March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 53 F

Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Names New Board Directors

Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (VAAAC) is pleased to announce Gene Condon as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. The Vice President/General Manager of Arundel Mills Mall officially assumed his leadership role at the organization’s July 12 Board of Directors meeting at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland in Hanover. Newly installed executive committee members include Vice-Chair Jill Porter, Director of Sales at MITAGS-Maritime Conference Center; Treasurer Steve Stavropoulos, General Manager at Westfield Annapolis; and Secretary Cindy Jones, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland’s Hospitality Division.

Other incoming VAAAC board members serving a two-year-term include Donna Anderson, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Arts Center; Adrienne Trout, Director, Office of Corporate & Community Relations at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport; and Donnie Sutton, General Manager of BWI Airport Marriott.

Condon says he’s delighted to lead at such a pivotal time in VAAAC’s history. “Now more than ever, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County is charting a course for success. The organization is cultivating new partnerships, forging new relationships, and identifying new opportunities for growth and diversification of the destination’s tourism offerings. With the help of its stakeholders, the organization will begin crafting a strategic plan this fall designed in part to identify emerging tourism assets and transform them into unique, life-changing visitor experiences. The board is committed to supporting Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County’s dedicated team and the community they serve as they work together to position Annapolis and Anne Arundel County as a destination of choice for discerning travelers,” says Condon.

VAAAC Executive Director Kristen Pironis says she’s confident the new board is exceptionally qualified to continue to move Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County’s mission forward. “Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County and its many regional industry partners are primed to help lead the charge. There is so much opportunity for our organization and our industry, and innovation is key to tapping our fullest potential,” says Pironis.

VAAAC welcomed Heather Ersts as its Director of Tourism Development on August 29. In the newly created position, Ersts is responsible for supporting destination development projects and pertinent initiatives designed to bolster Annapolis & Anne Arundel County’s vibrant tourism economy. The long-time Anne Arundel County resident joined the VAAAC team after serving in a similar capacity as Partnership and Outreach Manager for the Maryland Office of Tourism Development for the past eight years.

“We are thrilled to welcome Heather aboard,” says Pironis. “She has the industry knowledge and a passion for the region that we were looking for in this position.”

The VAAAC Board of Directors is currently comprised of 14 voting members and four ex officio, non-voting directors. To learn more about the Board, visit www.visitannapolis.org/about-us/board-of-directors/

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