The search for Visit St. Pete/Clearwater’s (VSPC) new CEO is almost over. Pinellas County’s marketing agency unveiled the top three candidates on Tuesday, less than one month after interim CEO Jim Dean resigned to lead the Memphis Zoo. Dean was acting as CEO after the resignation of David Downing, who stepped down in January.
According a press release, Minnesota-based recruiter Searchwide Global has narrowed the CEO search down to VSPC’s current Chief Operating Officer Tim Ramsberger, Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau Executive Director Tamara Pigott and Visit Tucson President & CEO Brent DeRaad.
VSPC has plans to host a Clearwater public meet-and-greet event with the finalists on May 15 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort. The event runs from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m., and the public can register to attend the free event here.
Ramsberger is a familiar name not just for his three years at VSPC, but for spending a decade running St. Petersburg’s Firestone Grand Prix. DeRaad has been in the top position at Visit Tucson since 2012, managing a $10 million budget and 40 full-time employees, according to the release, and Pigott has led the Lee County VCB, which boasts a $20 million budget, since 2010. In 2019, VSPC has a staff of 50 and a budget of $39 million.
We’re not sure how public meet-and-greets with tourism officials normally go, but we hope it’s nothing like the online comment section.
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