California Travel Association

Nelson Gumm is President and CEO of AJR Media Group, a company that provides best in class media solutions to clients and agencies throughout the USA. AJR’s strength lies in its knowledge of the travel, financial, tech, B2B, B2C, and luxury/fashion segments and a deep expertise in connecting U.S.-based marketers and agencies with international media. Nelson co-founded AJR & Associates in 1991 and became CEO in 2005, growing the company to where it is today as AJR Media Group. Welcome to CalTravel, Nelson and the AJR Media Group team! Check out more tourism career moves in the link below. https://bit.ly/47ZjRXy

Last week, over 75 travel and tourism leaders gathered at Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite for our Fall Board Meeting and first-ever Board Retreat. Thank you to everyone who made the trek through the mountains to learn, network, and exchange ideas! And a big thank you to our destination host Visit Yosemite | Madera County, our breakfast sponsor Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, our power-up sponsor Causal, and our many destination partners for helping us enhance the experience. Yosemite is a true California treasure, and it showed! Check out the photo gallery here: https://bit.ly/3ZVBJ3z

Matt Muir is Vice President of Brand Partnerships at Emergent Media, a modern digital media company. With a social-first approach that is informed by data and brought to life by a global creator network, Emergent is re-imagining how content and ideas can be most effectively created and shared in today’s digital ecosystem. Matt is a media entrepreneur and sales leader with more than 20 years of experience, specializing in brand partnerships, branded content, advertising sales, sponsorships, and business development. Welcome to CalTravel, Matt and the Emergent Media team! Check out more tourism career moves in the link below. https://bit.ly/47ZjRXy

National Ski Areas Association has appointed Michael Reitzell as its new President and CEO. He joins NSAA with over 20 years of ski industry experience, including nine years as President of Ski California. In his new role, he will be responsible for the organization’s operations, including government relations and lobbying activities, public relations, research, financial management, member education, and administration. The Board believes his passion for the ski industry and his achievements at Ski California make him the perfect fit. Mike is excited about what the NSAA team and member resorts will be able to accomplish together. Congratulations on your new position, Michael! Check out more tourism career moves in the link below. https://bit.ly/47ZjRXy

Visit Oxnard President and Chief Executive Officer Julie Mino Buffo will be retiring and leaving her role at the destination marketing organization, where she has served for nearly seven years Buffo’s tenure marked a transformative era for the organization, during which she led the team to achieve remarkable milestones. Among some of the most notable achievements, Buffo secured a long-term, dedicated funding source with the Oxnard Tourism Marketing District, providing a more secure stream of funding for all marketing-related initiatives and a multi-year contract with the City of Oxnard. Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, Julie! Check out more tourism career moves in the link below. https://bit.ly/47ZjRXy

Visit Lodi has announced Wes Rhea as its new President and CEO, effective October 1. He joins Visit Lodi following 19 years leading destination marketing efforts in Stockton. With his extensive experience and expertise in destination marketing and his passion for Lodi, the Board is confident that he will be instrumental in increasing tourism to the city, both domestically and internationally. Wes looks forward to working with Lodi’s hospitality community and local stakeholders to continue building on the great work that has already been done. Congratulations on your new position, Wes! Check out more tourism career moves in the link below. https://bit.ly/47ZjRXy

Chad Reelfs is Vice President at Crimtan, a technology company that provides a comprehensive lifecycle marketing solution. Crimtan was founded with a global mission to be a trusted partner to the world’s best known brands, to make the complex world of programmatic simple, and to expertly adapt to the constantly changing digital world. Chad leads Crimtan’s Central and West Coast teams and strategic client partnerships throughout the U.S. and Canada. Welcome to CalTravel, Chad and the Crimtan team! Check out more tourism career moves in the link below. https://bit.ly/47ZjRXy

Visit Anaheim has promoted Pepe Avila to Senior Vice President of Community Relations and Partnerships. He previously served as Vice President of Tourism and Partnerships. Throughout his many years at Visit Anaheim, Pepe’s big-picture thinking, commitment to achieving results, and strong community relationships have significantly contributed to the organization's success. Congratulations on this well-deserved promotion, Pepe! Check out more tourism career moves in the link below. https://bit.ly/47ZjRXy

With Election Day coming up in just a week, we wanted to share this handy guide for all things related to casting your vote in California. View important deadlines, find ballot drop-off locations, track your ballot, and more. Don't miss the opportunity to exercise your right vote! The decisions you make on your November ballot will help shape the future of our country, the Golden State, and your local community. If you are not currently registered or you registered to vote after the close of registration, Same Day Voter Registration is available at county election offices and polling locations. Access the voting guide here: https://bit.ly/48gdSOe

San Francisco Travel Association has appointed Anna Marie Presutti as its new President and CEO. A leader in San Francisco’s tourism industry for more than 20 years—most recently as Vice President and General Manager for Hotel Nikko—she brings extensive sales and marketing experience, a deep understanding of San Francisco and San Francisco Travel, and a strong network of industry and local connections. Earlier this year, Anna Marie stepped in as interim leader at a critical time for the organization and immediately began positioning San Francisco Travel for success. She is the first female CEO in San Francisco Travel’s 115-year history. Congratulations on your new position, Anna Marie! Check out more tourism career moves in the link below. https://bit.ly/47ZjRXy