Rancho Mirage, CA (November 1, 2018) — The Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is pleased to announce new staff members and staff changes to meet the needs of our growing tourism industry.
Dana Fury joins the CVB as Marketing Manager. Fury will be responsible for the development of the Destination Marketing Strategic Plan. Fury comes to the CVB from Universal Pictures, where she was Manager of Integrated Marketing. During her seven years at Universal, she was part of the highest-grossing box office year in industry history and worked on integrated marketing campaigns for film franchises like Jurassic World, Despicable Me, Pitch Perfect, and The Fast and the Furious. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Cinematic Arts and a master’s degree in Specialized Journalism from the University of Southern California.
Colleen Pace joins the CVB as Chief Marketing Officer. Pace will oversee all marketing, social media and communications. Pace comes to the CVB from Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, California, where she served as Director of Sales & Marketing for the past four years. In 2017 she was awarded Director of Sales & Marketing of the Year for Omni Hotel & Resorts. Pace holds a Bachelor of Science and Technology degree in Hotel/Business Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she graduated with high honors.
Julie Sinclair joins the CVB as Director of Brand Communications. Sinclair will oversee the creation of external and internal marketing materials and presentations for the CVB. Sinclair has an extensive editorial background. Sinclair served as editor for a variety of lifestyle, travel and hospitality publications, including Hearst’s special interest publications, This Old House magazine and Bridal Guide. She served as Editor-in-Chief at trade magazine American Spa and Spa magazine as well as Editorial Director at Palm Springs Life/Desert Publications. Sinclair holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Franklin & Marshall College.
Donna Sturgeon joins the CVB as Manager of the Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) program. Sturgeon will oversee the strategy and implementation of the new certification program. A Greater Palm Springs resident for more than 20 years, Sturgeon built strategic and educational partnerships for nearly a decade as the Director of Work-Based Learning for the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP). Sturgeon is a professionally trained meeting facilitator through the Ford Motor Company’s Next Generation Learning Program and a 2015 graduate of Leadership Coachella Valley. Sturgeon graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in English, Health and Education.
Marissa Willman has been promoted to Director of Digital Marketing. Willman will oversee the CVB’s digital marketing strategy, including digital media planning, social media marketing, website development, content marketing, email marketing and SEO. Prior to joining the CVB in 2016, Marissa was a freelance travel writer for outlets including USA Today, Forbes, Travel Channel and The Telegraph. Willman holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications/Print Journalism from California State University, Fullerton and was named one of Cal Travel’s 30 and Under Emerging Leaders in 2018.
Jean Paul Zapata has joined the CVB as Media Relations Manager. Zapata will focus on implementation of the CVB’s media relations program. Most recently, Zapata worked with Santa Monica PR agency Klick Communications. Los Angeles native Zapata spent more than five years in London, where he served as PR Account Manager at PR agency Black Diamond. Zapata worked to secure media coverage for various California tourism boards, including Sonoma County Tourism, Visit Santa Cruz County, Visit SLO CAL and Visit West Hollywood. Zapata holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a master of arts degree in International Politics from City University London.
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About Greater Palm Springs
The Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official tourism agency for the entire Coachella Valley, providing sales, marketing and promotional efforts targeted to potential leisure and convention group markets. The CVB serves more than 2,000 business partners throughout Riverside County’s nine-city region of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella. For more information on Greater Palm Springs, visit www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com.
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