The inaugural members of the new National Advisory Committee on Travel and Tourism Infrastructure (NACTTI) have been named by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx.
Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, will lead the 25-member committee as chair. Thirteen of the appointees, including Ralenkotter, are members of the U.S. Travel Association.
"Having the voice of travel leaders at the table will enable the country to better craft its infrastructure priorities for maximum benefit to both the economy and travelers," Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said in a statement.
The NACTTI was created as a result of President Obama signing the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act in December 2015. Members will provide recommendations to develop a national strategy to ensure transportation policies align with travelers' needs.
The new appointees will serve a two‑year term.
• Chair: Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
• Vice Chair: Mark Begich, president & CEO, Northern Compass Group, LLC
• Rosemarie Andolino, president & CEO, MAG USA
• Todd Davidson, chief executive officer, Travel Oregon
• Brad Dean, president & CEO, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
• James Dubea, deputy executive director, Canaveral Port Authority
• Buddy Dyer, mayor, City of Orlando
• Camille Ferguson, executive director, American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association
• Sean Fitzgerald, vice president, Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
• Ford Fuchigami, director, Hawaii Department of Transportation
• Gladys Gillis, chief executive officer, Transportation Demand Management, Inc.
• Bryan Grimaldi, chief operating officer & general counsel, NYC & Company, Inc.
• Mitchell Landrieu, mayor, City of New Orleans
• Valarie Long, international executive vice president, Service Employees International Union
• Joseph Lopano, chief executive officer, Tampa International Airport
• Jim Mathews, president & CEO, National Association of Railroad Passengers
• Sean Menke, exectutive vice president, Sabre
• Peter Pantuso, president & CEO, American Bus Association
• Sharon Pinkerton, senior vice president, Airlines for America
• John Potter, president and CEO, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
• Cathy Ritter, director, Colorado Tourism Office
• Jim Sayer, executive director, Adventure Cycling Association
• Anne Taber Klenke, tourism director, Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Diana Threadgill, president & executive director, Mississippi River Corridor - Tennessee
• Charles Zelle, commissioner, Minnesota Department of Transportation