TALLAHASSEE, Fla.
Visit Florida President & CEO Ken Lawson, who was recently hired as the DMO’s new leader following the departure of Will Seccombe, unveiled a new series of transparency and accountability measures.
Lawson shared the following information within a recent Visit Florida newsletter:
As part of our continuing response to Gov. Scott's [call] for additional transparency and accountability measures, I am happy to share that the following actions are either completed or well underway:
- Developed a standardized process of identifying and posting public records, including:
- Posted employee salaries online.
- Posted organizational chart online.
- Posted more than 640 contracts online (with more incoming).
- Posted audits and annual tax return.
- Posted annual performance measures.
- Updated the audit policy to include a more frequent auditor rotation.
- Revised the corporate travel policy [now activated] to be in line with state standards.
Lawson noted that Visit Florida brought in David Wilkins as a consultant to review the DMO’s policies and procedures. He also mentioned the posting of job openings for CMO and CFO positions. At the end of his later, Lawson shared positive news on out-of-state visitor spending, which can be accessed below.
Last, but certainly not least, I am pleased to share with you that today we announced the release of Tourism Economics' Economic Impact of Out-of-State Visitor Spending in Florida study. This study offers a much more comprehensive and accurate picture of the true economic impact of visitor spending in our state and the findings clearly demonstrate that tourism is driving the growth of Florida's economy.
To view the study in full, click here. To read the official Visit Florida press release, click here.
