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Deborah Ward
Deborah Ward, Executive Director of Visit Omaha, will retire on July 31, 2025, after more than 18 years of service to the city. A former journalist and skilled communicator, Ward brought focus and heart to telling Omaha’s story while building and mentoring an award-winning team.
Since becoming executive director in 2020, she has helped grow Omaha’s tourism industry into a $2 billion annual economic driver that supports more than 15,000 local jobs. She successfully led the organization through the pandemic, and then helped the city celebrate record-breaking tourism numbers for the last three years in a row.
Kerry Painter
Kerry Painter CVE, CMP, CEM, Executive Director of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex (The Complex), has been named the recipient of the 2025 Convention Center Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). The award will be presented at IAVM’s annual VenueConnect event in New Orleans this July 28-31.
The Convention Center Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes exceptional career-long contributions to convention center management, and Painter joins an elite group of leaders who have shaped the industry. Before joining Raleigh in 2018, Painter built a distinguished career managing premier venues in six different cities across North America, consistently driving operational excellence, revenue growth, and market expansion.
Jackie Mitchell and Staci Stover
The Savannah Convention Center (SCC) has announced a series of promotions, including Jackie Mitchell’s new role as Director of Event Services and Staci Stover’s elevation to Senior National Sales Manager. As SCC celebrates its 25th anniversary and looks ahead following an expansion, these promotions reinforce the facility’s commitment to service excellence and reflect the depth of talent driving the facility forward.
Cynthia Serrano
Cynthia Serrano, CEM, CVP, has been named Deputy Director of the City of Fort Worth Public Events Department. Serrano was promoted to Assistant Director (General Manager of Operations) for the Fort Worth Convention Center in 2021 and will continue her GM role there as the center is undergoing a $701 million expansion. Serrano achieved a Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) credential from the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, and a Certified Venue Professional (CVP) from the International Association of Venue Managers. She has been with the City of Fort Worth since 1999 and has worked in several departments, including Finance and Community Relations.
Caitlin Fox and Kimberly Hardcastle
Caitlin Fox is now President of mdg and Kimberly Hardcastle has moved into a new role as Chief Strategist at Freeman, mdg’s parent company.
This change marks an important next chapter for the agency. With the recent addition of UK-based Tag Digital and an even stronger focus on digital transformation, mdg is evolving to better meet the needs of their clients and the industry they serve. Fox will be working closely with Tag Digital CEO Laura Davidson to lead mdg into its next era — one that’s powered by data, innovation and an unwavering commitment to growing event participation.
As for Hardcastle, after 24 incredible years leading mdg she will continue to support clients in her new role at Freeman and work on big-picture initiatives that strengthen the events industry overall, advocating for the power of face-to-face and helping events evolve to stay essential.
Austin Seeley
Louisville Tourism is pleased to announce Austin Seeley will transition to the organization’s sales team as Convention Sales Manager from his role over the past two and a half years as Destination Services Manager.
Seeley will be responsible for working with booked convention groups, handling health/medical, scientific/engineering, cultural and education market segments that utilize 300 or fewer hotel rooms on peak event nights.
Beth Caldwell
INNOV8 Meetings + Events announces the appointment of Beth Caldwell as Director of Global Accounts. Caldwell brings more than three decades of experience and a proven track record in global meeting site research, hotel contract negotiations, meeting support services, and Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) solutions.
Caldwell’s career is distinguished by her commitment to excellence and client advocacy. Prior to joining INNOV8, she spent 16 years as a Senior Director of Global Sales, where she successfully guided clients through the complexities of global site research and contract negotiations. Her deep industry knowledge and strategic insights helped organizations achieve impactful meeting results around the world.