San Diego, CA – Carol Wallace, president and CEO of San Diego Convention Center Corp. (SDCCC), will retire at the end of the year after 25 years with the organization.
Wallace will serve as a consultant for the SDCCC through 2016. The SDCCC did not immediately announce plans for her replacement.
“Over the last two decades, it has been my highest professional honor to lead the San Diego Convention Center to become one of the most successful convention facilities in the world,” Wallace said in a statement. “I look forward to continue contributing to the industry in a new capacity.”
Wallace is a past member of the boards of the International Association of Exhibitions & Events (IAEE) and the Education Foundation of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). She received the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM).
Wallace departs in the midst of a frustrating effort to secure regulatory approval and financing for a proposed expansion of San Diego’s waterfront convention center; at the same time, the cash-strapped city has been grappling with the likely move of the beloved San Diego Chargers to Los Angeles.
The latest wrinkle in the expansion saga came in October when a petition drive was launched that could lead to an increase in San Diego’s hotel tax to 15.5% to help finance both a convention center expansion and construction of a new football stadium. The tax hike would have to be approved by the city’s voters.
The San Diego Convention Center is the 22nd largest convention center in the nation with 615,701 sf of prime exhibit space and 204,114 sf of meeting space, according to the TSE World’s Top Convention Centers directory.
Reach Carol Wallace at (619) 525-5000 or carol.wallace@visitsandiego.com
