Utah Tourism Industry Leaders Appointed to State Board

Salt Lake City, Utah – Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert has appointed two new members and reappointed four others to the Board of Tourism Development.  The 13-member policy board is located within the Utah Office of Tourism, an agency of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.  Board members oversee the state’s $7 million Tourism Marketing Performance Fund that is used to promote the state’s “Life Elevated” brand to out-of-state visitors.

New to the Board of Tourism Development are Nathan Rafferty, the president of Ski Utah, who will represent the ski industry, and Joel Racker, the president and chief executive officer of the Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, who will represent Utah, Summit, Juab, and Wasatch counties.  Rafferty was communications director for Ski Utah for seven years before he was promoted to president in 2005.  He’s a graduate of the University of Arizona.  Prior to joining the Utah Valley CVB in March 2003, Racker was employed with Marriott International for 17 years.  He received a degree in business management and marketing from Brigham Young University.  Their appointments have been confirmed by the Senate.

“Their vast knowledge of the tourism industry has been invaluable in our efforts to market Utah’s destinations and events to targeted domestic and international markets,” said Leigh von der Esch, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism.          

The board has selected Steve Lindburg as the chairman and Colin Fryer as the vice-chairman.  Lindburg is general manager of the Hilton Salt Lake City Center and represents the Utah’s lodging industry on the board.  Fryer, owner of the Red Cliffs Lodge and several other properties in Moab, was reappointed by the governor to his second term on the board.  He represents Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, and Uintah counties.  

Several other board members who were reappointed include:  Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, who represents the Utah Association of Counties; Frank Jones, car rental industry representative; and Georgianna Knudson, who represents Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Rich, and Weber counties.

The existing members of the tourism board are:  Steve Burr, Hans Fuegi, Pam Hilton, John Holland, Bill Malone, and Jeff Robbins.         
 
        

Tracie Cayford
O: (801) 538-8777
M: (801) 541-3352
traciec@utah.gov