Visit Temecula Valley Announces 2021 Board Of Directors

Press release from Visit Temecula Valley:

Jan. 16, 2021

Visit Temecula Valley, Temecula Valley’s official tourism destination marketing organization, now in its seventeenth year, announces its new Chairman, Executive Officers, and Directors. Visit Temecula Valley Chairman of the Board for 2021 is Bill Wilson, Owner, President, C.E.O. at Wilson Creek Winery. Wilson has served as a Visit Temecula Valley Executive Officer for the past 15 years.

“I am honored to take the reins and shout from the rooftops how awesome this area is. Temecula Valley offers a fantastic getaway with world class wineries, breweries, restaurants, and accommodations – all within a short drive for more than 21 million people,” states Chairman Wilson.

“As we approach the new normal moving forward, we have to continue to put our best foot forward and let Southern California and the world know how far we have come in the past 5, 10, 15 years.” Wilson continues, “We are not stopping and resting on our laurels and we will continue to make Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country a great place to live, work, stay, and play for generations to come.”

Other newly elected Executive Officers are:

1st Vice Chairman of the Board-TID Ken Westmyer, Quality Inn

1st Vice Chairman of the Board Karl Kruger, South Coast Winery Resort & Spa

2nd Vice Chairman of the Board Spencer Szczygiel, Temecula Valley Winery Management

Secretary Melody Brunsting, Melody’s Ad Works

Treasurer Cherise Manning, A Grape Escape Balloon Adventure

Newly elected Board Members are:

Christina Belvedere, Embassy Suites

Pamela Bradley, Springhill Suites

BJ Fazeli, Fazeli Cellars

Michael Feeley, Temecula Creek Inn

Chris Johnson, Home2 Suites

John Kelliher, Grapeline Wine Tours

Jeffery Kurtz, Promenade Temecula

Jan Smith, Inland Management Group

Ken Smith, Galway Downs

The most recent tourism impact report shows 2019 direct travel spending for Temecula Valley was $1.125 billion. Year over year, the destination has seen an increase in visitor spending. The same report also showed annual visitation at approximately 3.14 million.

This past year brought unprecedented devastation to the tourism industry with the COVID-19 pandemic. Temecula Valley hospitality businesses were deeply affected including lodging, restaurants, retail, wineries, breweries, recreation, entertainment, and events.

Chairman Wilson says, “I am excited and a bit intrepid about taking the helm of such an important organization in these unprecedented times. If you told me a year ago what the hospitality industry would go through in 2020 I would have said “no way possible!” We really have to roll up our sleeves and work even harder to get Temecula Valley back up and running again.”

Wilson and the entire Board of Directors do not underestimate the challenge before them. They hold realistic optimism as a united force working to move the region’s tourism industry into a recovery phase in 2021, and eventually restoring it to be the thriving industry it was prior to 2020.

This press release was produced by Visit Temecula Valley. The views expressed here are the author's own.