New York City Tourism + Conventions has appointed Julie Coker as president and CEO. She will begin the role on December 9, 2024. Coker currently serves as the president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority.
Coker has served in executive roles across the tourism and hospitality sectors for more than three decades. Under her tenure, San Diego has ranked as one of the top-performing U.S. destinations, ranking third in the nation in hotel occupancy at 73.5 percent in 2023, while the city’s groups and convention business surpassed 2019 levels and the tourism industry generated $14.3 billion in visitor spending.
In January 2023, Coker was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, joining 31 other leaders from the domestic travel and tourism industry in providing advice to the Secretary of Commerce on travel priorities. She also serves on the executive boards of the U.S. Travel Association and Visit California, the boards of Meeting Professionals International, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, the San Diego Lodging Association and Sharp Health Care.
Previously, Coker served as the president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) where she oversaw the 2017 NFL Draft and the 2016 Democratic National Convention, which had a combined economic impact of $325 million for Philadelphia. Prior to that, she was PHLCVB’s executive vice president, convention division, and managed a staff of 25 sales and services professionals responsible for selling the expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center and hotel packages to customers across the country.
Prior to joining the PHLCVB, Coker was the general manager for the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing, where she led all operational aspects of the 350-room hotel. A 21-year Hyatt veteran, she began her career in 1989 as a corporate management trainee at Hyatt Regency Columbus. Throughout her career more than two decades with Hyatt, she rose through the ranks in a variety of positions, including assistant front office manager, front office manager, hotel assistant manager, assistant executive housekeeper and general manager.
From January 2018 to 2020, Coker served as co-chair for the U.S. Travel Association’s Meetings Mean Business Coalition and secretary-treasurer for International Association of Exhibitions and Events Executive Committee. From 2016 to 2019, she co-chaired the “Shared Spaces Initiative” to combat homelessness with Philadelphia’s mayor, and in 2016, she served as the chair of Mayor Jim Kenney’s transition team for the Democratic National Convention.
Additionally, Coker is a member of the San Diego Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. In 2023, she received the Fearless Award from the San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce and was inducted into the All-Time Hall of Fame by Smart Women in Meetings.
New York City Tourism + Conventions is the official DMO and CVB for the five boroughs of New York City.
For more information, visit www.nyctourism.com.
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