Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/875690
10 B M & T ••• July/August 2017 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 10 B M & T ••• July/August 2017 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com N E W S M A K E R S Visit Sacramento has announced that John Reyes will join the destina- tion marketing organization as chief operating officer in August of 2017. Currently the executive vice president & chief sales officer at San Francisco Travel, Reyes will assume the role previously held by Visit Sacramento's Mike Testa, who has been promoted to president and CEO. At Visit Sacramento, Reyes will be charged with overseeing day-to-day operations of the organization. Together with Testa and the leadership team, he will work to enhance Visit Sacramento's sales and marketing capabilities as the market continues to grow and the convention center expansion gets underway. Reyes has been in the hospitality industry since 1982. In September 2011, he joined the San Francisco Travel Association (formerly the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau) as executive vice president & chief sales officer, overseeing the con- vention sales and services teams. Prior to San Francisco, he was president and CEO of the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau. His previous work experience includes the Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau (Jacksonville, Florida) where as chief executive officer he repositioned the CVB to Visit Jacksonville and implemented the "Jacksonville Where Florida Begins," branding campaign. He also served for 18 years at the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau. Visit Austin president and CEO, Tom Noonan, has been nominated to serve on the Board of Directors for two different organizations – American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and Destinations Internaional (DI). "It is a special honor to be given the opportunity to serve on the ASAE Board of Directors in one of the few supplier slots," said Tom Noo-nan. "Personally, it is espe- cially sweet having the opportunity to serve on the same industry board that my father has previously served during his long associa- tion management career. I am grateful to be nominated to both ASAE and DI Boards and I look forward to working with m y col- leagues and with these associations as they are both important to our industry." ASAE is an organization for association management that is com- prised of both organizations and individual association professionals. DI, formerly known as Destinations Marketing Association International (DMAI), is the world's largest resource for DMOs, con- ventions and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards. These two nominations are an addition to his already existing service on the U.S. Travel Association Board of Directors. Noonan has previously served on the board for the Association Forum. GREATER NEWARK CVB PRESIDENT/CEO KARIN AARON TO RECEIVE APEX AWARD VISIT AUSTIN PRESIDENT AND CEO, TOM NOONAN, NOMINATED TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR TWO INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS y p y g g p y VISIT SACRAMENTO NAMES JOHN REYES AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Karin Aaron president/CEO of the Greater Newark CVB, has been select- ed to receive an Apex Award. Aaron is a 32-year veteran in the travel and tourism industry working for such partners as Eastern, Continental and United Airlines, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, Hyatt Hotels and The Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner. In 2007, Aaron spent seven years as national sales manager at Visit Loudoun and in 2014 was hired as Director of Sales at Visit Montgomery (Maryland) specializing in destination selling and sports tourism. In 2016, Aaron was hired as the new president & CEO of the Greater Newark Convention & Visitors Bureau charged with positioning Newark as a leading destination in the North East. She oversees a staff of ten (10) and the management of an onsite visitor and retail center. Aaron is a board member with the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association (NJTIA), and the New Jersey Destination Management Organization. Aaron will receive her Apex Award on July 29 in Miami during the 4th Annual Multicultural & Heritage Tourism Summit. G ed 32 in Ea H an 20 sa N th or A D op D sa cially sweet having the opp th tio op C ch Re he w an At Visit Sacramento, R