CEO

Experience Olympia & Beyond seeks a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead and collaborate with the organization’s staff, Board of Directors and Thurston County tourism stakeholders. The successful candidate will be passionate about Thurston County, WA and an expert in destination marketing, management and stewardship. Our ideal candidate will value inclusivity, innovation and accountability, and is excited to lend their unique perspective, expertise and experience to building upon the successful legacy that Experience Olympia & Beyond (EOB) has created.

Experience Olympia & Beyond is the official destination organization for Thurston County located in beautiful Washington State and our office is in Olympia, our state’s capital. The city is home to an incredible culinary landscape boasting diverse, award-winning restaurants supported by a growing slow food/tide-to-table/farm-to-fork scene found throughout the county. Our region is rich in history, culture, a thriving arts scene, and family attractions including a nationally renowned children’s museum and regional athletic complex. Thurston County is a basecamp for urban experiences—we are located approximately an hour south of Seattle and two hours north of Portland, OR. We’re also a convenient jumping off point for iconic PNW outdoor excursions—we are located less than two hours from Mt. Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park. Thurston County is an incredible place to visit and to call home.

Our team is small but mighty (5 staff under the leadership of the CEO). We are committed to delivering on our mission and doing so in keeping with our vision for the future. We reveal the most iconic Thurston County experiences for the world to discover, and our vision is to be known as a top travel destination in the Pacific Northwest.

The CEO reports to the Board President and the Executive Committee in partnership with the Experience Olympia & Beyond Board of Directors. The EOB Board of Directors sets policy and strategic direction while the CEO guides staff to execute the activities necessary to successfully carry out the Board’s vision. The CEO will collaborate with local, regional and tourism-related organizations to guide, influence, and support activities that facilitate quality of life, quality of experience, and economic growth in Thurston County.

Experience Olympia & Beyond’s CEO will be responsible for the following:

Vision & Advocacy

• Develop, guide and support the EOB staff in the implementation of the EOB annual Business & Marketing plan that aligns with the Thurston County 10-Year Destination Master Plan.
• Represent Experience Olympia & Beyond, identifying opportunities to support tourism growth while prioritizing Thurston County residents’ quality of life.
• Lead and work with the Board of Directors by providing innovative and creative leadership to achieve the Bureau’s goals and objectives.
• Serve as an advocate for Thurston County, Experience Olympia & Beyond, and the tourism industry with tourism stakeholders, elected officials, the private sector, residents and the media.
• Deepen working relationships within the tourism industry, Thurston County stakeholders and residents.
• Be an active member of relevant tourism industry organizations including Destinations International, and/or OneWest Tourism Alliance (if hailing from the Western US).

Financial and Administration

• Nurture and expand organizational funding sources to ensure sustainable, scalable organizational funding.
• Prepare and present a balanced annual budget that reflects goals and objectives included in both the annual Business & Marketing Plan and the Destination Master Plan.
• Be knowledgeable in the principles of non-profit organizational administration and finance and work in partnership with the Treasurer and EOB staff to provide fiscally responsible administration of the organization’s resources to ensure long-term, sustainable financial health including investments, budgets, and financial reporting.
• Oversee the effective usage of information systems and technology to help the organization fulfill its mission.
• As needed, consult outside expertise in matters requiring legal, financial, or other professional services.

Organizational Development & Culture

• Promote a workplace culture that is collaborative, creative, and rewarding, and where performance is regularly evaluated, feedback and development opportunities provided, improvement measures identified, and achievement is recognized.
• Engage staff in optimizing resources for efficiency and effectiveness regarding strategic, operational, and tactical issues on a regular basis.
• Manage all aspects of human resource management including but not limited to staff selection, training, evaluation, professional development, discipline and terminations.
• Excel in fast paced work environment.

Marketing & Sales

• Develop an annual Business & Marketing Plan that supports the strategic goals identified in the Destination Master Plan.
• Facilitate the growth of visitors to Thurston County by promoting overnight stays and extended stays, leveraging a balanced combination of leisure visits, group, meetings and sports sales.
• Employ research to drive strategic, data-driven marketing and sales planning that aligns with annual Business & Marketing Plan and Destination Master Plan.

Board Relations

• Assist in the recruitment and retention of Board Directors.
• Serve as an ex officio member of all Board committees and taskforces and appoints staff members to serve as Board committee liaisons as needed.
• Oversee preparation for Board and Executive Committee meetings.
• Oversee administration of Tourism Promotion Area Commission.

Preferred Criteria

• The ideal candidate will have:
• A track record of continuous professional success and accomplishments.
• High levels of leadership, diplomacy and emotional intelligence.
• The highest level of integrity, ethics, vision, and positive attitude to motivate and represent all that Thurston County has to offer.
• A minimum of 5-7 years of executive-level leadership of an organization related to tourism, destination marketing, convention & visitors bureaus, economic development, or the hospitality industry; relationship-based management experience with a focus on sales and marketing - ideally a current CEO or senior executive from another DMO of similar scale, structure, and funding sources with a focus on leisure, group, meetings and sports travel.
• A genuine passion for tourism and ability to continue to position Thurston County as top destination in the Pacific Northwest.
• Minimum of bachelor’s degree.
• Industry certification such as a CDME preferred.
• Deep understanding of the latest tourism industry best practices for the following:

               Financial management

               Human resource management

               Advocacy

               Marketing & Sales

               Marketing Research and Information Systems.

• Ability to engage with enthusiasm and professionalism while interacting with a diverse set of stakeholders with competing priorities.
• Proven leadership directing an organization, supervising staff, and managing an organizational budget.
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills.
• Experience and understanding Washington State tourism funding mechanisms including lodging tax and Tourism Promotion Areas (TPA).
• Expertise working with media.
• Desire for continuous organizational improvement and personal/professional development.
• Ability to travel as needed for work.

Key Characteristics

• Excellent communicator
• Strong leader
• Courageous
• Fiscally responsible
• Strategic thinker
• Relationship builder
• Collaborative
• Good listener
• Open and honest
• Diplomatic and politically astute
• Credible
• Eloquent public speaker
• Influential
• Innovative
• Passionate
• Humble and authentic
• Transparent

Top Priorities

• Continue to support the development and performance excellence of the EOB team.
• Support the implementation of the Thurston County 10-Year Destination Master Plan.
• Continue build and solidify relationships with key stakeholders including elected officials, hoteliers and hospitality partners.
• Continue to hold and maintain essential relationships within the Washington State tourism ecosystem, participating in statewide tourism efforts in partnership with State of Washington Tourism and WSDMO.

To apply, please submit a letter of interest, resume, and references to [email protected].