WEST HOLLYWOOD—Visit West Hollywood has appointed Tom Kiely as the new Chief Executive Officer. Kiely was Executive Vice President of Tourism for the San Francisco Travel Association. He served that role since 2010. Kiely, a seasoned travel industry veteran, will begin his new position on Monday, October 17. He will replace Brad Burlingame, who was president and CEO of Visit West Hollywood since 1997. Burlingame passed away last December.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased that after an extensive search process, we have selected Tom Kiely to guide our organization into the future,” said Greg Harless, Board Chair of Visit West Hollywood and Principal, Skye Partners. “The Board is confident that his proven leadership and deep industry knowledge will enable him to effectively lead Visit West Hollywood in its mission to drive visitation and economic impact to the city,” he added.
Kiely will oversee the Visit West Hollywood operations and is responsible for implementing the direction set by the Board of Directors to achieve the organization’s mission and goals. His background is in sales, tourism and leadership experience within the hotel, destination management and attraction industries. His past experience includes leadership positions with the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Atlantis The Palm – Dubai, and Universal Studios Hollywood.
“I am honored to have been chosen to lead such a prestigious organization of professionals and look forward to working together to promote West Hollywood as the most vibrant and exciting destination in the USA,” said Kiely.
Visit West Hollywood contributes more than $900 million annually to the West Hollywood’s tourism industry. In 2014, West Hollywood welcomed more than 1.3 million visitors, and tourism supported more than 5,500 jobs in the city. In January 2014, Visit West Hollywood restructured through the formation of a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) which provided increased funding for tourism marketing. This new funding allows Visit West Hollywood to increase the economic impact of tourism in West Hollywood. Visit West Hollywood administrates the West Hollywood Design District and Sunset Strip Business Association in partnership with the city.
