Printable VersionAfter about five months of searching, the Lake Havasu City Convention and Visitors Bureau selected Southern California resident Doug Traub as its new President/CEO Thursday morning.
 The Convention and Visitors Bureau chose Doug Traub as its new president/CEO. Submitted Photo. |
Schilling confirmed that former Laughlin Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Susan Murphy was the other finalist for the position.
Schilling said he was pleased to announce Traub’s selection Thursday.
“I think what we’re going to find is he’s bringing some good things to this community,” Schilling said Thursday evening. “This is going to be a real shot in the arm for us.”
Traub said he was excited about the opportunity, according to the release.
“It is one of the most fun and beautiful destinations in the Southwestern U.S. The bureau team has a big job ahead of us,” he said in the release. “We must revitalize and reprioritize how we go about marketing the area. I look forward to partnering with the city and other economic development agencies to focus all our energies and assets upon growing the local economy for the benefit of residents and visitors who choose to share their leisure and vacation time with us.”
Traub was unavailable for further comment Thursday afternoon.
“After an extensive search for a new president, which began November (2009), the CVB’s volunteer search committee, comprised of five members, evaluated and analyzed over 60 qualified applicants to determine that Mr. Traub was the right fit for Lake Havasu City,” according to the release. “The search process was extensive and thorough to ensure the best man or woman was selected for the position.”
The CVB also may face action from the Lake Havasu City Council in the near future, as several council members voiced their displeasure with how long the search took and possible illegal actions taken recently.
“I’m a little disappointed with how long this has taken,” Councilman Don Callahan said. “I’m just very frustrated, I guess.”
Councilwoman Margaret Nyberg voiced similar frustration Wednesday, when she suggested reviewing the CVB’s actions during a future City Council work session.
“My biggest thing is, I think we need to have a big meeting with the CVB about how the contract has been worded and where their goals are,” she said Wednesday. “Since we’re paying them, and it’s taxpayers’ money we’re using. We need to look to the future and ask are they doing what we’ve set goals up for? I think that could be taken care of during a work session.”
A local online news blog reported Wednesday “a very reliable source who sits on the CVB executive board says the ‘unidentified candidate’ has been offered a contract, with the board recently approving that move. At the same time, the ‘runner-up’ has also been notified that the paperwork has been sent to the other for a signature. … Meanwhile, members of the CVB executive board have only approved the presentation of a contract to the yet-to-be identified person — apparently during an informal meeting this weekend.”
Schilling said there was “absolutely no truth” to any of the allegations.
“I don’t know where the information came from,” he said. “There is no truth to it. I’m very disappointed to see those kinds of allegations out there. They’re all untrue.”
Schilling added he was hesitant to respond to the allegations sooner as Traub’s hiring took up a majority of his time.
“It’s difficult to respond to … when (an article) is quoting somebody without a name and getting it from a reliable source, and then you talk to somebody and it comes out differently,” he said. “It was hard to respond to them when I had no idea where they even came from. Somebody just made them up. I was really disappointed with it.”
Schilling said he is eager to dispel the rumors and focus on the future of the CVB with Traub as the new president/CEO.
“Now we can concentrate on the real things and get this person in place and get him here quickly,” Schilling said.
Traub has more than 15 years of experience in a managerial position within destination marketing organizations, according to the release, and most recently he was the president and CEO of the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. “During his tenure in Huntington Beach from 2001 to 2008, Traub spearheaded a comprehensive branding initiative to give Huntington Beach worldwide publicity and recognition. With community support and market research, the Surf City USA brand was established and marketed worldwide, distinguishing Huntington Beach as not only an oceanfront destination, but also a surfer’s paradise.”
Prior to working in Huntington Beach, Traub was president and CEO of the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau for five years in North Carolina and a director of the Jekyll Island Authority for two years in Georgia. While at the Fayetteville CVB, Traub secured a $1,367,490 grant to renovate a vintage railway depot and turn it into a history museum as well as the new CVB headquarters, according to the release.
“Additional accomplishments while in Fayetteville include booking a record number of conventions, meetings and sporting events in the community’s history and establishing the nation’s first AM radio tourism network airing over 27 miles of I-95, to promote the area as a destination for highway travelers. During his time at the Jekyll Island Authority, Traub developed the ‘Historical Beach Days,’ the first tourism promotion with 100 percent participation from the resort attractions, businesses and hotels, meant to cater to the travel and leisure market,” according to the release. “All of these accomplishments are what set Traub apart from the rest of the field.”
Traub graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1979 with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and went on to receive his master’s degree in both International Business and Marketing in 1990 from Mercer University in Atlanta. He was accredited from The Public Relations Society of America in 1984 and is a Certified Destination Management Executive through Destination Marketing Association International,” according to the release.
“Doug’s experience, knowledge and reputation will serve our community well in moving us forward in creating Lake Havasu City as the desired western region destination for visitors,” Schilling said in the release. “Doug brings with him the creative destination marketing approaches that will lead the CVB in realizing its vision for the future. I look forward to working closely with Doug to make the transition as seamless as possible.”
You can contact the reporter at nbruttell@havasunews.com
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