KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association (KCCVA) announced today that Jon Stephens will serve as interim president and CEO beginning July 1. Stephens has served on the KCCVA board of directors for more than five years, where he chairs the marketing committee.
"I look forward to working with the KCCVA team to attract new meetings and visitors to Kansas City," said Stephens. "We are well positioned to capitalize on Kansas City's momentum, and bring new tourism dollars and investment to our community. We will continue to find new creative ways to effectively promote our city to the world."
Stephens is president of Rockhill Strategic, a Kansas City marketing and communications firm. A Kansas City native, Stephens has more than 17 years of marketing and management experience in a variety of industries. He has served on a number of local boards including the American Cancer Society Chairman's Circle, March of Dimes and Downtown Council. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri.
"I am excited to have Jon step into this role at such an important time in Kansas City history," said Troy Stremming, chairman of the KCCVA board of directors. "The board believes it is critical to build upon recent successes and garner momentum in the hospitality sector. We can't afford to be idle while we conduct a search for a new president and CEO."
Stephens is expected to fill the role at least through the end of the year, while he assists the KCCVA board of directors in forming a search committee for the selection of a permanent leader. His appointment comes after the organization announced the retirement of Rick Hughes starting June 30.
"Rick has done so much professionally and personally to better our city," said Stephens. "I am thankful that, while he is retiring from the CVA, he will remain an integral part of KC."
The KCCVA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ignite global passion for visiting Kansas City. Through marketing, sales and service for convention and tourism industries, the KCCVA supports a vital and growing component of the local economy-generating 45,000 jobs and $4.5 billion annually. For more information about Kansas City, go to VisitKC.com.
