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Media Contacts:

Sterling Clifford
Mayor’s Office
(443) 452-9063

Nancy Hinds
BACVA
(410) 659-7054

Mayor Dixon Establishes New Governing Board for BACVA and Convention Center

Baltimore, MD (July 18, 2008) - Mayor Sheila Dixon took a major step to enhance Baltimore's convention and tourism industry by creating a joint board of directors that will provide oversight to both the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA) and the Baltimore Convention Center (BCC). BACVA President and CEO Tom Noonan and BCC Executive Director Peggy Daidakis will report to the new board, which will now be known as the Baltimore Convention & Tourism Board. Both Noonan and Daidakis will continue to run their organizations, and their staffs will remain separate. Currently, BACVA reports to a Board and the BCC reports directly to a Deputy Mayor in the Mayor's Office.  

The move fulfills a goal Mayor Dixon announced during her State of the City address in February of this year to restructure and enhance the already close relationship between BACVA and the Convention Center. Under this new structure, the Convention Center staff will remain city employees but will report to the expanded Board whose mission will include destination sales and marketing as well as maintenance and operations of the Convention Center. Edwin F. Hale, chairman and CEO of 1st Mariner Bank, will serve as chairman of the Baltimore Convention & Tourism Board; Hale has chaired the BACVA Board of Directors for more than two years.

"With the recent expansion of major attractions, substantial renovations at many hotels, and the August opening of the publicly funded convention center hotel, the role and success of BACVA and the Baltimore Convention Center are more critical than ever," said Mayor Dixon. "We must ensure the continued expansion of hospitality and tourism in Baltimore, and, to succeed in this highly competitive marketplace, we need to maximize collaboration among our partners and provide seamless service to our customers."

Baltimore is taking a leading role in the convention industry with a Board structure that takes traditional destination marketing/convention center operating models to a new level. With this new Board, there will now be a joint governing body with shared performance objectives for both BACVA and the BCC, which will lead to greater efficiency, a seamless sales process and an enhanced customer experience. BACVA and the BCC will develop a joint marketing plan and goals for the sales teams that reflect the mission of both organizations.

"Creating the Baltimore Convention & Tourism Board is a smart strategy that will make Baltimore even more competitive with a cohesive sales and marketing message and plan to maximize utilization of the BCC space so it is easier for customers to bring business to Baltimore," said Tom Noonan, BACVA president and CEO. 

The 2008-2009 Baltimore Convention & Tourism Board will commence on August 1, 2008.

"We have strong leadership already in place at BACVA and the BCC. This combined Board will make the team even stronger and the destination even more successful," added Mayor Dixon.

Please visit our website at www.baltimorecity.gov

Directors of the 2008-2009 Baltimore Convention & Tourism Board

*Edwin F. Hale - Chairman
Chairman/CEO, 1st Mariner Bank

Clarence Bishop
Deputy Secretary, Department of Business and Economic Development

Carolyn Blakeney
Assistant Deputy Mayor, Office of Mayor

Jim Britton
Owner, Class Act Catering

*Edie Brown
President, Edie Brown & Associates

Javier Bustamante
Board Member, Baltimore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

*Woody Collins
Executive Vice President, M&T Bank

*Mary Ann Cricchio
Owner, Da Mimmo's Italian Restaurant

*Eddie Dopkin
Vice President, The Classic Catering People

*LaRian Finney
CEO, Visionary Marketing Group (VMG)

Vanessa Finney
Executive Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, Inc.

*Kirby Fowler
President, Downtown Partnership of Baltimore

*Don Fry
President, Greater Baltimore Committee

Edward Gallagher
Finance Director, Office of Mayor

Bill Gilmore
Executive Director, Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts

Paul Hartgen
President/CEO, Restaurant Association of Maryland

*Roxie Herbekian
Vice President, UNITE-HERE

Michael Haynie
Managing Director, Tremont Suites Hotels

*Peter Komar
General Manager, Holiday Inn Inner Harbor Hotel

Jon Koscher
General Manager, Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel

Daniel Nadeau
General Manager, Marriott Waterfront Hotel

*Carla Nelson
Director, Mayor's Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development

Linda Norman
General Manager, Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel

David Pittenger
Executive Director, National Aquarium in Baltimore

Fred Puddester
Chairman, Maryland Stadium Authority

*Honorable Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
President, Baltimore City Council

Frank Remesch
General Manager, 1st Mariner Arena

Frances Reaves
Director of Business Development, Mintax, Inc./ADP Employer Services

*Gail Smith-Howard
General Manager, Hyatt Regency Baltimore

Dennis Sullivan
Director of Sales, Freeman Decorating Company

David Taft Terry
Executive Director, Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture

Chuck Tildon
Vice President of Marketing and Communications, United Way of Central Maryland

*Sergio Vitale
Owner, Aldo's Italian Restaurant

Mark Wasserman
Vice President of Development and Corporate/Public Sector Relations, University of Maryland Medical Systems

*William Donald Schaefer
Board Emeritus

*Currently serving on the BACVA Board