ORLA Launches 5th Year of Leadership Program for Tourism Professionals

​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jason Brandt, President & CEO, ORLA      
503.302.5060 | [email protected] 

Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy to Support and Enrich Hospitality Champions

[Wilsonville, OR] – The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA) proudly announces the fifth-year launch of the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy (OTLA), developed in partnership with the Oregon Destination Association and Travel Oregon, and led by the industry’s top experts. The annual experiential learning program is targeted to public and private sector tourism professionals who are seeking to polish their leadership and professional skills, continue to grow their career accomplishments, and make positive and lasting contributions to the state’s tourism economy and its success. 

“We’re elated to see the ongoing success of the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy move into its fifth year,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “The academy experience is enriching the value of working in the tourism industry for those who participate in the program and it’s an honor for ORLA to be a part of it.” 

The fifth-year class will launch April 3 in Southern Oregon and conclude in the Willamette Valley during Winter of 2024. Participants include representatives from many sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry including destination management organizations, restaurants, chambers of commerce, lodging properties, and travel publications. View a roster for the fifth-year class.

Curriculum, field visits, and hands-on experiences are strategically designed to support and align with the state’s tourism goals and objectives which include four Strategic Imperatives:

• Optimizing the Statewide Economic Impact of Tourism in Oregon
• Supporting and Empowering Oregon’s Tourism Industry
• Championing the Value of Tourism
• Running Effective Tourism Oriented Organizations and Businesses

The OTLA experience is designed for professionals currently serving Oregon’s tourism and hospitality industries. Applications from industry professionals who will soon be responsible for similar levels of responsibility are also encouraged to apply for the academy program.

The strategic imperatives outlined above will serve as the program’s core themes each year. Each theme will receive focus as a part of four multi-day experiential learning programs designed to provide academy participants with comprehensive educational experiences. Each year, approximately 20 participants will immerse themselves in the academy’s professional development curriculum alongside industry experts and facilitators.

For more information on the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy, visit OregonRLA.org/otla.

2024 Roster:

• Jen Anderson, Content & Community Manager - Travel Oregon, Portland
• Allen Barber, Administrative Assistant - Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce, Cannon Beach
• Jessica Benfield, Lead Accountant - Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Assn., Wilsonville
• J.B. Carney , Senior Director, Sports - Travel Lane County, Eugene
• Jason Coleman, General Manager - The Coho Oceanfront Lodge, Lincoln City
• Jessy Fabrizio-Stover, Outdoor Recreation Development and Global Sales Coordinator - Willamette Valley Visitors Association, Salem
• Allie Field, Sales & Marketing Coordinator - Oregon Media, Bend
• Heather Graham, Hotel Manager - Hoagland Properties, Florence
• Jackie Hagan, Sr. Communications & Media Relations Mgr. - Travel Portland, Portland
• Jessica Hobson, Tourism and Marketing Director - Baker County / Travel Baker County, Baker City
• Justin Keyes-Bundy, Digital Content Manager - Visit Bend, Bend
• Louisa Mariki, Interim, Stewardship Investments Manager - Travel Oregon, Portland
• Lee McCollins, Director of Marketing and Communications - Visit McMinnville, McMinnville
• Kim Molnar, Director of Tourism - Prineville Crook County Chamber of Commerce/Explore Prineville, Prineville
• Jenn Parks, Senior Community Engagement Manager - Travel Portland, Portland
• Amber Powell, Director of Hotel Operations - The Mill Casino-Hotel, North Bend
• Carole Skeeters Stevens, Chief Marketing Officer - Travel Medford, Medford
• Nicole Steen, Strategic Communications Manager - Tillamook Coast Visitors Association, Salem
• Griffyn Storm, Website & Communications - Visit Grants Pass, Grants Pass
• Ryan Torres, Area Director of Sales - Merete Hotel Management, Medford
• Holcombe Walker, Owner, Klondike Tavern, Historic Saint Helens Hotel Redevelopment Project - Klondike Tavern / Seance Industries LLC, St. Helens
• Kara Woolsey, Director Travel Pendleton - Pendleton Chamber of Commerce / Travel Pendleton, Pendleton

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About:

The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA) is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon. A not-for-profit trade organization, ORLA represents approximately 3,000 member units and advocates for over 10,000 foodservice locations and over 2,400 lodging establishments in Oregon. 

The Oregon Hospitality Foundation (OHF) was formed in 1992 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity of ORLA with a mission to support the workforce, educational, training, and philanthropic needs of Oregon’s hospitality industry. Its work is enabled by the generous support of partners, private donations, contracts, and grants.