President & CEO - Visit Huntington

Visit Huntington Beach (VHB) is the official destination marketing organization for Huntington Beach, California – Surf City USA. A 501(c)(6) private, non-profit organization, VHB’s mission is to support and advocate for the economic vitality and quality of life for the Huntington Beach community through inspirational destination marketing and brand management. Its programs encompass marketing, public relations, group sales, visitor and partner services, advocacy, and tourism development.

VHB embodies a community-focused spirit of service that is proactive and strategic. The organization emphasizes teamwork, staff engagement and commitment, inclusion and belonging, professional development and accountability, community support, and sustainability. Representing the best of Huntington Beach at a professional, high-quality, laid-back luxury level, the team is dedicated to delivering the Surf City USA brand promise.

Visit Huntington Beach is seeking an accomplished, collaborative President & CEO to lead a dedicated, high-performing team with an annual budget of approximately $11M. The President & CEO will oversee the organization’s operations, culture, values, and mission while serving as the strategic and visionary leader for the Board, elected officials, community partners, stakeholders, and visitors. This leader will position Surf City USA competitively in both domestic and international markets, ensuring the destination’s long-term growth and sustainability.

The ideal candidate will foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performance workplace culture that empowers team members to thrive while aligning individual strengths with organizational goals. A proven advocate for destination marketing and management, the successful candidate will demonstrate a track record of positively impacting residents’ wellbeing while growing tourism in a way that strengthens the community’s economic vitality.

Key Qualifications:

• Provide leadership to ensure the annual program of work is presented, approved, executed and accomplished while aligning with the approved budget and related expectations of various stakeholders including the VHB Board of Directors.
• Represent VHB and the related visitor industry as a key voice of advocacy in the arena of public opinion, at the local, regional, state, national and international levels.
• Think strategically and tactically in incredibly challenging times, using this unique skill set to inspire a culture of success, both internally and throughout the community.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders which help Surf City USA deliver on HB’s destination brand promise.
• Ultimately responsible for hiring, discharge, direction, review and supervision of all employees, but especially the senior leadership team.
• Serves on committees and Board of Directors of related organizations.