Visit San Antonio makes strides to better reflect the
community it represents
San Antonio, TX (May 17, 2024) – As Visit San Antonio continues its mission to bring the world to the city and elevate San Antonio into a global brand, its distinguished Board of Directors has elected new members of the community to advise and help steer the strategy of the non-profit destination marketing organization. In today's rapidly evolving landscape, where the complexities of a global society demand innovation, adaptability and empathy, the significance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) cannot be overstated. Visit San Antonio’s embrace of DEI has been a journey of self-reflection and growth. Its Board and leadership have strived to create an environment where every voice is heard, every perspective is valued and every individual is empowered to contribute their unique talents and experiences.
“Over the past three years, an ethos of diversity, equity and inclusion has firmly been entrenched within Visit San Antonio’s organizational culture,” says Marc Anderson, Visit San Antonio President & CEO. “The new Board members each embody the principles of DEI in their own distinct ways and all bringing a level of expertise and professionalism within their respective industries that Visit San Antonio is proud to have on our team informing the community’s collective growth.”
New Board of Directors members (term June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2027):
-
Marcus Baskerville – Co-founder and Head Brewer, Weathered Souls Brewing Co. \
- Chef Nicola Blaque – Owner, The Jerk Shack and Freight Fried Chicken
-
Tremell Brown – Deputy CEO, VIA Metropolitan Transit
-
Caroline Churchill – Chief Marketing Officer, Victory Capital
-
Terrin Fuhrmann – Owner, Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen
-
Michael (Mike) Joergensen – Chief Marketing Officer, Silver Ventures, LLC.
Re-elected Board of Directors members:
-
Tim Morrow – President & CEO, San Antonio Zoological Society
-
Phil Stamm – Area Vice President and General Manager, Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk and Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk
These remarkable eight individuals were selected from a pool of 38 applicants by the Visit San Antonio Board of Directors’ Nominations Committee to serve a three-year term. The Committee was headed by Jenna Saucedo-Herrera and included Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia, Patricia Muzquiz-Cantor, James P. Limbaugh II and Marc Anderson. The selected finalists were presented to the entire Board of Directors and were approved by receiving a majority vote of the 18 voting members of the full Board. Voting took place in early May, with the majority vote occurring in less than two hours, signaling its enthusiasm for the new slate of Board members.
“The tourism and hospitality industry is vital to San Antonio’s economy and residents so the selection of members of Visit San Antonio’s Board of Directors is of the utmost importance,” said Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, immediate past Chair of the VSA Board of Directors and Chair of the Nominations Committee. “I am grateful to the members of the Nominations Committee for their careful review and discussion of the many talented individuals who applied to be part of this Board and ultimately selected a truly diverse – in all senses of the word – set of San Antonio leaders to advise and guide the future of this industry.”
Continuing Board of Directors members:
-
Hope Andrade, Co-Founder & Partner, Go Rio San Antonio River Cruises
-
Major General Juan Ayala (USMC Ret.) – Director, City of San Antonio Military and Veteran Affairs
-
Sandra Bench – Senior Business Development Director, Freeman
-
John Carbajal – Residential Real Estate Agent, San Antonio Board of Realtors
-
Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia – City Council District 4, City of San Antonio
-
Deborah Omowale Jarmon – CEO/Executive Director, San Antonio African American Community Archive & Museum
-
James P. Limbaugh II – Chief Commercial Officer, Silver Eagle Beverages
-
Michelle Madson – President & CEO, The San Antonio Hotel & Lodging Association
-
Maria Martinez – General Manager, The Westin Riverwalk
-
Loris Menfi – General Manager, Marriott Rivercenter & Riverwalk
-
Patricia Muzquiz-Cantor – Executive Director, City of San Antonio Convention & Sports Facilities
-
Jesus H. Saenz, Jr. – Director of Airports, City of San Antonio
-
Jenna Saucedo-Herrera – President & CEO, greater:SATX
-
Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran - City Council District 3, City of San Antonio
-
Erik Walsh – City Manager, City of San Antonio
-
Marc Anderson, President & CEO, Visit San Antonio
With this new slate of members, the Board composition is equally split between female and male. In terms of racial and ethnic diversity, the new Board is 41.67% Hispanic, 16.67% Black and 41.67% White.
For more information on Visit San Antonio, its work in the community and positive impact on San Antonio, please visit Members.VisitSanAntonio.com.
# # #
About Visit San Antonio
Visit San Antonio is a 501(c)6 and serves as the sales and marketing arm of San Antonio as a leading leisure and meetings destination. In 2022, San Antonio welcomed approximately 34.8 million visitors. Hospitality is one of the top five industries in the city, contributing $19 billion to the local economy annually and employing more than 140,000. More information about Visit San Antonio and the city’s vast offerings can be found at VisitSanAntonio.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
David Gonzalez
VP of Media Relations & Communications