Congratulations to our host partners for the 2021 Lt. Governor's Travel & Tourism Summits! A special shout out to board members Janet Reed with Discover Durant and Jo McDaniel & Nathan Roach with Choctaw Nation Tourism for hosting the first Summit in Durant at the Lost Street Brewing Company. Next we want to recognize Rich Cantillon and Zach Trantham with Ponca City Tourism Bureau for hosting the Summit in Ponca City at City Central. And lastly, we want to thank Amanda Davis with Visit Miami for hosting the Summit at the beautiful, historic Coleman Theater. Each of the events were amazing for a variety of reasons and each were uniquely suited to their community. Hundreds of tourism professionals from across the state attended the three Lt. Governor's Travel & Tourism Summits which featured wonderful educational sessions and great hospitality. And of course, these events would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our state's biggest tourism advocate, Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell. OTIA and our members are so thankful for his support of the tourism industry and his influence on state government to make Oklahoma a "Top 10 State" in tourism! Click this here to view pictures from each of these three events. |
Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell
Matt Pinnell was elected as the 17th Lieutenant Governor of the State of Oklahoma on November 6th, 2018. In that role, he serves as President of the Oklahoma State Senate, and is a member of multiple constitutional boards and commissions. Lt. Governor Pinnell also serves as Secretary of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage on Governor Kevin Stitt’s cabinet. In his role as Secretary of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, Pinnell oversees the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation and the state’s efforts to promote tourism, the third largest industry in Oklahoma. Pinnell led the successful effort to rebrand the State of Oklahoma, a component of the overall effort to retain and recruit more jobs to the state of Oklahoma. Pinnell also currently serves on the Department of Commerce executive committee focusing on small business growth, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. Pinnell has a background in entrepreneurship and is a small business owner with his wife, Lisa, who is an inventor and entrepreneur. Matt is a graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Advertising and lives in Tulsa with his wife and their 4 children who attend Jenks Public Schools. |
Erica Kosemund will share her passion for bringing together creative direction and true brand identity at the Choctaw Nation. Learn what marketing plans were deployed to open the Sky Tower luxury hotel expansion at Choctaw Casion Resort in Durant. Working as owner-operator of Willow Springs Resort, Paul Casperson will share his perspective from the shores of Lake Texoma on guest loyalty, packaging, and partnering with local businesses.
Kelly Bland
Executive Director Osage County Tourism
Coming to us from down “south of the Red,” with an appreciation for green pastures and beautiful country, Kelly Bland brings a fresh perspective to marketing Oklahoma. Former Chamber of Commerce Director and President of the Board of Directors of the Texas Midwest Community Network, Kelly is no stranger to community involvement. With a degree in Communication and a minor in Public Relations/Advertising, Kelly is known for her marketing creativity. She currently serves as the Osage Co. Tourism/Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce Director as well as the Pawhuska Economic Development Director.
Cindy Oard was born, raised and resides in Blackwell, so Kay County is home for her. She established the Wonderfully Made Studio in Blackwell about five years ago. Cindy has loved art since she was a child and took art classes at Northern Oklahoma College and Oklahoma State University. She has been a Blackwell Tourism and Development board member for approximately 10 years. Cindy orchestrated the Top of Oklahoma Barn Quilt Trail and established The Top of Oklahoma Barn Quilt Geo-Cache Trail, a very successful geo-cache trail in Blackwell. As owner of the Wonderfully Made Studio, she has taught barn quilt painting to 300+ students over the last four years. The studio offers custom design and painted barn quilts for businesses and individuals. The Wonderfully Made Studio has been featured on “Is This A Great State or What” and “Discover Oklahoma”. Cindy loves to seeing the happiness of students when they finish their barn quilts and are so proud of what they have done. She has been married to Tracy for 44 years. Cindy is the mother to three daughters, including a set of twins, and has five amazing grandchildren.
Carla Burdick is the Executive Director for the Red Carpet Country Association. She was born and raised in Red Carpet Country. Carla has experience in marketing, management, sales, community development, event planning, strategic planning, and non-profit organization. Carla graduated from Enid High School and received her Bachelor’s from Oklahoma State University. She has over 22 years of experience in retail sales, management, buying, and merchandising. She started her career with Mervyn’s Department Stores as a Retail Analyst and Buyer. Carla worked with Dillard’s Department Stores for almost 12 years, as Area Sales Manager, Merchandise Buyer, Division Coordinator for 43 stores in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, and Regional Accessories Director for the Oklahoma and Southern Kansas area. Carla has been the Executive Director at Red Carpet Country for almost five years. Red Carpet Country serves 16 counties in North Central and Northwest Oklahoma, helping communities and business build tourism, economic growth, stretch their marketing dollars, and increase revenues.
Bill Geist is the Chief Instigator at DMOproz (aka Zeitgeist Consulting), a firm specializing in strategic planning, governance, marketing and legislative issues for Destination Marketing and Management Organizations (convention and visitor bureaus, tourism-focused chambers of commerce, economic development organizations and communities). Prior to forming Zeitgeist Consulting, Bill served as the President/CEO of the Greater Madison (WI) Convention & Visitors Bureau from 1990-1995. Before moving to the Madison CVB, Bill led the Kankakee County (IL) CVB and landed the first multi-year contract ever awarded for the American Power Boat Association's National Outboard Championships. Bill holds an Executive MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Kenyon College.