1985 - 2025
VISIT TAMPA BAY CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY AT ANNUAL MEETING WITH THIRD BILLION DOLLAR YEAR AND NEW CHAIR
Board Chair Pam Barber tops list of new board members assuming roles as VTB enters fifth decade
Tampa, FL (November 10, 2024) – Visit Tampa Bay commemorated the organization’s 40th birthday during its “Back to the Bay” themed Annual Meeting at Centro Asturiano de Tampa Wednesday evening. The gathering, which was held following a third consecutive year of Hillsborough County exceeding a billion dollars in Taxable Hotel Revenue in Hillsborough County, is perennially the forum for approving membership on its Board of Directors and Advisory Board and saw the installation of new board members, including new Chair Pam Barber, amidst the festive backdrop.
Barber is the President and General Manager of Tampa Bay’s MOR-TV and takes over for outgoing Chair, Evette Torres of Schulte Hospitality Group. Torres had served as board chair since last October, and Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, credited her for helping Tampa Bay’s hospitality industry maintain strong momentum.
“Hillsborough County just experienced our most successful tourism year in history – exceeding $1.2 billion in hotel revenue, and I want to thank Evette for her leadership and contributions to that achievement,” Corrada said. “She was the right leader at the right time to chair our board of directors during this successful period. We’re fortunate to have an experienced executive like Pam to guide our board going forward. With an experienced mix of hospitality and local leaders on the board and advisory board we look forward to building on last year’s performance as we navigate a dynamic domestic and international hospitality landscape.”
Made possible thanks to the generosity of our partners, ticket sales, and sponsorship support, the annual meeting also provided an opportunity to recognize the founding of Visit Tampa Bay. Originally known as the Tampa Hillsborough County Visitors Bureau, Visit Tampa Bay became Hillsborough County’s Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) when it was founded in 1985. In the four decades and several name changes since, Visit Tampa Bay has worked with teammates at the county and city level, tens of thousands of hospitality workers, and an ever-growing list of partners to promote economic development through tourism.
“We’re not just celebrating the achievements from last year,” Corrada explained. “We’re honoring 40 years of collectively driving Tampa Bay forward and putting our destination on the map.”
More than 500 of those community partners and stakeholders, including Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan and a record number of dignitaries and elected officials, attended the meeting to celebrate Visit Tampa Bay’s legacy and prepare for Hillsborough County’s hospitality industry’s future by installing new board members. The new appointees to Visit Tampa Bay’s Board of Directors and Advisory Board are:
2025-2026 New/Returning Board Officers:
- Pam Barber, Chair – MOR TV
- Peter Wright, Chair-Elect – Hotel Alba
- Greg Holland, Secretary / Treasurer – Straz Center for the Performing Arts
- Evette Torres, Immediate Past Chair – Schulte Hospitality Group
- Santiago C. Corrada, President & CEO – Visit Tampa Bay
2025-2026 New Board Members:
- Raul Aguilera – Hilton Tampa Downtown/Embassy Suites Tampa-Downtown Convention Center
- Jessica Cain – Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
- Andrea Gonzmart-Williams – 1905 Family of Restaurants
- Laura Maldonado – Hotel Haya
- Nilesh Patel – GSNP Hotels
- Julio Soto – AAA The Auto Club Group
2025-2026 New Advisory Board Members:
- Tee Ann Bailey – Casa Ybor
- Stephen Brocato – Florida Blue
- Jennifer Castro – Chief Deputy Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office
- Dr. Eric Eisenberg – University of South Florida
- William Giraldez – Embassy Suites USF
- Randy Kuiken – Hilton Gardon Inn/Homewood Suites Tampa Airport Westshore
- Aaron Lesage – Three Oaks Hospitality
- Sarah Nemes – United Parks and Resorts
- Jason Perkins – Element & Aloft Tampa Midtown
- Tony Rokita – The Florida Aquarium and Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Council
- Joe Ruiz – Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore
- Andrew Spicknall – Le Meridien
- Jeff Weckbeck – Pepin Distributing Company
The full list of board members and advisory board members can be viewed here.
As Barber and the rest of the new appointees assume their new positions for FY 2026, Tampa Bay’s hospitality industry is prepared to build on the more than 28.2 million visitors to the destination who generated an economic impact of $9.4 billion last year.
“As we begin a new fiscal year, Tampa Bay remains a prime destination for travelers near and far thanks to the support of county and city officials, our more than 61,000 hospitality workers, and our nearly 1,000 partners,” said Corrada. “Together, with our phenomenal Visit Tampa Bay team, we are poised to welcome the world to discover the treasure awaiting them in Tampa Bay.”
ABOUT VISIT TAMPA BAY
The heart of Florida’s Gulf Coast beats in Tampa Bay. Visit Tampa Bay encourages adventure with a relaxing vibe to create vacation experiences that are authentically Tampa Bay. As a not-for-profit corporation certified by Destinations International’s Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), we work with hundreds of partners to tell the world the story of Tampa Bay. Treasure awaits. For more information, visit our website.