Our Team

The People Behind the Platform

Destination Must Visit® is supported by an award-winning team of tourism, destination marketing, public relations, visitor engagement, hospitality, technology, and event professionals whose collective experience spans some of the most recognized destinations and organizations in the United States and internationally.

Board of Directors

Governance rooted in industry expertise.

Recognitions

—Women in Business Champion of the Year
—Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise
—Community Business Leader
—Women of Impact Honoree

Carolyn E. Howell

President & Founding Chair

Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc.

President & CEO, EVENTS USAPresident, SKÅL International Washington, DC

Tourism is not simply about attracting visitors — it is about creating experiences that strengthen communities, support businesses, and inspire people to return again and again.

Carolyn E. Howell is a nationally recognized tourism, hospitality, destination marketing, and event management executive with nearly three decades of experience creating visitor experiences, driving stakeholder engagement, and producing programs that strengthen communities and support economic development.

As Founder and CEO of EVENTS USA, she has successfully led the planning, production, and management of more than 2,600 conferences, meetings, summits, tourism initiatives, community celebrations, and public-facing events throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Her work has consistently focused on bringing people together, increasing destination visibility, supporting local businesses, and creating memorable experiences that generate meaningful economic and community impact.

Areas of Expertise

Her expertise spans destination promotion, tourism stakeholder engagement, visitor experience development, strategic partnerships, event activation, hospitality relations, community outreach, sponsorship development, and organizational leadership. She has worked extensively with corporations, nonprofit organizations, chambers of commerce, destination organizations, government agencies, hospitality partners, and community stakeholders to create initiatives that attract visitors, strengthen local economies, and elevate destination brands.

Industry Leadership

A respected leader within the travel and tourism industry, she currently serves as President of SKÅL International Washington, DC, a global organization of travel and tourism professionals dedicated to advancing responsible tourism and industry collaboration. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Aquarium and the DC Chamber of Commerce and previously served as Chair of Visit Loudoun, the official destination marketing organization for Loudoun County, Virginia.

Leadership Philosophy

Throughout her career, she has built a reputation for transforming ideas into experiences that inspire engagement, foster collaboration, and create lasting economic and social value. Her leadership combines strategic vision with operational excellence, allowing her to successfully guide complex initiatives involving public agencies, private-sector partners, community organizations, and tourism stakeholders.

Commitment to DMVTA

As a leader of the Destination Must Visit® Tourism Alliance (DMVTA), she is committed to helping destinations strengthen their tourism ecosystems, support local businesses, enhance visitor experiences, and position themselves for sustainable growth and long-term success.

Education

—B.S. Hospitality Management — Florida International University

David O. Weinschel

Board Vice Chair

Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc.

Founder, Celebrations Hospitality, Inc.Certified Tourism Ambassador

David Weinschel is a respected tourism, hospitality, destination development, and venue management executive whose career spans more than four decades. As Vice Chair of Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc., he provides strategic leadership, industry insight, and a deep understanding of destination marketing, hospitality operations, and tourism-driven economic development.

Entrepreneurial Leadership

A visionary entrepreneur and hospitality leader, he is the Founder of Celebrations Hospitality, Inc., established in 1985, and has successfully developed, managed, and advised hospitality venues, tourism destinations, wineries, event facilities, and lodging properties throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

Industry Service

Throughout his career, he has served in leadership and advisory roles for numerous hospitality, tourism, banking, and economic development organizations. He is a former President and founding member of the Loudoun Bed & Breakfast Guild, former Board Member of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, and former Advisory Board Member for Middleburg Bank.

Commitment to DMVTA

As Vice Chair of Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance Inc, he leverages his extensive hospitality and tourism background to help guide the organization's mission of advancing destination development, tourism promotion, industry collaboration, workforce engagement, and economic impact for communities and tourism stakeholders nationwide.

Tracy Hamlin

Board Member

Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc.

President & CEO, Sweet Jazz ConcertsFounder, Sweet Jazz FestFounder, DMH Records

Tracy Hamlin is an internationally recognized business leader, tourism advocate, philanthropist, author, restaurateur, recording artist, and entrepreneur whose career spans destination promotion, hospitality, entertainment, community engagement, and economic development. She brings a unique combination of tourism leadership, stakeholder relations, event development, and destination marketing expertise that supports the mission of Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc.

Event Development & Tourism Impact

As President and CEO of Sweet Jazz Concerts, Founder of Sweet Jazz Fest, and Founder of DMH Records, she has successfully developed and managed nationally recognized experiential events that attract visitors, generate tourism spending, support local businesses, and create meaningful cultural experiences.

Destination Marketing Leadership

She has served as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for Visit Loudoun, where she works alongside tourism industry leaders, elected officials, hospitality partners, attractions, and community stakeholders to advance regional tourism initiatives and visitor engagement strategies.

Industry Affiliations

She serves as an Executive Board Member of Skål International Washington, DC, and is an active member of the DC Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Committee.

Global Perspective

Having performed, spoken, and conducted business in more than 59 countries, she brings a global perspective on tourism, cultural exchange, hospitality, and destination promotion that positions her as a valuable strategic asset to DMVTA.

Trade Missions

—Dubai (7)
—Abu Dhabi (7)
—The Kingdom of Qatar (7)
—The Kingdom of Morocco
—Ghana
—Berlin
—Dublin
—London
—Glasgow
—Milan
—Rome
—Montevideo (2)
—Buenos Aires (2)
—Sao Paulo
—San Salvador
—Tel Aviv
—Paraguay
—Cape Town

Andres O. Hayes

Board Member

Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc.

President & CEO, Airtifae GroupFounder, Airtifae Global Services

Andres O. Hayes is an internationally recognized leader in global trade, tourism, and hospitality with more than 35 years of executive experience spanning banking, international business development, and destination promotion. A native of the Republic of Panama, he serves as President and CEO of Airtifae Group, where he leads initiatives that promote foreign direct investment, international market expansion, and strategic partnerships across multiple regions of the world.

Government & Public Sector Leadership

From 2019 to 2022, he served as Director for International Trade and Commerce for the Government of the District of Columbia, where he played a key role in attracting foreign direct investment to Washington, DC, strengthening international commercial partnerships, and supporting export growth among small and medium-sized enterprises.

Corporate Career

He built a distinguished corporate career with Visa International, where he spent more than a decade and rose to become one of the company's youngest Regional Managers. In 1994 he was selected to establish Visa's operations center for Central Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Community Leadership

A committed community leader, he has served on the boards of several respected organizations, including the DC Chamber of Commerce, where he founded the International Committee in 2014, the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Advisory Board of the Carlos Rosario International Charter School Culinary Program.

Education

—Doctor of Physical Therapy — Gannon University
—B.S. Rehabilitation Sciences — Armstrong State University, Magna Cum Laude

Dr. Chelsea McLendon, PT, DPT

Board Member

Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc.

Clinic Manager, PT SolutionsDoctor of Physical Therapy

Dr. Chelsea McLendon is a healthcare leader, licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy, and clinic operations executive with extensive experience overseeing multidisciplinary healthcare environments across the United States. Her background spans outpatient rehabilitation, acute care hospitals, school systems, home health, and community-based care.

Clinical & Operational Leadership

Currently serving as Clinic Manager for PT Solutions in Georgia, she oversees clinic operations, regulatory compliance, staff development, financial stewardship, patient care coordination, and strategic performance management.

Community Outreach

She is deeply committed to community outreach and public service. She has participated in international medical relief efforts in Costa Rica through the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children and has supported wellness education and caregiver advocacy initiatives throughout the Southeast.

Commitment to DMVTA

As a board member, she brings expertise in healthcare operations, organizational leadership, strategic planning, and community wellness advocacy that strengthens the organization's mission and long-term vision.

Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc. is supported by an award-winning leadership team of tourism, destination marketing, hospitality, operations, and experiential professionals.

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Leadership Team

Experienced leaders driving destination results.

Key Highlights

—18+ years in destination marketing & economic development
—Led initiatives generating billions in infrastructure investment
—Managed multi-million-dollar budgets and high-performing teams
—Proven success increasing visitation, hotel demand, and economic impact
—Faculty member, U.S. Chamber Institute for Organization Management

Amber Batchelor, IOM

Head of Tourism Operations, Strategy, and Implementation

Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc.

IOM — Certified in Organization Management (equivalent to 3 master's degrees in Nonprofit Management)

Amber Batchelor, IOM, is an award-winning 501(c)(6) nonprofit President and CEO, prior Destination Marketing Organization CEO, tourism policy advisor, and world-class champion sales leader for a Fortune 50 company — congressionally recognized for outstanding leadership as a 501(c)(6) association CEO by a Georgia congressman. She is a nationally respected destination marketing and economic development executive with nearly two decades of experience leading high-impact tourism, chamber, and community development initiatives, recognized for her ability to align strategy, stakeholders, and execution to drive measurable growth in visitation, business activity, and regional economic performance.

Her leadership spans destination marketing organizations, chambers of commerce, and multi-sector partnerships, where she has consistently delivered results by integrating tourism strategy with economic development priorities. Her work reflects a disciplined, data-informed approach that connects marketing, sales, and stakeholder engagement into a coordinated system focused on outcomes.

Executive Leadership

She has led organizations and initiatives with budgets exceeding $30 million and has been responsible for developing and executing strategies that increase hotel occupancy, strengthen workforce retention, and elevate destination visibility. Her ability to translate complex regional dynamics into actionable strategies has positioned her as a trusted advisor to government leaders, corporate partners, and tourism stakeholders.

Regional Impact

As President and Chief Executive Officer of a regional Georgia chamber of commerce, she led transformative regional initiatives that advanced long-term economic growth. Her leadership contributed to securing more than $1.1 billion in transportation infrastructure investment and advancing a $50 million workforce development center supporting over 100,000 employees. She also developed and implemented a regional marketing strategy that increased visitation, supported local businesses, and strengthened the region's position as a destination for both tourism and workforce attraction.

Tourism & Destination Marketing

Her experience in tourism and destination marketing includes leading organizations and campaigns that have generated significant economic impact, including driving millions in visitor-related revenue, securing competitive tourism grants, and building strategic partnerships with state and national tourism entities. She has worked in collaboration with organizations such as Explore Georgia and Georgia Grown and has advised tourism officials and international partners on strategies to expand market reach and drive visitation.

Event-Based Economic Activation

She also brings extensive experience in event-based economic activation, having led and supported large-scale festivals, conferences, and tourism initiatives that attract significant visitor volume and generate measurable economic outcomes. Her ability to integrate experiential programming with destination strategy allows her to create initiatives that not only draw audiences, but convert engagement into sustained economic activity.

Advisory & Faculty Roles

In addition to her executive leadership roles, she serves as a consultant and strategic advisor to municipalities, chambers, and tourism organizations, providing guidance on destination development, marketing strategy, stakeholder alignment, and revenue generation. She is also a faculty member for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Organization Management — with program locations at Villanova University and the University of Wisconsin — where she trains CEOs and senior executives in governance, strategic leadership, and organizational performance.

Role at DMVTA

As Head of Tourism Operations, Strategy, and Implementation for Destination Must Visit®, she provides executive leadership for destination tourism programs. She oversees the integration of marketing, sales, stakeholder engagement, and performance management into a unified system designed to increase visitation, strengthen the local economy, and deliver sustained, measurable impact.

20+ years turning destination strategy into sold-out conventions, citywide conferences, and measurable economic wins.

Pia Brown

Destination Strategy, Tourism & Convention Management Executive

Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc.

Pia Brown is an accomplished destination strategy, tourism, convention services, and event operations executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience across destination marketing organizations, convention centers, government agencies, associations, hospitality partnerships, and international tourism initiatives.

Recognized for successfully leading large-scale citywide conferences, tourism initiatives, destination partnerships, and economic development programs that strengthen visitor engagement, increase destination visibility, generate measurable economic impact, and support workforce development.

Areas of Expertise

Extensive expertise in destination marketing collaboration, convention services management, tourism infrastructure coordination, public/private partnerships, stakeholder engagement, site selection, citywide event operations, and hospitality ecosystem development.

Collaborative Leadership

Demonstrated success working collaboratively with convention centers, hotels, tourism bureaus, local governments, hospitality alliances, transportation providers, public safety agencies, destination marketing organizations, and community stakeholders to position destinations competitively for conferences, meetings, conventions, and tourism-related economic development opportunities.

Strategic Initiatives

Experienced in developing and executing strategic initiatives that support destination branding, tourism growth, conference attraction, visitor experience enhancement, and long-term stakeholder alignment.

Core Competencies

—Destination Strategy & Tourism Development

—Convention Services & Citywide Event Operations

—Destination Marketing Collaboration

—Hospitality & Hotel Partnerships

—Tourism Infrastructure Coordination

—Public/Private Stakeholder Engagement

—Economic Development Initiatives

—Site Selection & Contract Negotiation

—Large-Scale Conference Management

—Visitor Experience Enhancement

—Sponsorship Development & Revenue Growth

—Workforce Development Initiatives

—International Tourism Engagement

—Strategic Planning & Organizational Leadership

—Community Relations & Government Affairs

—Event Reimagination & Brand Positioning

—Health & Safety Compliance

—Vendor & Service Provider Management

—Budget Development & Financial Oversight

—Cross-Functional Team Leadership

Experiential Expertise

—Immersive event activations & branded environments
—Run-of-show development & venue coordination
—Hospitality design & registration operations
—Credentialing systems & executive guest management
—Transportation logistics & audience engagement strategy
—VIP hospitality, green rooms & backstage coordination
—Sponsor engagement & protocol-sensitive experiences

Kimberlin L. Love

Senior Manager, Experiential Engagement, VIP Strategy & National Events

Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc.

Kimberlin L. Love is a nationally respected experiential engagement and operations executive with more than two decades of leadership experience managing complex, high-profile conferences, conventions, civic engagements, governmental initiatives, and large-scale public-facing events at the intersection of government, nonprofit, corporate, and community leadership.

Recognized for a calm leadership style, operational precision, and ability to execute seamlessly in high-pressure environments, the team specializes in experiential marketing, VIP hospitality operations, stakeholder engagement, executive-level event strategy, and large-scale destination activations that strengthen organizational visibility, audience engagement, and public trust.

National Event Leadership

As Meeting Planner Liaison for the African American Mayors Association, she serves as a trusted advisor supporting the strategic design and execution of national conferences and convenings involving mayors, corporate partners, sponsors, government leaders, and community stakeholders. Her work includes end-to-end production oversight, donor engagement alignment, executive hospitality, sponsor coordination, and post-event evaluation designed to ensure measurable impact and exceptional attendee experiences.

Career Experience

Throughout her career, she has directed complex live-event operations supporting national conferences, political campaigns, conventions, inaugural activities, executive meetings, municipal leadership gatherings, and civic engagement initiatives involving thousands of attendees, VIP stakeholders, elected officials, media representatives, sponsors, and community leaders.

Protocol & Diplomatic Experience

As a former Protocol Officer with the U.S. Department of State, she developed specialized expertise in diplomatic protocol, executive presence, cultural competency, and international engagement while coordinating official visits for heads of state and collaborating with the White House, embassies, federal agencies, and global stakeholders on events of national and international significance.

Senior Leadership Background

Her leadership background includes senior roles supporting the Democratic National Committee, Hillary for America, the Presidential Inaugural Committee, the Democratic National Convention Committee, The Peter Damon Group, and the United States Department of State.

Role at DMVTA

Within the DMVTA structure, she supports experiential tourism initiatives, VIP and executive hospitality operations, convention engagement strategy, stakeholder experience management, sponsor activation, civic and cultural engagement, destination activations, and high-visibility visitor-facing experiences designed to elevate destination profiles and strengthen public-private partnerships.

Creative Expertise

—Destination branding implementation
—Tourism campaign visuals & experiential design
—Convention and conference branding
—Audiovisual coordination & digital media production
—Motion graphics & environmental graphics
—Live production support
—Branded visitor experiences
—Large-format visual installations
—Public-facing engagement environments

Stephen Fortune

Creative Director, Visual Experience & Destination Branding Strategist

Destination Must Visit® Tourism Alliance, Inc.

Stephen Fortune is a multidisciplinary creative director and experiential branding professional with more than 16 years of experience transforming live events, destination activations, conferences, and public-facing experiences into visually engaging, immersive environments.

He specializes in destination storytelling through environmental graphics, experiential branding, digital media, motion graphics, audiovisual production, and large-scale visual engagement strategies that enhance visitor experiences and strengthen destination identity.

Bridging Tourism & Creativity

His work bridges the intersection of tourism, hospitality, convention experiences, and experiential marketing — helping destinations create memorable visual moments that resonate with visitors, meeting attendees, stakeholders, and community audiences alike.

Event & Activation Experience

He brings extensive experience supporting conferences, tourism activations, conventions, corporate events, public engagement initiatives, cultural programming, and branded destination experiences requiring seamless integration of visual identity, digital storytelling, environmental branding, production design, onsite technical execution, and audience engagement.

Leadership Style

Known for a calm leadership style, creative precision, and ability to execute under pressure, he collaborates closely with event producers, tourism leaders, marketing teams, venue partners, and technical vendors to ensure every visual and experiential component aligns with the destination's brand, mission, and visitor expectations.

Technical Capabilities

Technical and creative capabilities include mastery of Adobe Creative Cloud platforms including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Lightroom, along with extensive experience in multimedia production and experiential visual storytelling.

Role at DMVTA

He supports destination branding, experiential tourism initiatives, convention visuals, promotional campaigns, environmental graphics, and immersive visitor-facing experiences designed to elevate destination visibility and engagement. His ability to merge creativity, technology, branding, and experiential execution makes him a valuable contributor to Destination Must Visit®'s tourism advancement and destination engagement strategy.

20+ years building the operational backbone that keeps destination programs on time, on scope, and accountable.

Shannon Baker

Director of Operations & Program Support

Destination Must Visit Tourism Alliance, Inc.

Founder & Principal Strategist, TSB Management Solutions

Shannon Baker is an accomplished business operations strategist and organizational systems professional with more than twenty years of experience supporting executive leadership, managing complex projects, streamlining operations, and implementing process improvements that drive organizational efficiency and performance. As Founder and Principal Strategist of TSB Management Solutions, she has built a reputation for helping businesses, nonprofit organizations, and public-sector partners establish scalable operational frameworks that improve accountability, communication, and measurable outcomes.

Operational Leadership

Throughout her career, she has successfully led initiatives involving workflow optimization, project coordination, stakeholder communications, performance tracking, technology implementation, and executive support. Her expertise in documenting procedures, developing operational systems, and managing cross-functional teams enables organizations to execute initiatives with consistency, efficiency, and strategic alignment.

Role at DMVTA

Within the Destination Must Visit® Tourism Alliance, she serves as Director of Operations & Program Support, providing critical infrastructure and organizational support for destination marketing, tourism development, community engagement, and special event initiatives. In this role, she oversees project tracking systems, operational workflows, reporting processes, internal communications, stakeholder coordination, and implementation support to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with client objectives.

Strategic Value

Her experience in process improvement and organizational management plays a vital role in supporting DMVTA's destination stewardship, tourism activation, visitor engagement initiatives, partnership development efforts, and special events programming. Her ability to coordinate multiple priorities while maintaining strong operational controls helps ensure seamless collaboration among municipal partners, tourism stakeholders, hospitality businesses, community organizations, and project teams.

Recognized for her attention to detail, strategic mindset, and commitment to operational excellence, she brings the structure, accountability, and organizational leadership necessary to support successful destination management initiatives and long-term tourism growth strategies.

Ready to work with our team?

Let's start a conversation about how Destination Must Visit can help your destination achieve its tourism goals.

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