Visit Florida has appointed Ken Lawson as its new president and CEO, the tourism organization announced today. Lawson, currently the Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), was elected following a unanimous vote by the Visit Florida Board of Directors during its meeting on the morning of Jan. 10. Lawson will begin in his new role tomorrow, Jan. 11.
His appointment comes a week after Lawson's predecessor, Will Seccombe, stepped down amid controversy over a $1 million promotional contract with hip-hop artist Pitbull.
A Florida native, Lawson managed a team of 1,600 employees overseeing licensing and regulating businesses throughout the state during his six years with the DBPR. His appointment earned hearty support from members of the Visit Florida Board of Directors.
"The work Visit Florida does to promote tourism is vital to the continued growth of the state's economy and having someone with Secretary Lawson's strong leadership background will secure our continued success." said William D. Talbert, III, CDME, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and Chair of the Visit Florida Board of Directors.
"Ken Lawson will be a tremendous asset to Visit Florida and ensures the organization will be well-positioned to continue to play a key role in promoting the state to visitors around the globe," added Carol Dover, president and CEO of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and member of the Visit Florida Board of Directors.
Lawson himself expressed excitement about the new role and optimism about the state's potential for growth in its tourism market, saying, "Florida tourism has great momentum with five consecutive years of record visitation, visitor spending, and industry-related employment, and I look forward to building on this momentum to take Visit Florida to the next level."