GOVERNOR’S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE
CARSON CITY — Governor Brian Sandoval has appointed Claudia Vecchio as the first director of the new Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. The Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs is comprised of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, Division of Museums and History, Nevada Arts Council, and the Nevada Indian Commission.
“Claudia is an experienced destination marketer with a solid background in social media and branding,” Governor Sandoval said. “Together with her appreciation for history and culture, her background is ideally suited to taking us to the next level in how we engage with Nevadans and tourists alike. I look forward to her leadership in promoting Nevada’s many fine destinations, as well as preserving and enhancing our sense of history, appreciation for the arts, and well-being of our Native American population. I am pleased to make this appointment as we kick off Nevada History Month.”
Vecchio previously served as the tourism director in Ohio. In that post, she supervised the overall brand development of state tourism, working closely with the Ohio Historical Society and the Ohio Arts Council to create development programs. While in Ohio, Vecchio and her team developed a marketing program to assist in the opening of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. She also helped open the Toledo Glass Museum and the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. Vecchio also has an extensive background in marketing, having worked with the Edelman public relations firm in Chicago and Burson-Marsteller in Dallas. She is currently president of Destination Integration in Dallas, where she provides marketing programs for small and mid-sized communities that integrate tourism and economic development components.
Vecchio has a BA in Organizational Communications from Brigham Young University. She is the recipient of several Public Relations Society of America and America Marketing Association Awards, including recognition for Web marketing. She has served on the Travel Industry Association of America’s Council of State Tourism Directors.
Vecchio will start her new job on November 14.
