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ERNEST WOODEN JR. took the helm of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LATCB) in January 2013 to oversee the global brand marketing and meetings and convention sales strategy for one of the most-visited and most-famous travel destinations in the world – Los Angeles. As president & chief executive officer of LATCB, Wooden is responsible for ensuring the achievement of the mission of the city's official to urism mar- keting organization, which is to advance the prosperity of the Los Angeles visitor economy and the livelihoods which depend on it. This mission is fulfilled by marketing and pro- moting Los Angeles as the premier site for leisure travel, meetings and conventions to the principle segments of both the domestic and international travel trade and consumer. In addition to the staff at the primary o ffice in Los Angeles, Wooden directs the activities of LATCB's international rep- resentatives in London, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Seoul, Australia, Germany, Mexico, Sao Paulo, Mumbai and New Delhi. His additional responsibilities include oversight of the exclusive contract to market inter- national air service and promote route development for Los Angeles World Airports as well as the Los An geles Sports & Entertainment Commission. Wooden has spent his entire career in the hospitality industry, including more than a decade in senior leadership positions in both global brand management and operations with Hilton Hotels Corporation. In addition, Wooden has also worked with such top hospitality brands as Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree by Hilton and Promus Hotel Co rporation. Wooden plays a significant role in industry affairs as a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Travel Association (USTA). He is also dedicated to civic and community affairs, sitting on the Boards of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, Sister Cities of Los Angeles the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce; the Executive Committee of the Central City Association of Los Angeles ; the Board of Advisors of The Collins College of Hospitality Management at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; and the Thomas Edison State University MBA Advisory Board. In 2015, Wooden was named to the prestigious EBONY® Magazine Power 100 list, which salutes the remarkable achievements of the most influential African-Americans in the country. ALBERT TUCKER serves as vice president of Multicult ural Business Development for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (GFLCVB), where he is focused on ensuring that organiza- tions and families of diverse back- grounds select Greater Fort Lauderdale as the destination of choice for conferences and family reunions. It is Tucker's vision to expose ethnically diverse individ- uals and groups to Greater Fort Lauderdale so that GFL becomes the destination of choice for individuals of color. Over the past five years Greater Fort Lauderdale has been a magnet for Family Reunions, where that segment of the market has increased by more than 45%. Group business has expanded in a major way and the destination is primed to welcome presti- gious organizations such as the American Tennis Association (ATA) 2013, Progressive National Baptist Conventio n (PNBC) 2014, National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) 2014, 100 Black Men of America in 2014, and the National Urban League (NUL) in 2015. PATRICIA WASHINGTON serves as president and CEO of The Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association. Washington, who previously held the position of vice president of cultural tourism for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corp., replaced former chief executive Stephanie Pace Brown, who moved on to the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau in North Carolina. Washington, who assumed her post in 2 012, is just the third person to lead ACVA since it was organized 18 years ago. CAROLYN WHITE serves as presi- dent, Board of Directors of the Travel Professionals of Color (TPOC) National Association. In this position she presides over the Board and manages the daily opera- tions of the Association. She leads the creation, development and implementation of programs, initia- Leadership. Additionally, Thigpen has earned professional certifi- cations from the University of Southern Mississippi, the Mississippi Tourism Association and Destination Marketing Association International. Thigpen is a member of Cade Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, where he serves as member of the Music Staff and Public Relations Ministry Leader. tives, training and events that support the mission and mem- bers. She also exercises executive supervision over the proper- ty, business and all other affairs of the association. Her position requires a professional that always deals honestly and steers the Association in a mission focused direction. B M & T ••• March/April 2016 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 40