About Visit Omaha
Mission Statement:
To stimulate economic growth for our community by increasing visitation.
Key Objectives:
• Successfully sell and promote our community as a desirable visitor destination.
• Influence tourism development to ensure future destination success.
• Deliver a positive and memorable customer experience.
• Collaborate and enhance relationships with local organizations, businesses and stakeholders.
• Operate as an efficient, high performing organization.
Organization Description:
Visit Omaha creates sustainable visitor demand for the community through: meeting, event, sport and leisure marketing; collaborative relationships; broad industry experience; and unprecedented product knowledge. Visit Omaha’s efforts result in economic growth and job creation for our community.
Guiding Principles:
Relevance: We are committed to being consistent, accountable, transparent, perseverant, and dedicated to excellence.
Innovation: We are committed to being creative, pioneering, collaborative and problem solving.
Gratitude: We are committed to being appreciative of both the big and small contributions that make our organization and industry valuable to our community.
History:
Visit Omaha (a.k.a. Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau) began operating on December 1, 1980 as the Douglas County Department of Conventions and Tourism. In 1997, the name was changed to the Greater Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau (GOCVB), but was still operated by Douglas County. In 2002 during the development of the new city-owned convention center, the first Interlocal agreement between Douglas County and the City of Omaha was established to transfer control of the GOCVB to the city and to add the GOCVB’s executive director to the Mayor’s cabinet. The Interlocal agreement was renewed in 2023 for a ten-year term, ensuring the department would remain a City entity through 2033.
Visit Omaha continues its efforts in showcasing Omaha as a destination for leisure, convention, meeting, sport and motor coach visitors. The current team enthusiastically supports the economic growth and development of the entire Omaha metro area.
Visit Omaha Awards:
View the complete list of awards and designations.
DMAP Certification:
Visit Omaha is certified through the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). The globally recognized DMAP accreditation ensures that Visit Omaha's policies, procedures and practices meet the highest standard in the industry.
Staff Directory
Administration
Contact Visit Omaha, at 402-444-4660 or toll-free at 866-937-6624.
Deborah Ward Executive Director
Achiever, Responsibility, Ideation, Individualization, Learner
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” - Seneca, Roman philosopher
Dean Miller Vice President of Operations
Futuristic, Achiever, Strategic, Competition, Self-Assurance
“Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, either way you are right.” - Henry Ford
Jodie Jordon Office Manager
Responsibility, Harmony, Relator, Consistency, Discipline
”Responsibility finds a way. Irresponsibility makes excuses.” - Gene Bedley
Kelly Thomsen Accounting Clerk
Relator, Analytical, Consistency, Discipline, Harmony
“Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud.“ - Maya Angelou
Shannon Wiig Director of Visitor Services
Empathy, Developer, Learner, Positivity, Achiever
“Make each day your masterpiece.” - John Wooden
Christine Eipperle Visitor Services Manager
Relator, Arranger, Significance, Achiever, Communication
"The future is no place to place your better days." – DMB
Sales & Services
To contact Sales & Services please call 402-444-4037.
Cathy Keller Vice President of Sales & Services
Strategic, Maximizer, Relator, Achiever, Includer
”We are visitors on this planet. We are here for 100 years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something good, something useful with our lives. If you contribute to other people’s happiness, you will find the true meaning of life.” - Dalai Lama
Mark Rath, STS Director of Sports
Positivity, Arranger, Responsibility, Developer, Self-Assurance
“Great things happen to those who don’t stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful.” - Roy T. Bennett
Mattie Scheeter, CMP Director of Sales
Developer, Empathy, Achiever, Responsibility, Relator
“Don’t ruin a good today thinking about a bad yesterday.” - Russell Simmons
Matt Heck Senior Sales Manager
Responsibility, Relator, Arranger, Deliberative, Self-Assurance
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Lao Tzu
Noah Huber Sports Sales Manager
Consistency, Futuristic, Context, Focus, Harmony
"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston S. Churchill
Jen Swanson National Sales Account Manager
Empathy, Futuristic, Adaptability, Activator, Maximizer
"For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it." - Amanda Gorman
Bryan Schlotterbeck Research Analyst
Context, Achiever, Analytical, Intellection, Restorative
"Character is the architect of achievements." - Mark Twain
Cassie Schriner Sales and Marketing Coordinator - Sales
Relator, Achiever, Discipline, Developer, Strategic
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Erin Brungardt Director of Convention & Event Services
Communication, Restorative, Connectedness, Responsibility, Woo
“Communication is merely an exchange of information, but connection is an exchange of our humanity.” - Sean Stephenson
Madonna Scott Convention & Event Services Manager
Communication, Positivity, Responsibility, Discipline, Includer
"I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than walk alone in the light." – Helen Keller
Mariah Kacer Sales and Marketing Coordinator - Services
Relator, Responsibility, Belief, Arranger, Strategic
"People may not always tell you how they feel, but they will show you. Pay attention." - Unknown
Marketing & Public Relations
To contact Marketing & Public Relations, please call 402-444-1763.
Jasmyn Goodwin Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Maximizer, Achiever, Responsibility, Competition, Focus
“Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be Empowered.” - Michelle Obama
Erin O'Brien Director of Marketing
Learner, Input, Restorative, Responsibility, Empathy
“You’ll never grow beyond your current circumstances if you’re closed off to everything except what you currently know.” - Marie Forleo
Megan Feeney Marketing Content Manager
Input, Strategic, Learner, Achiever, Positivity
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
Noelle Agenor Social Media Manager
Input, Developer, Learner, Intellection, Achiever
“What good are wings, without the courage to fly?” - Atticus Finch
Lynn Mace Marketing Research Analyst
Empathy, Input, Adaptability, Learner, Individualization
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” - Albert Einstein
Amy Cunningham Graphic Designer
Intellection, Relator, Deliberative, Input, Developer
“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” - Henry Van Dyke
Suleyma Garcia Mendez Marketing Coordinator
Arranger, Adaptability, Achiever, Learner, Individualization
"Tree of hope, stand firm." - Frida Kahlo
The Omaha Visitors Center is staffed with knowledgeable ambassadors ready to assist you with ideas and directions. Two airport information desks are located in each terminal at Eppley Airfield.
For Visit Omaha job opportunities, please see our careers page.