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Hospitality/Tourism: RITA McCLENNY

PRESIDENT AND CEO, VIRGINIA TOURISM CORP., RICHMOND

//August 29, 2022//

Hospitality/Tourism: RITA McCLENNY

PRESIDENT AND CEO, VIRGINIA TOURISM CORP., RICHMOND

// August 29, 2022//

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Nobody would describe McClenny as a job hopper.

Almost a decade has passed since former Gov. Bob McDonnell appointed McClenny to head Virginia Tourism Corp. (VTC). Prior to that, the Southampton County native ran the Virginia Film Office, a division of the VTC, for more than two decades.

A graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, McClenny oversees big business. Even in dismal 2020, with most attractions shut down and overnight visitation dropped 33% to 29.3 million, 84.4 million visitors spent $17.5 billion in Virginia. (By comparison, pre-pandemic visitors spent $29 billion in the commonwealth during 2019.)

To help the industry get back on its feet, in October 2021, VTC announced plans to direct $50 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to 133 Virginia localities for tourism marketing and related expenses.

McClenny sits on the board for Travel South USA, a regional destination marketing organization.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: Do not let what I can’t do interfere with what I can do.

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