About us
State of Washington Tourism (SWT) is the official Destination Marketing and Management Organization for the State of Washington. SWT is a membership-based nonprofit that was established after the closure of the Washington State Tourism Office in 2011 (formerly the Washington Tourism Alliance).
Our Work
SWT’s work centers around responsibly marketing Washington to visitors and serving as a leader in statewide destination management and stewardship. A key component of our work is supporting rural and underserved communities. Our programs, from destination development to marketing, contribute to creating jobs and stimulating earnings in the tourism sector, which is still recovering from the pandemic. SWT supports:
- Development for rural and underserved communities through grants, the Rural Tourism Support program, education, and other offerings
- Overall statewide management and stewardship
- Responsible travel marketing – encouraging the right travelers to visit, honor what is here, and become stewards
- Empowering and amplifying local destinations, from marketing co-ops to data and research
- Investment in diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion through marketing campaigns and other initiatives
- International travel development through trade shows, relationship building with international receptive operators and suppliers, and partnering with destinations to establish readiness to welcome international visitors
Leadership
The SWT Board of Directors represents industry stakeholders who have invested in past statewide tourism marketing and industry advocacy efforts and may also have direct investment in, or concern for, Washington State tourism programs.
Executive Committee
Ron Peck – Chair
Brad Jones – Vice Chair
Skip Thompson – Corporate
Julie Eisenhauer – Treasurer
Elizabeth McGree – Secretary
Andi Day – Immediate Past Chair
Board of Directors
Bridget Baeth – JayRay, South Metro Puget Sound Representative
Gary Ballew, Spokane, Incorporated, Director representing Economic Development
Krista Bentley – Expedia, North Metro Puget Sound Representative
Heather Bradshaw – Washington State Wine Commission, Wine Representative
Troy Campbell – Leavenworth Chamber, Director representing the Trails & Lakes Region
Megan Ching – Seattle Monorail, Attractions Representative
Andi Day – Andi Day Consulting, Beaches Representative
Julie Eisenhauer – Clark Nuber, At-Large
Tommy Farris – Olympic Hiking Co., Outdoor Recreation Representative
Guy Glaeser – InquisiTours, At-Large
Dipra Jha – WSU School of Hospitality Business Management
Brad Jones – Visit Bellevue, Vice Chair, representing DMOs
Elizabeth McGree – JEM Development Real Estate, Wine Country Representative
Cliff Myers – Visit Vancouver, Director representing the Gorge Region
Ron Peck – Ron Peck Travel Consulting, At-Large
Annette Pitts – Visit Olympia & Beyond, Director representing the Volcanoes Region
Teresa Taylor – Tribal Representative
Skip Thompson – The Boeing Company, Corporate Representative
Leslie Womack – Mayflower Hotel, Hospitality Representative
David Blandford, Executive Director
Mike Moe, Director of Tourism Development and Strategic Partnerships
Michelle Thana, Director of Marketing
Marianne Graff, Content Manager
Matthew Ozuna, Destination Development Manager