Visit Alexandria appoints next president and CEO

A veteran tourism marketing executive from California, Todd O’Leary, will be Visit Alexandria’s new president and CEO, effective July 8, the tourism marketing organization announced Monday.

Visit Alexandria’s board of governors has appointed O’Leary to succeed Patricia Washington, who announced her plans to retire in December 2023. Washington will lead the organization through the end of June 2024.

“My time as president and CEO of Visit Alexandria has been immensely fulfilling, and I am thrilled to pass the baton to such a warm, energetic and strategic leader in the tourism industry,” Washington said in a statement.

O’Leary comes from Sonoma County Tourism in Santa Rosa, California, where he was vice president of marketing and communications since 2018. From 2013 to 2018, O’Leary worked with the San Francisco Travel Association, serving as vice president of global partnerships and strategic alliances.

Before that, O’Leary worked with Visit Milwaukee, starting as a group tour manager from 1998 to 2005, returning as director of membership from 2008 to 2011 and serving as director of marketing from 2011 to 2013, according to his LinkedIn profile. From 2005 to 2008, he was a senior sales manager at Midwest Airlines, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“I am deeply honored and excited to be appointed president and CEO of Visit Alexandria,” O’Leary said in a statement. “Alexandria is an incredible destination with a solid reputation that I’ve long admired. I’m excited to work with the members, board, staff and community at large to further the positive impacts of Alexandria’s tourism industry.”

O’Leary serves on the brand and content committee of Visit California and has held committee roles at CalTravel, San Francisco Travel and Destinations International, as well as on the board of Destinations International.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in urban planning and marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. O’Leary is a certified tourism industry specialist and a certified destination management executive.

Visit Alexandria created a search task force to fill the position and used executive search firm SearchWide Global.

“We are delighted to welcome Todd as the next president and CEO of Visit Alexandria,” Kate Ellis, chair of the Visit Alexandria Board of Governors and general manager at Hotel Indigo, said in a statement. “Todd’s ample experience across the travel and tourism industry matched with his personable demeanor and vision for the future of Visit Alexandria will be critical as the organization prepares for its next phase of growth.”