Chicago, IL – GES Executive Vice President John Patronski formally assumed the role of chairman of the board of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau on January 29 as a result of the early departure of Hyatt executive Greg Saunders from the position.
Saunders is moving on from his current job as vice president and managing director of the Hyatt Regency Chicago to become senior vice president for the Grand Hyatt at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, which will open in 2009.
Patronski has been a member of the CCTB board for more than 15 years and will name his slate of officers for the year at the March 21 annual meeting.
The Chicago native is a familiar face in the exhibition industry. Along with his 30 years in the business, he was also recently chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Professional Convention Management Association Education Foundation and has been an active participant of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, and a member of the American Society of Association Executives.
Patronski said his main order of business in the volunteer position would be “to retain our competitive edge through continuous improvements to Chicago’s convention and visitor industry.”
Reach John Patronski at (312) 567-8500 or jpatronski@ges.com or jpatronski@choosechicago.com; Greg Saunders at (312) 565-1234 or gsaunders@choosechicago.com
