INDIANAPOLIS — Visit Indy has announced several staff promotions, bolstering its efforts to market Indianapolis as a premier event destination and maintain its standing as the No. 1 convention city in the U.S., according to USA Today.
Four team members have been promoted to Area Sales Leader, a new leadership role that empowers senior staff to mentor sales managers and oversee specific markets. The following individuals have been named to the position:
- Minerva Garcia, nearing 11 years with Visit Indy, leads corporate groups and associations in the Northeast and Southeast markets—including Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan—as well as international groups ranging from 601 peak rooms to citywide groups.
- Kevin Harmon, who brings over a decade of industry experience and two years at Visit Indy, oversees the Western region for groups ranging from 601 to 1,500 peak rooms. He also manages groups with 601 peak rooms and citywide events across select Midwest states.
- Kenneth M. Hemsley, Jr., a 15-year veteran at Visit Indy, oversees associations based in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, managing groups with 1,501 or more peak rooms.
- Nicole Perry, approaching her 25th year with the organization, also serves the Western region and focuses on groups with 1,501 or more peak rooms.
In addition to the new Area Sales Leader roles, Joyce Russell has been promoted to vice president of sales, and Diane Whitsitt to associate vice president of sales administration. Russell joined Visit Indy in 2012 as director of sales for the East Coast region and has steadily advanced into senior leadership. She now oversees a team of twelve employees. Whitsitt, approaching her 40th anniversary with the organization, leads the operational side of the sales team, supporting both client retention and new business development.
As the city undergoes nearly $3 billion in tourism-related infrastructure development, Visit Indy continues to grow its team and is currently hiring a customer engagement manager.
For more information, visit visitindy.com/careers.
