Visit The Woodlands, the official Destination Marketing and Management Organization of The Woodlands Township, has announced its seven (7) member Board of Directors and Officers for 2023.
At Visit The Woodlands' Annual Board Meeting on December 14, 2022, the Board elected Brad Bailey as Chairman, Fred Domenick as Vice Chairman and Richard Franks as Secretary/ Treasurer. Additional elected Directors include Linda Nelson, Director and Secretary for The Woodlands Township; Jenny Taylor, General Manager of Market Street; Cameron Klepac, Director of Marketing & Education at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion; and Monique Sharp, President/General Manager of The Woodlands Township. The Board also appointed Nick Wolda as President of Visit The Woodlands.
“I’m excited to give back to my community in The Woodlands,” said Brad Bailey, Chairman of Visit The Woodlands. “Not only does this organization go above and beyond in promoting The Woodlands as a remarkable destination for vacations and conventions, but in doing so, it also helps keep tax rates down for residents and helps provide a profitable atmosphere for businesses to grow and flourish. I cannot wait to work with Visit The Woodlands and my fellow colleagues to generate even greater economic impact for The Woodlands."
ABOUT THE DIRECTORS
BRAD BAILEY, CHAIRMAN OF VISIT THE WOODLANDS - Mr. Bailey is Vice President of Marketing, Communications and External Affairs for S&B Engineers and Constructors. He is also a Director for The Woodlands Township, elected by the residents of The Woodlands.
FRED DOMENICK, VICE CHAIRMAN FOR VISIT THE WOODLANDS - Mr. Domenick is the General Manager for The Woodlands Waterway Marriott, Hotel & Convention Center, overseeing daily operations for the luxury hotel property located in the heart of the Town Center area.
RICHARD FRANKS, SECRETARY/TREASURER FOR VISIT THE WOODLANDS - Mr. Franks is also and a Director for The Woodlands Township, elected by residents in The Woodlands. Most recently, Mr. Franks was the CEO of M. Roberts Media and was responsible for four daily newspapers, as well as an affiliated specialty publication and a large commercial printing operation.
LINDA NELSON, DIRECTOR FOR VISIT THE WOODLANDS - Mrs. Nelson has lived in The Woodlands for 30 years and is passionate about the community. She was elected by residents in The Woodlands for a Director’s position on The Woodlands Township, where she was named Secretary for the Board of Directors. Director Nelson is the Director of Business Development, Marketing and Community Relations at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center.
JENNY TAYLOR, DIRECTOR FOR VISIT THE WOODLANDS - As General Manager for Market Street, Director Taylor oversees daily operations of the shopping and entertainment destination that features retail, restaurants, a movie theater, office space and a hotel.
CAMERON KLEPAC, DIRECTOR FOR VISIT THE WOODLANDS - Mrs. Klepac is the Director of Marketing and Education for The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. The Pavilion exists to put The Arts into the community's hands. Ranked #2 in the world, The Pavilion brought in more than 500,000 guests in 2022. The venue is the site for cotemporary shows and seek to introduce new audiences to a wide array of arts, from symphonies to ballets and operas.
MONIQUE SHARP, DIRECTOR FOR VISIT THE WOODLANDS - Mrs. Sharp is the President & Chief Executive Officer of The Woodlands Township. She is responsible for coordinating, directing, and managing all activities related to The Woodlands Township and its services to 120,000 residents and nearly 2,000 businesses.
Serving in a volunteer capacity, the Directors set policy and the annual budget as well as provide input on marketing and sales initiatives in promoting The Woodlands for meetings and leisure travel. Visit The Woodlands generates revenue for The Woodlands Township by promoting The Woodlands and driving demand for both hotel and sales tax collections.
The Woodlands Township relies on hotel tax and sales tax, which comprise over half of The Woodlands Township's budget. In 2022, travel and tourism in The Woodlands generated approximately $9 million in hotel occupancy tax revenue and more than $67 million in sales tax revenue. According to the State of Texas, travel and tourism accounts for over 4,000 jobs in The Woodlands.
Visit The Woodlands will continue to build on the sales, marketing and tourism initiatives that have been introduced in recent years. These initiatives have proven to be successful in establishing The Woodlands as a beautiful, lively, and welcoming destination that’s recognized for first-class business, convention, and leisure travel.
"In my position at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott, I've seen tourism grow and thrive in The Woodlands," said Fred Domenick, Vice Chairman of Visit The Woodlands. "I've watched The Woodlands Waterway become an anchor for business and leisure travelers, and I've seen how new attractions in The Woodlands have further enhanced the visitor experience. I'm excited to serve as Vice Chairman of Visit The Woodlands and to continue fostering tourism in our community."
“The job of Visit The Woodlands is to bring The Woodlands to the world," said Nick Wolda, President of Visit The Woodlands. "We want everyone to know why this is a wonderful place for corporate meetings and leisure travel. We want them to know that The Woodlands has a fabulous mix of natural beauty and top-tier amenities, offers top-notch meeting planning assistance, a multitude of entertainment options, unbeatable restaurants, luxury shopping, and that's just the start. Our team looks forward to working with our new Board of Directors to continue telling the amazing story of The Woodlands, regionally, nationally, and internationally.”
