THE WOODLANDS, TX (January 15, 2016) – The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau, which positions The Woodlands as a destination for group, business and leisure travel has announced new officers for 2016 including Gordy Bunch as Chairman, Jeff Long as Vice Chairman and Dr. Ann Snyder as Secretary/ Treasurer.
As volunteers, the officers serve with four others to comprise The Woodlands CVB Board of Directors; those other individuals include Fred Domenick, General Manager for The Woodlands Waterway Marriott; JJ Hollie, President & CEO for The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce, Don Norrell, President & General Manager for The Woodlands Township and Greg Parsons, Vice President of Hospitality for The Howard Hughes Corporation. The Board also named Nick Wolda as President. The CVB Board sets policies and recommends the budget for the CVB’s marketing programs and sales outreach.
Reprising his role as Chairman for the third year, Bunch is a decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran, named Entrepreneur of the Year for the Gulf Coast for 2015; and founder, president, and CEO of The Woodlands Financial Group. Bunch launched “TWFG” in The Woodlands with $10,000 capital in 2001. Today, it has grown to rank in the Top 30 of the 38,000 largest insurance agencies in the nation and is the number one Personal Lines leader in Texas.
The Woodlands CVB welcomes new to the Board, Jeff Long and Dr. Ann Snyder from The Woodlands Township Board of Directors.
Long is an engineer who came to The Woodlands from California and is retired from municipal government and public works. He has volunteered for other community organizations and committees including The Woodlands Community Association Board of Directors where he served as president, the Design Standards Committee, Joint Ad Hoc Cost Recovery Committee and Election Committee.
Dr. Snyder and her husband, Jerry, have called The Woodlands home for 26 years. She is the President & CEO of Interfaith of The Woodlands and Interfaith Community Clinic – a position she has held for more than a decade. Dedicated to the community, Dr. Snyder has devoted countless hours to giving back through her service on numerous boards. She not only was the first woman President of The Woodlands Rotary Club, Dr. Snyder was named one of Houston’s 2015 Most Influential Women.
Bunch noted, “New in 2016, The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau will shift away from the production of community festivals and events to a defined focus, which will realign the organization with more traditional goals of a Convention and Visitors Bureau, maximizing hotel occupancy. I look forward to the input and experience both Ann and Jeff will surely bring to the Board.”
Technology plays a major role in this new plan as the CVB is developing a concierge style mobile app to elevate the experience of a visitor while in The Woodlands, which in turn will encourage repeat visitation. In addition to the app, the CVB is enhancing its website with more visitor friendly features like an itinerary builder and an interactive visitor guide.
A new convention incentive program will be launched in 2016 to help drive new convention business to The Woodlands market. The CVB will continue to offer added benefits and services to organizations and meeting planners who book their conventions to The Woodlands.
Bunch added, “along with the other CVB Board Members, I am dedicated to successfully promoting The Woodlands as a destination for leisure, convention and business travel in 2016 and beyond.”
For information on CVB Board Meetings or to address the Board of Directors, go to www.visitthewoodlands.com or call 281-363-2447.