GOVERNOR NAMES THREE TO COLORADO TOURISM BOARD, INCLUDING LATINA DIRECTOR OF FORT COLLINS MUSEUM
Dude Ranch Association head Courtney Frazier re-elected as Board Chair
DENVER (June 29, 2020) – Governor Jared Polis has filled three seats on the Colorado Tourism Board, naming two recent appointees to full four-year terms and adding a Latina voice to the group overseeing the Colorado Tourism Office.
The three join a 15-member board chaired by Courtney Frazier of Parker, executive director of the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association. Frazier recently was re-elected by board members to a second, one-year term. Doug Price, President & CEO of Visit Colorado Springs, was re-elected as vice-chair.
“It is an honor to serve a second term as Chair of the Colorado Tourism Board and I am heartened to see our industry rally together during these challenging times. Together, we will help our travelers ‘Come (back) to Life’ here in our beautiful four-season, four-corner state,” said Courtney Frazier, executive director of the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association.
“With our Care for Colorado sustainable practices as our backbone and our unique brand of western hospitality as our voice, I am convinced we will come out of this era stronger than ever. As the old cowboy saying goes: It's not how many times you get bucked off that counts, it's how many times you saddle back up!"
In her first board term is Laura Valdez, co-executive director of the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Her prior experience includes service in three Illinois communities -- Rockford, Naperville and Elgin -- where she managed community relations, strategic planning, budget and legislative outreach. Valdez fills the seat designated by statute for Private Attractions/Casinos.
Appointed to a full four-year term is Wanda James of Denver, founder and CEO of Simply Pure. Named last year to the tourism-related retail seat, James is the first black woman dispensary owner in the US. Her work on cannabis reform earned her a spot on High Times magazine’s 2018 list of the 100 Most Influential People in Cannabis.
Also reappointed was Robert Stinchcomb of Lafayette, Senior Vice President of Sales for Alterra Mountain Co., who brings 23 years of experience to the board’s ski industry seat. Stinchcomb spent 17 years in leadership positions at Vail Resorts before taking a top role at Alterra, a privately held conglomerate operating 15 ski areas, including Colorado's Steamboat and Winter Park resorts. Like James, Stinchcomb was named last year to fill an unexpired term.
The terms of all three appointees extend through June 1, 2024.
Prior gubernatorial appointees to the Colorado Tourism Board include:
- Kieran Cain, Vice President of Resort Marketing, Vail Resorts, Broomfield
- Sean Demeule, General Manager, Ameristar Casino Resorts, Blackhawk
- Lucy Kay, President and CEO of Visit Breckenridge, Breckenridge
- Pete Piccolo: Executive Director, Bicycle Colorado, Denver
- Sonia Riggs, President and CEO, Colorado Restaurant Association,
- Tammie Thompson-Booker, VP of Sales and Marketing, MARS Hospitality, Craig
The board also has four legislative appointees: Senator Kerry Donovan of Vail, Senator Dennis Hisey of Fountain, Representative Barbara McLachlan of Durango and Representative Matthew Soper of Delta.
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About the Colorado Tourism Office: The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is a division of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The CTO’s mission is to generate traveler spending by the promotion of Colorado as a four-season, four-corner, world-class travel destination and development of compelling, sustainable travel experiences. In 2018, Colorado travelers spent $22.3 billion, generating $1.37 billion in local and state revenues and to replace those tax revenues would require $659 from every Colorado household. Tourism is the state’s second-largest employer, directly supporting 174,400 jobs. For more information, please visit https://industry.colorado.com/research