California wine country marketer Todd O’Leary has been named the new president and CEO of Visit Alexandria.
O’Leary will replace Patricia Washington, who announced her retirement in December after leading the city’s tourism bureau for more than a decade. He was hired by the nonprofit’s board of governors after an executive search with SearchWide Global, and starts work on July 8, according to Visit Alexandria.
“I am deeply honored and excited to be appointed president and CEO of Visit Alexandria,” O’Leary said. “Alexandria is an incredible destination with a solid reputation that I’ve long admired. I’m excited to work with the members, board, staff and community at large to further the positive impacts of Alexandria’s tourism industry.”
O’Leary will be put in charge of all aspects of the bureaus operation, from implementing its strategic plan and developing budgets to spearheading marketing initiatives for what has been deemed one of the best small cities in the U.S.
O’Leary has been a vice president of marketing for Sonoma County Tourism for the last five years, before which he was a vice president for the San Francisco Travel Association, and vice president of marketing for Visit Milwaukee, according to his LinkedIn page. He’s got a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and received a travel industry specialist certification from Indiana University.
Washington said that she was thrilled to pass the torch to O’Leary.
“Over the next few months, I will work closely with Todd, our Board of Governors and staff to ensure a smooth leadership transition,” Washington said.