SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES - the California Tourism Industry Website

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 

Jay Baer 

President, Convince & Convert 

Baer is a social media strategist, 

speaker, and author who has 

consulted with more than 700 

companies on digital marketing 

since 1994, including Visit 

California, the Arizona Office 

of Tourism, Marriott Hotels, Nike, and 29 of the 

Fortune 500. He was named one of America’s top 

social media consultants by Fast Company magazine, 

and his blog “Convince and Convert” is the world’s 

No. 1 content marketing blog. He co-authored “The 

NOW Revolution,” a leading book on social business. 

Caroline Beteta 

President & CEO of Visit California 

Vice Chair, Brand USA 

Beteta serves as the president and 

CEO of industry-led Visit California, 

a non-profit organization created 

to market California as a premier 

travel destination and to increase 

the state’s share of tourism-related 

revenues. Beteta is responsible for implementing Visit 

California’s $50 million marketing plan and serves as 

lead spokesperson for California’s $104 billion tourism 

industry. Under her leadership, California tourism 

programs have brought in an average of nearly $4 

billion annually to the state’s economy and increased 

the state share of the domestic market by 3 percent, 

reversing a decade-long decline. 

Lynn Carpenter 

Vice President of Marketing, Visit California 

Carpenter-Schumann directly 

supervises Visit California’s 

promotional efforts related to 

advertising, cooperative promotions, 

travel trade, international, Web/ 

interactive and publications 

activities. She began her career in the technology 

industry, serving as Vice President of Marketing at 

Netscape Communications and AOL Time Warner. 

She then moved into the tourism arena as Executive 

Director of Marketing and Sales for Mammoth 

Mountain Resort, where she was responsible for 

overall resort demand generation, branding and 

communications, sponsorships, special events and 

three major sales channels. 

22 2012 VISIT CALIFORNIA OUTLOOK FORUM 

Dr. Zhihang Chi 

Vice President and General Manager for North 

America, Air China 

Dr. Zhihang Chi is Air China’s Vice 

President and General Manager 

for North America, managing all 

aspects of Air China’s business in 

the region from its headquarters 

in Los Angeles—including 90-plus 

U.S.-based Air China employees and marketing and 

operations for 32 passenger flights between North 

America and China. His extensive experience in the 

airline industry, visionary leadership and passion 

in promoting closer and mutually beneficial U.S.- 

China relations are credited for Air China’s expansion 

and steady growth in North America. Dr. Chi, a 

naturalized U.S. citizen, has been an advocate for visa 

liberalization for Chinese visitors. 

Jot Condie 

Visit California Board Member 

President & CEO, California Restaurant Association 

Condie, who has been head of the 

California Restaurant Association 

since 2004, previously served as 

the association’s vice president of 

government affairs and public 

policy—the restaurant industry’s 

chief lobbyist and political strategist in California. 

He built the CRA Political Action Committee into one 

of the largest small-business trade association PACs in 

the state. Condie currently serves as President of the 

Council of State Restaurant Associations and is a board 

director for the National Restaurant Association. 

Joe D’Alessandro 


President & CEO, San Francisco Travel Association 

Appointed president and CEO 

of San Francisco’s official visitor 

promotion agency in 2006, 

D’Alessandro led the drive for the 

passage of a Tourism Improvement 

District, which created a unique and 

sustainable funding model for tourism promotion. 

With more than 1,800 members and an annual 

budget of $25 million, the association is one of 

the largest membership-based tourism promotion 

agencies in the country and employs a staff of 80.

Todd Davidson 

Chair of the U.S. Travel & Tourism Advisory Board, 

CEO of the Oregon Tourism Commission 

Davidson was named CEO of the 

Oregon Tourism Commission (dba 

Travel Oregon) in 2004. In January 

2012, he was reappointed to the 

U.S. Travel & Tourism Advisory 

Board and designated as Chair. 

Under Davidson’s leadership, the tourism industry 

in Oregon has grown into an $8.7 billion industry 

that employs more than 90,000 Oregonians and has 

dedicated and stable funding crucial to strengthening 

its base of international markets and its leadership in 

sustainable tourism initiatives. 

Roger Dow 

President & CEO, U.S. Travel Association 

Dow has been the head of the 

U.S. Travel Association since 2005 

and was instrumental in leading 

the industry-wide movement that 

led to the creation of the Travel 

Promotion Act that was signed into 

law in 2010. More recently, U.S. Travel has taken the 

lead in forming the Discover America Partnership, 

a consortium of some three dozen companies and 

associations interested in improving our nation’s 

visa policies, especially in the high-growth markets 

of Brazil, China and India. The national umbrella 

organization represents all segments of travel and 

tourism in America—an industry responsible for 

generating $1.8 trillion in economic output annually. 

James P. Evans 

CEO, Brand USA 

James P. (Jim) Evans is CEO of 

Brand USA, formerly known as the 

Corporation for Travel Promotion. 

He is an acknowledged industry 

leader in global hospitality with 

30 years of experience in domestic 

and international sales and marketing, management 

and operations. Evans is widely recognized for his 

ability to build and lead dynamic teams, develop clear 

direction, achieve measurable goals, and create deep 

value for his organization. 

Ed Fuller 

Visit California Vice Chair of Marketing 

President & Managing Director, 

Marriott International Lodging 

Fuller has been in charge of 

Marriott’s international lodging 

since 1990. Under his leadership, 

the business has grown from 16 

properties outside the United States 

and Canada to 350 hotels in 70 

countries with another 175 hotels under construction. 

He has received many awards for his achievements in 

the hotel industry, serves on industry and academic 

boards, and is the author of the book, “You Can’t 

Lead With Your Feet on the Desk.” 

Mike Gallagher 


CityPASS Co-founder & CEO 

CityPASS provides deep-discount 

ticket packages to the top attractions 

in 11 North American destinations. 

Prior to launching CityPASS in 

1996 with his partner, Mike Morey, 

Gallagher had accumulated a wealth 

of experience as both a theme-park executive and 

a tourism leader. He started his career in various 

operations and marketing capacities at SeaWorld 

San Diego and the San Diego Zoo and joined 

Marine World Africa USA (now Six Flags Discovery 

Kingdom) in 1974. 

Marilyn Hannes 

Vice President of Marketing, SeaWorld San Diego 

Hannes, who is involved in 

many California tourism-related 

organizations, has worked at 

SeaWorld since 1997. She is a 

member of the Visit California 

International Advisory Symposium 

and the Visit California Marketing Committee. 

INDUSTRY.VISITCALIFORNIA.COM 23

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES continued 

Jeff Larson 

Vice President, Regional Marketing Strategy, 

Disney Parks and Resorts 

Larson, who has worked at Disney 

for 16 years, oversees marketing 

strategy for Disneyland and the four 

theme parks and two water parks at 

Walt Disney World. He previously 

was a Vice President at DDB 

Needham Worldwide. 

Mark Liberman 


President & CEO, LA INC. The Los Angeles 

Convention and Visitors Bureau 

Mark S. Liberman has been 

President and CEO of LA INC. 

The Los Angeles Convention and 

Visitors Bureau since June 2003. 

Prior to joining LA INC., he 

spent more than 34 years with 

United Airlines in a variety of sales and operational 

positions. Liberman is a Visit California board 

member and sits on the board of the U.S. Travel 

Association, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of 

Commerce, the Hotel Association of Los Angeles, the 

Alzheimer’s Association, and the Los Angeles Sports 

& Entertainment Commission. 

Lynn Mohrfeld 


President & CEO, California Hotel & Lodging 

Association 

Mohrfeld, who has been with 

CH&LA since 2002, has been 

involved in the tourism industry for 

more than 25 years, having designed 

and produced one of the first 

destination marketing organization 

Web sites at the San Diego Convention & Visitors 

Bureau. In addition, he has extensive tourism research 

experience and worked with international visitation 

through the U.S. Department of Commerce, as well 

as with visitation profiles and estimation models 

for convention and visitors bureaus. He is chair of 

the Board of Directors for the International Society 

of Hotel Association Executives, an officer and 

board member of the American Hotel & Lodging 

Association and a board trustee of the American 

Hotel & Lodging Foundation. 


Chris Perkins 

Chief Marketing Officer, Brand USA 

Perkins brings to Brand USA 

more than 25 years of marketing 

experience for high-profile and 

high-potential global brands. He 

is a veteran of venerable agencies 

including Hal Riney & Partners, 

Ogilvy & Mather and Arnold Worldwide, where he 

has managed some of the world’s most notable brands. 

Perkins played leadership roles in marketing platforms 

and campaigns for Wendy’s, McDonald’s, HP, Shell 

Oil, Jack Daniel’s, Babies R Us, Chrysler and Jeep, 

and for tourism brands including Florida Tourism, 

Ohio Tourism and Utah Tourism. 

Bob Roberts 

President & CEO, California Ski Industry Association 

Roberts has been head of the 

CSIA since 1975; it represents 

32 of California’s alpine and 

cross-country resorts and oversees 

the industry’s legislative, technical 

training, risk management, and 

marketing programs. The “Ski California USA” 

international campaign has been highly successful in 

developing cooperative programs to attract foreign 

skiers to California. Roberts has been the recipient 

of numerous industry awards and writes and speaks 

regularly on industry issues. 

John Robinson 

President & CEO, California Attractions and Parks 

Association 

Robinson leads the California 

Attractions and Parks Association, 

which represents virtually all of 

California’s theme, amusement and 

water parks. Its members—ranging 

from small, family owned parks 

to world-destination theme parks—generate more 

than $12 billion in annual commerce, employ more 

than 125,000 workers and are a vital foundation of 

the state’s $89 billion tourism industry. Robinson’s 

previous jobs included running public affairs for the 

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Director 

of Public Affairs for the National Ocean Service in 

Washington, D.C., and chairing presidential and 

international ocean conferences and events.

Adam Sacks 

President of Tourism Economics, member U.S. 

Travel & Tourism Advisory Board 

Sacks is the President of Tourism 

Economics, an Oxford Economics 

company dedicated to quantitatively 

based consulting to the tourism 

sector. Over the past 16 years, he 

has worked with hundreds of 

destinations and tourism companies around the 

world. Sacks is an authority on measuring the 

economic impact of tourism and has developed 

extensive analysis of tourism investment policies, 

the effects of entry procedures, tourism taxation, 

and destination marketing strategies. 

Rachel Salberg 

Destination Marketing Lead, Google 

Salberg manages research and 

advertising strategy for the emerging 

travel destinations business at 

Google. Her clients include U.S., 

state and local tourism boards; 

Caribbean destination marketing 

organizations; and in-market activities and attractions. 

She studies trends in the travel and digital marketing 

spaces, using Google internal and third-party data 

to design cross-platform marketing solutions tailored 

to customers’ branding and direct response goals. 

Thomas See 

Vice President for Sales, Universal Studios 

Hollywood 

A veteran sales and marketing 

executive, See oversees all travel 

industry sales that include 

developing marketing initiatives 

and strategies for international 

and domestic sales channels, as 

well as managing the regional sales marketing and 

special events sales teams. He currently serves on the 

Marketing Advisory Committee for Visit California. 

Prior to joining Universal Studios Hollywood, See 

held executive posts at The Walt Disney Company, 

and Trafalgar Tours and has served on the board 

of the Canadian Tourist Commission and Travel 

Distribution Division of Cendant Corp. 

John Severini 

President & CEO, California Travel Association 

CalTravel is the collective advocacy 

voice for travel, tourism and 

hospitality in California, and 

is comprised of businesses and 

organizations representing all sectors 

of tourism. Severini has more than 

25 years of senior executive experience in most sectors 

of travel. He has held management positions with 

cruise deluxe lines, was a senior executive with the 

The Walt Disney Company, and was president of 

Trafalgar Tours USA. 

Bobbie Singh-Allen 

Executive Vice President & COO, California Lodging 

Industry Association 

Under her leadership, CLIA has 

nearly doubled its membership 

and created new partnerships 

with leaders in tourism and the 

hospitality industry. In 2011, 

Singh-Allen collaborated to create 

a new national association modeled after CLIA to 

represent small and independent hotels, hotel owners, 

and operators. The Independent Lodging Industry 

Association launched in March 2011 and has 

more than 3,000 members nationally. She is ILIA’s 

Executive Director. 

Debbie Sipe 

Executive Director & CEO, California Association of 

RV Parks & Campgrounds 

Over the past 25 plus years, Sipe 

has worked in every aspect of the 

association. Under her guidance, 

CalARVC now has more than 

400 members. It includes a forprofit 

subsidiary responsible for all 

consumer marketing efforts, such as the camping 

guide, Web site, electronic newsletters, and PR 

program; budgets totaling over $700,000; more 

than 25 different products publications; an active 

legislative advocacy program; political action 

committee; and more than 10 different programs 

offering its members savings and means to improve 

their operations. 

INDUSTRY.VISITCALIFORNIA.COM 25

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES continued 

Joe Terzi 

President & CEO, San Diego Convention 

& Visitors Bureau 

Terzi began his hospitality career 

with ITT Sheraton Corporation in 

1972 and, shortly after Starwood 

acquired ITT Sheraton in 1998, he 

was promoted to Vice President of 

Operations with responsibility for 

all Starwood brands in California and Nevada. His 

role included the direction of a regional management 

team responsible for supervision and support of all 

Starwood-owned, managed and franchised brands 

in the region. He received numerous awards during 

his tenure in hotel management, was promoted to 

Senior Vice President for Starwood Hotels & Resorts 

in 2002, and was later recruited to fill the role of 

President and CEO for the San Diego Convention 

& Visitors Bureau in March 2009. 

Matt Thomson 

Vice President of Business Development 

and Platform, Klout 

Matt Thomson is the Vice President 

of Business Development and 

Platform at Klout, where he focuses 

on strategic business development 

and corporate development. Prior 

to Klout, he was General Manager 

for Business Products and Analytics at Lithium and 

Product Manager for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. 

Thomson also did the MBA thing at MIT Sloan 

School of Management. 

Christine Trodella 

Sales Manager, Facebook 

Trodella is a sales manager at 

Facebook and leads several 

verticals, including travel, leisure 

and hospitality. The travel team 

at Facebook is focused on bringing 

best practices to the industry and in 

helping companies achieve marketing success on the 

platform. Prior to Facebook, she held management 

positions at WebMD, Yahoo! and Advertising.com 

and has worked at IRI performing empirical market 

research and at Union Bank of California as an 

analyst for the Chief Economist. 


Kathy Turner 

Visit California Vice Chair of Operations 

Vice President Legislative and Government Affairs, 

Enterprise Holdings 

Turner, who started her career with 

Enterprise Rent-A-Car in 1984 

as a management trainee, is now 

responsible for coordinating the 

legislative affairs for California 

and Hawaii, and she assists with 

the states of Oregon and Washington. Additionally, 

she provides support to the risk management 

departments of Enterprise in Arizona, California, 

Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington and 

assists with management of legal affairs. She is a Past 

President of the California Employment Law Council 

and serves on the Governing Board of the Pacific 

Claims Executive Association. 

Xiomara Wiley 

Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales, 

Universal Studios Hollywood 

Wiley is responsible for the overall 

brand direction at Universal Studios 

Hollywood, including the theme 

park and the CityWalk shopping 

and entertainment complex. She 

previously worked at Walt Disney 

Parks and Resorts, most recently as Vice President of 

Marketing for Disneyland Resort.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES - the California Tourism Industry Website

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