Leadership

Hannah Belsito, she/her/hers
Chief Experience Officer

Hannah Belsito leads the team focused on applying community and consumer insights to develop authentic Cleveland experiences for visitors. She considers her work at Destination Cleveland to be a dream job, allowing her to combine her love of new experiences with the opportunity to work with people who are excited to share their hometown with the world.

Since joining Destination Cleveland in 2011, Hannah and her team’s effort to enhance and update Cleveland’s destination experience have included several notable projects, including the ideation, design, site selection and installation of the now-renowned Cleveland script signs.

Hannah holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from John Carroll University and a master’s degree in urban planning, design & development from Cleveland State University. She brought experience across multiple sectors to Destination Cleveland and currently serves on U.S. Travel Association’s At-Large Board of Directors.

Hannah and her family live in Lakewood and frequently take advantage of the city’s outdoor experiences, including flying kites at Edgewater Park or bike riding through the Metroparks and on the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail.

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Emily Lauer, she/her/hers
Vice President of PR/Communications

As a Cleveland native, Emily Lauer relishes the opportunity to promote her hometown. She develops and oversees the implementation of Destination Cleveland’s PR strategies that contribute to changing perceptions and strengthening the narrative of Cleveland. She also leads B2B communication efforts to bolster community understanding of the organization’s work and travel and tourism’s economic impact.

Since joining Destination Cleveland in 2015, Emily has been instrumental in the PR and communications efforts surrounding Cleveland’s hosting of several large-scale national events. Among those was her leadership of the PRSA Silver Anvil Award-winning PR and communications efforts for the Cleveland Host Committee for the 2016 Republican National Convention. She also led visiting media efforts for the 2021 NFL Draft and the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. 

Prior to joining Destination Cleveland, she spent 18 years at two marketing communications agencies in Cleveland. A graduate of Bowling Green State University, she is a longtime PRSA member and is Accredited in Public Relations by UAB.

Emily enjoys exploring Cleveland’s greenspaces and spends the warm weather months taking advantage of living just a short walk from the Lake Erie shore on the East side. When not globetrotting, she can be found experiencing Cleveland’s independent music venues and seeking out unique culinary experiences throughout the city.

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Gordon Taylor III, he/him/his
Chief Sales Officer

Gordon Taylor III leads the Convention Sales & Services team, which focuses on selling Cleveland as a meetings, conventions and events host city and provides meeting planners and event attendees with a first-class experience before and while they are here. Gordon and his team pride themselves on sharing the energy of the city and making everyone feel like they are part of the Cleveland community. 

Gordon joined Destination Cleveland in 2019 after spending more than 20 years at leading hotel properties, including Hyatt Regency Austin, Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago and, most recently, the Waldorf Astoria Chicago and Conrad Chicago, which he helped to open in 2016. 

Gordon holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and rhetoric from Eastern Illinois University. A native of Macomb, Ill., Gordon feels he belonged in Cleveland from the moment he arrived – saying there’s “no waiting period” to be a true Clevelander.

Outside of the office, he enjoys grilling and cooking, letting other people do the cooking at Cleveland’s many diverse restaurants, playing sports with his children and traveling with his wife to see new cities and hotels.

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Rick Wilson-Negron, he/him/his
Chief People & Operations Officer

Born and raised in Cleveland, Rick Wilson-Negron boomeranged to the city in 2021 after a decade away. At Destination Cleveland, he is in the business of caring for the organization’s people and internal operations, including overseeing everything related to benefits, technology, company policies, culture, learning, talent development and more.

Rick holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from John Carroll University and a master’s degree in labor relations and human resources from Cleveland State University. Prior to joining Destination Cleveland, he spent nearly 20 years in human resources at AT&T, where he was instrumental in multiple initiatives that advanced company culture and prioritized diversity, equity and inclusion. He has held volunteer roles for several organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community and currently serves on the board for the Cleveland State University Alumni Association.

When he’s not spending time with his sisters, their children and his extended family, he enjoys experiencing all the things that make Cleveland a destination city, including its outdoor activities, culinary experiences and unique arts and culture scene. Rick also enjoys catching up on his favorite TV shows and discovering new ones with his husband and their dog, Barky.

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