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Sondra Corbitt, Executive Director of the Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau was installed as a member of the Chairman’s Circle and board of directors at the Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) Board of Directors’ annual meeting in Alexandria.
“I am honored to be serving LTA and the 750 members the association represents throughout the state,” said Sondra Corbitt. “This organization has worked to lead and strengthen Louisiana’s tourism industry for 61 years, and I look forward to working with my fellow board members to keep the momentum going.”
New officers installed on the executive board committee include the following: Kyle Edmiston, with Visit Lake Charles, as chairman; Alana Cooper, with Monroe-West Monroe CVB, as vice chairman; Ralph Ney, with Baton Rouge Marriot; Donna O’Daniels, with Louisiana Northshore CVB, as secretary; and Dickie Brennan, with Dickie Brennan & Company, as immediate past chair.
The executive board also includes representatives from each organization who join LTA as a Chairman’s Circle member: Visit Baton Rouge, Houma Area CVB, Lafayette CVC, Visit Lake Charles, Monroe-West Monroe CVB, New Orleans & Co., Louisiana Northshore, Shreveport-Bossier CTB and Tangipahoa Parish CVB.
New members on the board of directors are Ralph Calhoun, with the Biedenharm Museum and Gardens of Monroe; Cody Gray, with the Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou; and Aaron Dirks, with the Limousine Livery.
Returning members on the board of directors are Jeremy Cooker, with New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp.; Kevin Dolliole, with Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport; Joanna Folse-Alexander, with Sunrise Hospitality; John Crook, with Vernon Parish Tourist Commission; Stephen Watson, with National WWII Museum; Jady Regard, with Cane River Pecan Company; Morgan Moss, with The Myrtles Plantation; Mike Buckley, with the Golden Nugget Casino and Resort; Chris Landry, with LBA Hospitality; Jay Sharplin, with SharpCo Hotels; Stacy Brown, with Shreveport- Bossier CTB; Carla Tate, with Tangipahoa CVB; Stephen Perry, with New Orleans & Company; Paul Arrigo, with Visit Baton Rouge; Ben Berthelot, with Lafayette CVC; Nimesh Zaver, with Hotels of Lake Charles; Rebecca Blankenbaker, with Cane River National Heritage Area; and Nelson Gumm, with AJR Media.
“Our executive committee and board of directors are responsible for helping us meet the needs of our members and making sure we accomplish our goals of providing educational and marketing opportunities while also advocating on the industry’s behalf,” said Jill Kidder, LTA president and CEO. “We are excited to be starting off another year with a great group of industry leaders that represent the entire state.”
Officers on the executive committee and members of the board of directors are elected during the annual meeting. Each year, the chairman of the board selects a nominating committee that is comprised of members who are not up for re-election and who are not seeking office. This committee is responsible for presenting a slate to the members of the association that recognizes all regions of the state and all segments of the tourism industry.
Additionally, they would like to recognize Dillon Hughes, Social Media Manager, and Shelby Guidry, Visitor Services Specialist at the HACVB for successfully completing the Certified Travel Specialist program. LTA partners with the Louisiana Office of Tourism to offer an annual certification program for state and regional travel counselors. Through four educational sessions, participants learn how to navigate Louisiana tourism resources and how to connect their jobs with their community before completing a national certification test.
The Louisiana Travel Association is a trade association leading and strengthening Louisiana’s vibrant tourism industry through promotion, education, and advocacy on behalf of its members. Tourism generated $1.92 billion for Louisiana in 2019 and employed as many as 242,200 people throughout the state, pre-pandemic. For more information, visit LouisianaTravelAssociation.org.
