- State Travel Director Spotlight
- STS Staff Spotlight
- Welcome New Members to STS
- STS Member Accolades
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- Industry Jobs/Member Offers
- STS Events and Deadlines
- Top 20 Events for March
- Advocacy Update
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State Travel Director Spotlight
Dana Young - Florida
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Have you always worked within Tourism? What is the path that got you to your current role and how long have you been in your current role?
As sixth-generation Floridian, I have a deep, personal love for Florida and understand the vast experiences that are found here. I am blessed to have been given the opportunity this January to work alongside VISIT FLORIDA’s talented staff who are committed to strengthening Florida’s number one industry as we strive to attract more visitors, bolster our state’s economy and create additional job opportunities for hardworking Floridians.
For the past eight years, I was honored to serve in the Florida Legislature, where I worked to cultivate and protect Florida’s exceptional business climate and a world-class quality of life. From 2010 through 2016, I had the honor to serve in the Florida House, rising to Majority Leader for the 2015 and 2016 legislative sessions. In 2016, I was elected to the Florida Senate, where I represented parts of the City of Tampa and Western Hillsborough County.
I’m an environmental attorney and have a deep understanding of the important role that environmental protection plays in attracting visitors and enhancing the quality of life for our citizens.
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Dana Young
President & CEO
VISIT FLORIDA
Tallahassee, Florida
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Are you attending our Connections Conference in Daytona Beach?
Keep an eye out on Friday, March 15 for our "Know Before You Go" email to help you better plan (and pack) for your travels and we will see you soon!
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STS Staff Spotlight
Tonja Ray-Smith
Tonja's first day with STS was Monday, March 11.
Join us in welcoming her to the STS Family!
She will be at STS Connections, in Daytona Beach, next week.
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You’ve been a member of STS and now you’re part of the staff. Any initial surprises your first week or things you didn’t realize go on behind the scenes at STS?
I didn’t realize how much work came from such a small staff. I am really impressed with how efficient the organization has been for all of these years with a handful of people.
Have you already identified a favorite lunch spot for your work week?
Yes, "Hola" is definitely THE place! I am a lover of Mexican cuisine. The steak fajitas have a special place in my heart.
How and where did you get your start in this industry?
I started in Grenada, MS with Grenada Tourism Commission as the Administrative Assistant in 2003.
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Tonja Ray-Smith, TMP
Administrative Assistant
Southeast Tourism Society
Roswell, Georgia
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Saint Simons Island, Georgia
Cumming, Georgia
College Park, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Morehead City, North Carolina
Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Clarksburg, West Virginia
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Johns Island, South Carolina
Daytona Beach, Florida
Okeechobee, Florida
Scottsdale, Arizona
Austin, Texas
Perry, Georgia
Tampa, Florida
Atmore, Alabama
Franklin, Tennessee
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STS Member News & Accolades
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Bill Seratt, executive director of Visit Vicksburg, announced his retirement for June 30, 2019 after more than 12 years at the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (VCVB).
Seratt started at Visit Vicksburg on April 20, 2007 after serving as the executive director of the Greenville/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Southeast Tourism Society.
His tenure at the bureau has seen a 30% increase in hospitality sales tax revenue.
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Friends of Southwest Virginia are hosting a weekend-long celebration to reopen Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway under a new brand and operational model. A series of events will take place March 15th – 17th to introduce visitors and locals to the renewed image and programming for the facility focused on telling the unique story of Southwest Virginia’s culture and heritage.
The facility, located just off I-81 in Abingdon, Virginia, has been closed to the public since January 1, 2019 to facilitate a renovation of both facilities and programs.
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North Little Rock celebrates a successful year in Tourism
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Sports events in North Little Rock, Arkansas, resulted in a $6.75 million economic impact, according to the North Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau’s 2018 annual report.
Other 2018 highlights for North Little Rock CVB include:
- AirBnB began remitting A & P taxes on behalf of North Little Rock hosts
- Downtown Riverside RV Park’s $15.87 million economic impact over 10 years
- Reach of advertising, marketing and public relations estimated at 217 million
- First annual Arkansas Italian Food & Culture Festival with 7,000 attendees
- Breaking ground on Argenta Plaza, which will be managed by the CVB
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Jekyll Island Authority is a Winner
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The Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits Festival was a multi-award winner at the
2019 Kaleidoscope Award Ceremony during the Southeast Festivals and Events Association annual conference in February.
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Cookeville-Putnam County will serve as
home to the inaugural Pan-American Kayak Bass Championship, May 28 - 31, 2019.
The first-of-its-kind in the world, the four-day event will welcome more than 100 of the most elite kayak bass anglers from around the globe to Center Hill Lake.
The exclusive competition is invitation only and is expected to include participants from Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Peru, Brazil, Canada, and more. More than forty Pan-American countries will be invited.
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Industry Jobs/Member Offers
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March 19-21, 2019
Daytona Beach, Florida
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One Meeting
Twelve States
Infinite Ideas
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Nominate your Festivals and Events that take place in October, November, and December of 2019.
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Since its inception in 1992, STS Marketing College® attendees participate in a curriculum designed to teach marketing techniques from all facets of the tourism industry to earn their Travel Marketing Professional (TMP) Certification.
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The STS Congressional Summit on Travel & Tourism is advocacy in action. More Voices = More Impact.
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On March 12, 2019 President Trump signed a landmark public lands bill (
John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act)
that included several important provisions. Southeast Tourism Society's D.C. Advocate, Halle Czechowski, has worked tirelessly for the past several years on this bill that includes: expanding Ocmulgee National Monument. in Macon, Georgia, into a National Historical Park, establishing a National Reconstruction Era Network, and permanent authorization of the Land & Water Conservation Fund.
"The new law expands the National Park System by more than 42,000 acres and preserves some of America's truly remarkable stories and places. It took a a lot of hard work by a diverse network of people and communities but today's signing is proof of Margaret Mead's observation that one should 'never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world'" said Czechowski.
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Do you have STS Member News?
Please email your text and photo to
Wendy Thomas
by the 15th of each month for inclusion in the next STS Member Newsletter.
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