CLEVELAND (Dec. 15, 2022) – Destination Cleveland, the destination marketing and management organization for Greater Cleveland, today announced two promotions within its leadership team.
As of Jan. 1, 2023, Gordon Taylor III moves to chief sales officer from vice president of sales and services. He will continue to lead the team responsible for selling Cleveland as a meetings, conventions and events host city. Since joining Destination Cleveland in August 2019, Taylor’s process improvements and team management have improved sales success, and he has fostered collaboration with Downtown and county hotels and the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland to drive more business to the area. His leadership throughout the COVID crisis resulted in the rebooking of 100 meetings and conventions to future years. Taylor has been instrumental in restructuring and rebuilding the sales and services team to ensure ongoing success for the area’s meetings and conventions industry. Prior to joining Destination Cleveland, Taylor spent more than 20 years in the lodging industry – most recently at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago and Conrad Chicago. He lives in Orange with his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Ava and Kent.
Rick Wilson-Negron takes on the role of chief people and operating officer as of Jan. 1, 2023. He joined Destination Cleveland in March 2021 as the vice president of human resources and has since transformed the organization’s HR processes and streamlined operational systems and procedures. Wilson-Negron has led by example when it comes to the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, overhauling hiring processes to ensure more diverse candidate sourcing, helping to lead the development of Destination Cleveland’s REI Roadmap and implementing listening sessions and staff training. He has guided the strategic rebuilding of Destination Cleveland’s team after the organization reduced its workforce in 2020 due to the COVID crisis, which decimated the travel and tourism industry. Wilson-Negron spent nearly two decades in human resources at AT&T before joining Destination Cleveland. He lives in Cleveland with his husband, Edgar.
“Gordon and Rick are determined and compassionate leaders who share their passion for Cleveland and our work with their Destination Cleveland colleagues and our community,” said David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland. “These promotions are an exciting next step for both Rick and Gordon, and each is a result of their contributions to the organization and success in their current roles. I’m confident they’ll continue to provide their teams with support and direction that fosters individual growth and team success. I’m excited to work alongside them to advance Cleveland as a must-visit destination.”
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ABOUT DESTINATION CLEVELAND: Destination Cleveland is Cleveland’s destination marketing and management organization. This private, non-profit organization’s mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel. In 2021, visitation to Cuyahoga County rebounded to 16.1 million visits, a 17% increase after the COVID-19 global pandemic reduced visitation by 30 percent in 2020. Destination Cleveland continues its work to rebuild the travel and tourism industry, with the goal of exceeding pre-pandemic success as quickly as possible. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com.