Reno, NV – Jennifer Cunningham was named interim managing director of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA) while a search for a permanent replacement for Chris Baum was launched.
The RSCVA board of directors named Cunningham to the position on October 22 after Baum had been let go earlier in the month. “I’m honored by the board’s confidence in my capacity to lead the RSCVA through its most current evolution,” said Cunningham. “I look forward to working with our partners to help promote and improve the perception of Reno Tahoe.”
Cunningham has been the agency’s executive director of marketing since 2010 and has more than 30 years in tourism sales behind her, the bulk of it in the Reno region.
Cunningham will oversee day-to-day operations for the agency while the board selects a search firm to find a permanent replacement for Baum who was terminated as president/CEO of the RSCVA by the board on a 5-2 vote after nearly four years on the job; he was in the first year of a new three-year contract.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that board members were unimpressed by the growth of the hospitality industry during his tenure, including hotel occupancy rates, and voiced concerns about the agency’s long-term vision. Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, who is also a member of the board, told fellow members: “I encourage the board to be open-minded to others who have done it right. We need someone who’s extremely hungry and brings people together. Building relationships is Number 1.”
Reach Jennifer Cunningham at (775) 827-7750 or jcunningham@renotahoeusa.com
