SAN ANTONIO – Visit San Antonio announced its inaugural board of directors on Tuesday.
The first board, which will begin meeting regularly in November, is made up of 21 members comprising of a mix of city officials and appointees, tourism and hospitality influencers and public representatives who will all serve anywhere from one- to three-year terms.
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“Visit San Antonio is positioned today to be one of the stronger destination management organizations in the country,” said Frank Miceli, board chairman and Senior Vice-President of Sales and Franchise Business Operations for Spurs Sports & Entertainment. "This is a great lineup of thinkers and doers, and will provide positive and entrepreneurial input in how we go about things. It was a tough consideration process for the Committee, but they did a great job and we are excited about what can be accomplished as we move forward.”
Here are the initial board members:
- Appointment by Mayor – Councilwoman Rebecca J. Viagran, District 3, and Councilman Alan E. Warrick, II, District 2.
- Appointment by City Manager – Sheryl Sculley, City of San Antonio
- Hotel and Lodging – Dan King, Hyatt Hill Country Resort and Spa; Rusty Wallace, Omni Hotels and Resorts; Tim Sullivan, Marriott River Center / River Walk.
- Leisure Attractions – Carl Lum, SeaWorld San Antonio; Marise McDermott, The Witte Museum.
- Restaurant Culinary Industry – Ruben Sepulveda, Don Pedro’s / San Antonio Restaurant Association.
- Heritage / Preservation – Michael Cortez, La Familia Cortez Restaurants.
- Arts / Culture / Music – Henry Brun, Richport Enterprises.
- Transportation – Jeff Arndt, VIA.
- Chamber – Denise Rodriguez-Hernandez, True Flavors Catering.
- At Large (3) – Pat Frost, Frost Bank; Frank Miceli, Spurs, Sports & Entertainment; Cristina Aldrete, North San Antonio Chamber.
- President/CEO – Casandra Matej, Visit San Antonio.
- Ex-Officio Voting – Mike Sawaya, Convention and Sports Facilities; Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, San Antonio Economic Development Foundation.
- Ex-Officio Non-Voting – Tom Jones, City of San Antonio – Aviation Department; Major General Juan Ayala, City of San Antonio – Office of Military Affairs.
The public-private non-profit created in September is replacing the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau. More than 60 applicants were considered for the positions.