Destination and environmental sustainability, transitions, and community were themes voiced by two candidates being considered for the CEO position at Visit Estes Park on Wednesday.
Tyler Daugherty, former CEO of Visit Casper, and Sarah Leonard, CEO at Visit Longmont, presented their visions for leading the agency that markets Estes Park as a vacation destination during finalist interviews for the CEO position at VEP.
The candidates delivered a prepared presentation, followed by a question-and-answer period. Each spent about an hour with VEP Board members and Larimer County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally. Late in the afternoon, a handful of business owners and Town leaders met with the candidates in a meet-and-greet social hour.
VEP Board members will meet at 10 a.m. Monday, when they are likely to decide who will receive an employment offer, according to Sean Jurgens, president of the VEP Board. The meeting will be held virtually and will be open to the public. Instructions on connecting to the open session are available on the Visit Estes Park website.
Tyler Daugherty
“I want to be a leader in sustainable tourism,” Daugherty said, as he envisioned VEP driving sustainable growth, including being an organization that “is fostering local collaboration.”
Daugherty said long-term destination management should continue to be top of mind, pointing to the VEP Destination Stewardship plan adopted last year, which features the slogan, “Do Estes Right.”
“The balance of resident needs versus year-round appeal to our guests is a major priority, Daughtery said. “We need to set a clear direction of what this means to us. It’s a heavy focus on what comes out of the Destination Stewardship plan” adopted by VEP last year, Daugherty said.
Having Estes Park be a leader in sustainable tourism, Daughtery said the agency should consider and balance the “economic, social, and environmental impacts of tourism, aiming to minimize negative effects and maximize positive outcomes for visitors, the tourism industry, host community, and the environment.
Acknowledging some negative community sentiment about tourism, Daughtery said, “We need to be respectful of those individuals. We need to offer them a voice. I do think there are things to learn from those who have a differing opinion. Maybe then we can adjust our plan to be more appropriate for what the vision should be for the community.”
“The balance of resident needs vs year-round appeal to our guests is a major priority. We need to set a clear direction of what this means to us, Daugherty said.”
Whether working with the business community or staff, establishing trust is critical to success Daughtery said, noting Visit Estes Park’s “interesting 12 to 14 months. Any transition is going to alter someone’s perception of their place at work in the position where they’re currently working.” In leading the staff currently working at VEP, he said one of his goals was “retention, not attrition.”
He also discussed the need for Board succession planning and orientation.
“Collectively, I think we all want this community to flourish,” Daugherty said.
Daugherty was selected to serve as CEO of Explore Siouxland in Sioux City, Iowa, just a month ago. Before joining Explore Siouxland, he served as CEO of Visit Casper in Wyoming. Before joining the Wyoming agency, Daugherty served as vice president of community relations at Travel Dubuque and has coached track and basketball for Indiana University East. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Dubuque and has over 13 years of experience in tourism and leadership within the tourism promotion industry.
Sarah Leonard
Melding community sustainability with destination management was a theme voiced by Leonard.
“My vision for Estes Park is to build on strength with a strong brand, and to deliver sustainable tourism throughout Visit Estes Park marketing and management by refining marketing efforts, being brand stewards, and promoting excellence,” Leonard told the Board.
Furthermore, Leonard stated that she believes in “building a positive culture by leading with transparency, accountability, empathy and curiosity, and empowering a team to own outcomes, embrace innovation, and grow together.”
“I have seen success in engaging with diverse stakeholder groups, including local businesses, economic development and community partners, elected officials and residents, through intentional listening and collaboration that is inclusive of both resident feedback and visitor experiences,” Leonard said.
“My goal for Visit Estes Park is that it becomes a national and international model for sustainable tourism that other destinations look to,” Leonard said. For me, this means an integrated approach by evaluating existing programs like Do Estes Park Right.”
Efforts toward building sustainability could be accomplished through policy, such as “a board-approved sustainability purchasing policy in marketing, media stories about businesses implementing sustainable tourism practices, in operations using local vendors and hiring locally as much as possible,” Leonard said
Leonard also emphasized the importance of working with the community.
“I think community is about every audience that makes Estes Park special: it’s residents, nonprofits, businesses, accommodations, elected officials, artists, public and private, bank managers, county partners, employees, and surrounding communities. As I think about how I would lead Visit Estes Park, it’s about finding the right way to reach out to each stakeholder, stakeholder group, and listening,” she said.
Leonard discussed her past tourism experiences, “I’ve been through experiences in rebuilding organizational culture and rebuilding teams.” She said her leadership style includes having zero tolerance for toxicity and back channeling, listening deeply, supporting transparency and trust, celebrating all successes, and empowering staff without micro-managing. Leonard led the Alaska Travel Industry Association team for 10 years and has 20 years of experience in the tourism industry, joining Visit Longmont two years ago. Leonard received a master’s degree in recreation management and tourism from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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