Add another vacancy to this year’s leadership vacuum in Tacoma.
Tammy Blount, president and CEO of the Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau, has announced she has accepted an offer to lead the Monterey (Calif.) County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The announcement came late Tuesday from the Washington Tourism Alliance, where Blount also served as president.
“She was one of the catalysts for the creation of the WTA, and without her devotion, her countless volunteer hours, we would not be in the strong position we are today,” said Kevin Clark, acting president of the association and head of Seattle-based Argosy Cruises.
Blount also has resigned from the Tourism Alliance position.
She was named to lead the Tacoma bureau in January 2008.
“She informed the board on Friday,” said Shelly Schlumpf, executive director of the Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce and chairwoman of the TRCVB.
“She is not unhappy here,” Schlumpf said. “We very much appreciate the work that Tammy has done. We understand that this is an opportunity for her to grow. We wish her well in her new endeavors.”
Blount was on vacation in Canada and unavailable for comment Tuesday.
Blount, Schlumpf said, “mobilized our community with the Tourism Promotion Area initiative,” which has led to a growing outreach to potential visitors.
“She mobilized the tourism community,” Schlumpf said. “When we hired her, she said that she was going to bring everybody together, and she did.”
The bureau board has not met since Blount’s announcement, and Schlumpf said she was unsure what steps would be taken to hire a replacement. She was unsure whether a scheduled January retreat would be postponed.
“We’ve had a plethora of phone calls and emails,” she said. “We’re still looking to Tammy for leadership while she’s still here. We know that we’re going to hire someone. We’ll wait until after the holidays to have that discussion.”
Along with Blount’s vacancy, the Tacoma tourism community is without a permanent head of city facilities – which include the Tacoma Dome and Cheney Stadium – or a permanent manager at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center.
The Monterey bureau attracts visitors to locations including Pebble Beach, Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea.
“People want to congratulate Tammy, and we know that it’s critical that we have strong leadership moving forward,” said Schlumpf.
C.R. Roberts: 253-597-8535
c.r.roberts@thenewstribune.com
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.