After 11 years of service, Jim Wood, the president and CEO of the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, has resigned and veteran hospitality industry executive Karen Williams has been named the interim head of the city's tourism agency.
"We are thrilled that Karen can step in quickly to ensure we do not miss a beat on maximizing tourism growth and economic development," says Michael Howerton, chair of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, market vice president of the Marriott Louisville Downtown, and an associate with White Lodging.
Williams has worked in the hospitality industry for 32 years beginning as a sales manager at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Atlanta. After opening 18 hotels worldwide, Williams returned to Louisville and served 23 years at the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, retiring as executive vice president in 2012. She has served on boards of Leadership Louisville, Meeting Professionals International, Destination Marketing Association International, and was an APEX Commissioner with the Convention Industry Council. Williams has also served as chair for Destination & Travel Foundation.
Most recently, Williams has been working with leading hospitality industry clients as a consultant with her destination marketing company, Inspired, and also serving as director of industry relations for Schneider Publishing.
Wood is credited with helping to attract the Future Farmers of America (FFA) that had its tradeshow in Louisville in 2013 and will also have it in 2014 and 2015, an economic impact of more than $40 million annually. Wood’s accomplishments also include opening a state-of-the-art visitors center in 2007; the launch of a regional tourism partnership of Bourbon Country, one of the few multi-city cooperative marketing campaigns; and the awarding of the American Bus Association annual conference in 2016.
Wood was also instrumental in signing long-term contracts with multiple conventions including the upcoming SkillsUSA Convention being held in Louisville 2015 to 2020. Other industry shows held in Louisville during Wood's tenure include Religious Convention Management Association, National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, Teams, CESSE, Rejuvenate Marketplace, and National Association of Sports Commissions.
Before joining the Louisville CVB, Wood was the president & CEO of the Greater Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. He was also the vice president of convention sales and marketing at the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau.
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