director of The Westin Hotel – Detroit Renaissance Center (now under Marriott ownership), responsible for the marketing and operations of one of the nation's largest hotels. He also served as general man- ager of The Westin Miyako in San Francisco; The Westin-O'Hare in Chicago and The Westin Hotel Cincinnati. In addition to his chairmanship of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, Alexander is a board member of the Michigan Society of Association Executives, The Parade Company (Detroit), The Detroit Riverfront Conser-vancy, The Detroit Zoological Society, New Detroit and Forgotten Harvest. MOST INFLUENTIAL AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN MEETINGS/TOURISM I N D U S T R Y As we do every year around this time, Black Meetings & tourism will again review the progress and success of those African-Americans who continue to make significant strides in our industry. This is our opportunity to acknowledge the hard work, dedication and contributions of our brothers and sisters who have man- aged to perform at the highest professional levels despite the challenging economic times we have all faced in recent years. As always, there are several faces that are gone from last year's list, as well as a few new or returning faces that have been added. Beverly Bryant has completed her stint as NCBMP president, replaced on this list by Kevin Johnson. Also off the list is Zita Steglich-Ross, who departed her post at Visit Orlando after 16 years to step out and launch her own boutique destination management company, Steglich Ross Business Solutions. Also gone is Ahmeenah Young, who completed her 18-month consulting agreement with the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority after SMG assumed responsibility for management and operations in 2013. Brenda Bryant is also gone, passing the torch to Carolyn White, who was elected as TPOC presi dent. New to the list is Shanitra R. Finley, the new Yazoo County CVB executive director, who replaced Tonja Ray-Smith. Also new is Linda Haithcox Taylor, executive director of the National Policy Alliance, Ricky Thigpen and Shun Hatten, who are both senior executives at the Jackson CVB, and Greg DeShields, who took over duties as executive director of The Multicultural Affairs Congress (PHLDiversi ty), a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau when Nicole Johnson-Reece departed. Putting together this list every year makes us, and I hope you, so very proud of those who we are recognizing. But as a result of the process involved it also becomes obvious that so much more needs to be done in the area of diversity and inclusion. As always, those listed here are to be commended f or their achievements, their tenacity, and their determination to succeed in an industry that has been slow to embrace the concept of inclusiveness. Overcoming the challenges they've had to face in order to reach the top of their profession, they've earned the right to your respect, admiration and recognition. And most importantly, they deserve your consideration when it comes to booking business with them, for them or from them. BY GLORIA M. HERBERT

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