NYC Tourism + Conventions Names Julie Coker President and CEO

The NYC Tourism + Conventions Board of Directors announced the appointment of Julie Coker as President and CEO.

She will take office on December 9, 2024. Julie Coker is currently the President and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA), where she leads the organization’s efforts to promote San Diego as a premier meeting destination , conventions, foreign travelers and leisure visitors.

“Julie is a respected business expert and a very experienced leader who manages both NYC Tourism + Customs like New York City’s $74 billion tourism economy,’ said Chairman of the NYC Board of Tourism + Conventions and Executive Vice President of the Shubert Group Charles Flateman.

“I want to thank Nancy Mammana, our Chief Marketing Officer, for also serving as our Interim CEO for the past four months and paving the way for a smooth transition. I also want to thank the search committee—Emily Rafferty, Luis Miranda, Melba Wilson, John Calvelli, Dan Nadeau and Marlene Poynder—who diligently led our recruiting effort with a commitment to finding the best talent in the country. “We are thrilled to have Julie.” “Leading the San Diego Tourism Authority has been an incredible journey, and I am incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished,” said Julie Coker, new president and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions/ outgoing president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority.

“Together with our Board of Directors, members and the local tourism community, we have successfully navigated the challenges of the pandemic and have revitalized San Diego tourism. This resilience and collaborative spirit has laid a strong foundation for my new chapter with NYC Tourism + Conventions. ‘I look forward to bringing my passion for the tourism industry to New York City and I look forward to building on the incredible work of the talented team in place, bringing more improving the global appeal of one of the world’s most iconic cities.’

Julie Coker has held leadership roles in the tourism and hospitality sectors for over three decades.

Under his tenure, San Diego is considered one of the best performing destinations in the US, third in the country for hotel occupancy at 73.5% in 2023, while business group and the city’s coalition exceeded 2019 levels and the tourism industry generated $14.3 billion in visitor spending.

With Julie Coker at the helm of the SDTA, jobs in the tourism sector returned to pre-pandemic levels with more than 200,000 workers; The San Diego County Transitory Property Tax generated more than $360 million for regional services; SDTA’s sales and marketing programs generated a return on investment of $30 to $1, the highest in the organization’s history; and the retention rate among SDTA members was 93%.

Julie Coker’s commitment to serving on boards with influence gives her a unique perspective and unique influence in the tourism industry.

In January 2023, she was named to the US Department of Commerce’s US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, joining 31 other national leaders in the travel and tourism industry to advise the Secretary of Commerce on travel priorities. .

He also serves on the executive boards of the US Travel Association and Visit California, the boards of directors of Meeting Professionals International, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, the San Diego Housing Association and Sharp Health. Care.

Previously, Coker served as president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), where she oversaw the 2017 NFL Draft and the 2016 Democratic National Convention, which had a combined economic impact of $325 million for Philadelphia.

Previously, she served as executive vice president of the PHLCVB Convention Division and led a staff of 25 sales and service professionals responsible for selling the expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center and hotel packages to customers across the country.

Prior to joining PHLCVB, Julie Coker was general manager of the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing, where she managed all operational aspects of the 350-room hotel. A 21-year veteran of Hyatt, he began his career in 1989 as a corporate management trainee at the Hyatt Regency Columbus.

Over more than two decades with Hyatt, she rose through the ranks in a variety of positions, including assistant front office manager, front office manager, assistant hotel manager, assistant director- management and general manager.

From January 2018 to 2020, Ms. Coker served as co-chair of the US Travel Association Meetings Business Consortium and secretary-treasurer of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events Executive Committee.

From 2016 to 2019, she co-chaired the Shared Spaces Initiative to fight homelessness with the mayor of Philadelphia, and in 2016, she chaired Mayor Jim Kenney’s transition team for the Democratic National Convention.

Additionally, Julie Coker is a member of the San Diego Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. In 2023, she received the Fearless Award from the San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce and was inducted into the All-Time Hall of Fame for Wise Women in Meetings.

In 2021, she was named the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Phenomenal Woman in Business. In both 2012 and 2019, the Philadelphia Business Journal named her among its Women of Distinction honorees.

In 2017 she was honored with the Mayor’s Honoree Member of the Negro United College Fund for Civic Leadership and was named one of the 25 most influential black women in business by Network Journal.

Julie Coker graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management and graduated magna cum laude.

“New York City continues to be a top tourist destination in the world because of the New Yorkers who work every day to showcase the best of what our city has to offer. From Broadway and Brooklyn to Times Square and Top of 30 Rock to Citi Field and Yankee Stadium, and everywhere in between, there really is no other place like New York City,’ said the Mayor of New York York, Eric Adams.

“However, our best days are still ahead of us, and with Julie Coker at the helm, I know our city will rise to new heights and break tourism records again. With a proven track record of turning the nation’s largest cities into tourist destinations, Julie is ready to show the world what makes our city special. Julie understands that when our tourism economy thrives, our city thrives, generating billions of dollars and thousands of jobs. “I’m excited to welcome Julie and see her continue to bring every corner of the world to the capital of the world: New York City.”

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