MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
TOURISM DIVISION
STAFF DIRECTORY

The following is a function description of the Tourism Development Division of the Mississippi Development Authority. NOTE: All MDA, Tourism Division staff can be reached by calling 601.359.3297

DIRECTOR'S OFFICE is responsible for the overall management of the Division. Functions include developing and implementing short and long range plans to accomplish goals and objectives; establishing policies and procedures for efficient application; preparing zero based budgets to support activities; coordinating tourism activities with other MDA activities, state agencies, and tourism partners; managing and coordinating preparation of promotional materials, representing Mississippi Tourism at numerous functions and events occurring throughout the State and nation; participating in MDA's legislative response and support activities; and other related matters. Craig Ray is Division Director and is assisted by Whitney Jenkins who also oversees Division special events.

Craig Ray
Director
Mississippi Development Authority, Tourism Division
Directs all areas of the Tourism Development Division.
cray@mississippi.org

The Division Director's Office also houses the Public Relations Program Area and Special Events functions. Steve Martin maintains the Division’s public relations and communication efforts serving as the key contact for media and the press. Whitney Jenkins coordinates events for the various function areas of the Division.

Whitney Jenkins
Administrative Assistant/Special Events Coordinator
wjenkins@mississippi.org
. Assists the Division Director
. Coordinates events for the various function areas of the Division.

Steve Martin
Public Relations/Tourism
smartin@mississippi.org
. Work with travel writers and other media
. Press releases
. Work with all Tourism Division program areas

The Support Services Bureau, which includes research and administrative support, also falls directly under the Division Director.

The Administrative Support Office provides accounts payable, budget, and other administrative services to the Division staff. Carla Moor manages this office.

Carla Moor
Program Manager
cmoor@mississippi.org
· Accounts Payable
· Accounts Receivable
· Budget
. Other Administrative Services

Heritage Trails Development Develop the Mississippi Trails Program to establish the awareness of the Mississippi’s cultural tourism assets statewide. Develop inventory of musical, literary, civil war, and civil rights assets to build four thematic heritage trails statewide. Increase travel growth for cultural and heritage tourism through interpretive maps and markers that will encourage traveler’s to trek through Mississippi and maximize the length of stay for domestic and international travelers.

Alex Thomas
Program Manager
athomas@mississippi.org

Leigh Portwood
Associate Manager
lportwood@mississippi.org

The Research Office performs surveys to develop demographic and travel statistics and analyses data to track the economic impact of the Tourism industry. This information is the basis for planning future tourism strategies to continue tourism growth in Mississippi. Tom Van Hyning is the manager of the Research Office assisted Linda Elliott.

Tom Van Hyning
Program Manager
tvanhyning@mississippi.org
· Statistics and numbers pertaining to Mississippi Tourism and economic development
· Economic Impact Report

Linda Elliott
Associate Manager
lelliott@mississippi.org
· Statistics and numbers pertaining to Mississippi Tourism and economic development
· Economic Impact Report

The Office of Film and Culture reports to the Division Director and develops and supports the Mississippi on-location production of feature films, television projects, documentaries and commercials. They also coordinate the activities of in-state liaison film offices and management of the Mississippi Motion Picture Film Incentive Program. The office also supports and develops Mississippi’s rich cultural activities and products through Cultural Heritage, which works with local organizations to enhance their area as a tourism destination and define their culture and heritage tourism product. Staff works to facilitate community efforts to develop, and promote local and statewide cultural tourism. Ward Emling manages the Office of Film and Culture and is assisted by Nina Parikh, and Betty Black in the Film Office and Sarah McCullough in Cultural Heritage.

Ward Emling
Bureau Manager
wemling@mississippi.org
· Film location promotion/liason
· Film Projects in Mississippi
· Past films made in Mississippi inventory

Nina Parikh
Associate Manager, Senior
nparikh@mississippi.org
· Film location development/liason
· Film projects in Mississippi
. Production Guide

Betty Black
Associate Manager
bblack@mississippi.org
· Film location development/liason
· Film projects in Mississippi
. Production Guide

Sarah McCullough
Manager, Cultural Heritage
smccullough@mississippi.org
. Develop programs to promote statewide culture and heritage
. Assist communities in the identification and promotion of heritage and cultural events and properties
. FAM Tours

DEPUTY DIRECTOR'S OFFICE
The Division’s Deputy Director assists the Director in the overall management of the Division. The Deputy Director directly oversees the Advertising Program Area, Sales and Marketing Bureau, Outdoor and Leisure Industries Development, Sports / Golf Marketing Development, Hometown Mississippi Retirement, Division Grant Programs and Heritage Cultural /Community Development. Mary Beth Wilkerson is Deputy Director.

Mary Beth Wilkerson
Deputy Director
mwilkerson@mississippi.org
. Oversees the following program areas.

Janet Martin
Print Production Manager
jmartin@mississippi.org
· Print buying
· Graphic Design

The Advertising Program Area coordinates the day-to-day communications and operations between Tourism staff and the advertising agency, in order to ensure a consistant, branded look. Sandy Bynum manages this program and serves as liasion between the division and the advertising agency. Lisa Ferreri assists the program manager in day-to-day functions.

The Advertising Program includes the Internet/Web Site office, which is responsible for web updates and also maintains information through design, composition, content and the use of digital imagery. The site supports and promotes Mississippi tourism worldwide. Lawanda Turnage is responsible for the day-to-day Internet functions under the direct management of the Advertising Manager, and also conducts training for convention and visitor bureaus/tourism offices in updating the state's official tourism website. Lawanda is also the Tourism Office Web Site coordinator for Mississippi Development Authority's Web Site, www.mississippi.org.

The Advertising program area also includes Inquiry/Fulfillment and Publication activities. Inquiry/Fulfillment monitors fulfillment contractor performance, trains contractor staff, coordinates activities with various Tourism programs, tracks brochure inventory, solves fulfillment problems, and gathers information contained in fulfillment publications. The Inquiry/Fulfillment contractor provides staff to answer telephone and mail requests for Mississippi tourism information and mails information to those requesting. Publications activities include the maintenance and updates of the Mississippi tourism database and assistance with the production of the Mississippi Tour Guide and the Division’s collateral materials. Sandy Bynum oversees the activities of Inquiry/Fulfillment and Publications with day-to-day operations by Cheryl Eley.

Sandy Bynum
Senior Advertising and Promotions Manager
sbynum@mississippi.org
· Advertising Information
· Retirement Advertising
· Advertising for Magazines and Newspapers pertaining to MS Tourism

Lisa Ferreri, TMP
Associate Manager, Advertising and Promotions
lferreri@mississippi.org
. Assist Senior Manager of Advertising and Promotions
. Assist with Accounts Payable
. Assist with Accounts Receivable

Lawanda Turnage
Website Manager/Internet Office
lturnage@mississippi.org
. Website Management
. Database Management
. Photographer
. Historian
. Writer
. Editor

Cheryl Eley
MS Publications/Inquiry and Fulfillment Manager
celey@mississippi.org
· Bulk requests for maps and brochures
· Publications of festivals and events in the Mississippi Travel Guide
· Questions and about Mississippi collateral brochures
. Update database for website and publications.

The Sales and Marketing Bureau is supported by staff members, assigned to specific program areas as shown below. The Bureau includes International, Domestic Group Trade Development, Meeting and Conventions, Sports/Golf, Outdoor Recreation and Retirement programs.

The Meetings and Conventions Office develops, implements and maintains activities that promote the State as a destination for meetings and conventions to state, regional and national meeting planners; participates in industry marketplaces and tradeshows; assists local tourism entities in coordinating strategic plans for promoting their products; and produces a statewide Meeting Planners Guide and the Mississippi Meetings Profile Directory. Chris Chapman manages this program area assisted by Christine Magee.

Chris Chapman, CMP
Program Manager
cchapman@mississippi.org
· Sales and Marketing Staff Liaison
. Annual Sales Blitz/ Missions
. Meeting Planner's Guide Development
Meeting/Convention Bids/Recruitment
· Industry liaison
· Meeting Planner Specialist, "How to's"
· Tradeshow development
· Certified Meeting Professional
· Magazine articles on Meetings
· Meeting Planner FAM Tours

Christine Magee, TMP
Associate Manager
cmagee@mississippi.org
. Travel Marketing Specialist
. Assistant to Chris Chapman
. Regional market trade shows
· Convention locations and resorts
· Meeting inquiries
· Convention service requests
· Tracking Reports
· Meeting Planner Guide requests
· Mississippi Meeting Profile Directory requests

The Travel Trade Office oversees boh the Domestic and International Travel Trade program areas. Kristen McCaskill oversees overall coordination of this office.

Kristen McCaskill
Program Manager
kmccaskill@mississippi.org
· Tourism in England, Germany, Canada, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden
· Questions pertaining to travel overseas or out of the U.S.
· Deep South USA Program
· Assist strategies to define and develop tourism product for international market
· Tracking methods and compile information regarding international visitation

The Domestic Group Trade Program Area coordinates a statewide marketing program for promoting Mississippi as a leisure vacation destination to the domestic travel trade industry (tour operators, travel agents and group leaders). This area develops and produces comprehensive statewide collateral materials to assist in marketing strategies. Staff participates in industry tradeshows and marketplaces as well as coordinates and escorts familiarization tours for industry professionals. This area also compiles data and research information in tracking industry trends and group travel business to Mississippi and provides leads reports to local tourism entities. Sharon Robinson works the day-to- day activities of this area.

Sharon Robinson
CTIS,TMP
Associate Manager
sorobinson@mississippi.org
· Assist Program Manager
· Manage Certified Mississippi Travel Professional Program (CMTP)
· Mississippi Certified Travel Professional Newsletter editor
· Provide monthly trade leads report and Welcome Centers Motorcoach Report to Mississippi Group Travel Industry
· Attend Industry Marketplaces and tradeshows
· FAM Tours

The International Trade Program Area develops, coordinates and maintains activities that promote Mississippi as a destination for international travelers/visitors; creates international awareness by participating in international marketplaces and tradeshows;
and hosting international travel trade and travel press on familiarization tours. This area coordinates and oversees Mississippi’s international tourism contract offices in England and Germany and oversees the marketing activities in Canada. Staff works with local tourism entities to assist them in their international marketing strategies and to further define and develop their tourism product for the international market. Staff develops tracking methods and compiles information regarding international visitation. Mary Stratton Smith works the day-to-day activities of this area.

Mary Stratton Smith
International Marketing
msmith@mississippi.org
· Works with International Trade Activities
· Research trends
. Tourism Development
· Industry Marketplaces and Tradeshows
· International Requests
· FAM Tours
· Special Projects

Bevin Tyler
Support
btyler@mississippi.org

The Sports Development / Golf Marketing Office designs, develops, implements and maintains activities that encourage utilization of and visitation to Mississippi’s sports venues and golf courses along with other vacation attractions in the State. This office creates national and international awareness of Mississippi as a sports events destination and golf vacation destination by attending tradeshows and marketplaces and by hosting sports, golf tour wholesalers and travel writers on site visits. The office also oversees Mississippi’s golf contract representation in Canada. Janet Leach manages this office with support from Connie Cossar.

Janet Leach, TMP
Program Manager
jleach@mississippi.org
. Travel Marketing Professional
. Golf marketing program
. Trends in golf travel
. Consumer golf shows
. Golf travel writers and tour operators
. Inventory of golf courses and new golf course development
. “Golf Mississippi Guide”
. Golf tournament activities
. Golf public relations and marketing firms

Connie Cossar
Associate Manager
Sales and Marketing
ccossar@misissippi.org
Assists with:
. Golf marketing program
. Trends in golf travel
. Consumer golf shows
. Golf travel writers and tour operators
. Inventory of golf courses and new golf course development
. “Golf Mississippi Guide”
. Golf tournament activities
. Golf public relations and marketing firms

The Hometown Mississippi Retirement Office implements and maintains activities to promote Mississippi as a retirement haven to pre-retirees and retirees throughout America. This office assists Mississippi certified retirement communities in their preparations to market themselves as retirement locations and to develop hometowns that retirees would find attractive. Staff provides on-going oversight and guidance of the program and marketing trends, develops the States advertising and public relations campaigns for the market, attends retirement related tradeshows, and coordinates the Hometown Mississippi Getaway site visit program. The Program also offers match-grant funding to assist Certified Hometown Mississippi Retirement communities with advertising funding. Diana O’Toole manages this office with support from Kathryn Wortman.

Diana O'Toole, TMP
Program Manager
dotoole@mississippi.org
· Program and market trends
· Develop advertising/public relations campaigns for retirement market
· Retirement Tradeshows
· Hometown Mississippi Retirement Round-about site visit program

Kathryn Wortman
Administrative Assistant III
kwortman@mississippi.org

The Outdoor Recreation Development Office designs, develops, implements, and maintains activities that encourage development and utilization of Mississippi's outdoor resources; creates national awareness of Mississippi as a destination for outdoor recreation and nature tourism by hosting journalists, and television and other media representatives, who in turn write or produce stories/programs on Mississippi; assists local developers and gaming officials to further define and develop destination resorts. This office also manages the Agritourism program. Michael Jones manages this office assisted by Ann Curry.

Michael Jones
Program Manager
mjones@mississippi.org
· Outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, and camping, etc.)
· Assist local developers and officials in developing outdoor recreational opportunities
. Recruitment and assistance to outdoor travel writers
. Agritourism Development

Ann Curry
Associate Manager
acurry@mississippi.org
· State Parks, Hiking, Biking, Camping, facilities inventory and Mississippi Adventure Guide
. Commercial or public providers or services
· Hunting and Fishing Licenses
. Site visit coordinator for outdoor travel writers
. Trade Show and Conference preparation and attendance
. Agritourism Development

Bevin Tyler
Support
btyler@mississippi.org

The Match Grant Office coordinates, manages and administers the MDA’s Tourism Marketing and Hometown Mississippi Retirement match-grant programs. Renee Ebner manages this office with support from Kathryn Wortman.

Renee Ebner, Ph.D., TMP
Program Manager
rebner@mississippi.org
· Tourism Marketing Match Grants
. Hometown Mississippi Retirement Matching Grants

Kathryn Wortman
Administrative Assistant III
kwortman@mississippi.org

Welcome Center Bureau reports to the Deputy Director and manages the state's twelve Welcome Centers; provides information to traveling motorist; collects demographic data for visitor profiles; makes lodging reservations; and assists communities in promoting area attractions and events. Tonya Neely is the Welcome Centers Bureau Manager and is supported by Karen Matlock. Main bureau operations are conducted in the Jackson office. Each Welcome Center across the state has a Supervisor and staff responsible for the day-to-day activities.

Tonya Neely
Bureau Manager
tneely@mississippi.org
· Maintain daily operations and oversight of government regulations.

Karen Matlock
Associate Manager
kmatlock@mississippi.org
· Procure approval
. Daily operations