Photo (Submitted) Cecilia Mace

Photo (Submitted) Claire Blackwell

Photo (Submitted) Crystal Hinds

Photo (Submitted) Derek Rowan

Photo (Submitted) Faith Henley

Photo (Submitted) Jack Gravolet

Photo (Submitted) Lauren Traywick

Photo (Submitted) Mary Sergeant

Photo (Submitted) Sherry Snider

Photo (Submitted) Tara McMeans

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism (GSOBT) is pleased to offer full scholarships for three local tourism marketing professionals to attend Southeast Tourism Society’s Marketing College. The 2020 scholarship recipients are Crystal Hinds of Brett/Robinson Vacation Rentals, Derek Rowan of Hangout Hospitality Group and Sherry Snider of Perdido Beach Resort.

The scholarships cover each year of the three-year program. STS Marketing College is designed to deepen professionals’ knowledge of all facets of destination marketing and promote a working knowledge of current trends, data and implementation strategies. STS Marketing College students attend classes taught by industry experts for one week each summer at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega. After completion of the program, students earn the Travel Marketing Professional (TMP) certification.

"I am so humbled to be chosen for the STS Marketing College Scholarship, and I am proud to represent Hangout Hospitality,” Rowan said. “I will take full advantage of this opportunity to learn more and hone my marketing skills in the hospitality and tourism industry. I am passionate about advancing Gulf Shores and Orange Beach as a destination, and I am so grateful to be able to serve this community alongside so many incredible people."

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach will be well represented at this year’s Marketing College as well. The CVB will send three of their own employees - Jack Gravolet and Faith Henley for the first time and Lauren Traywick for year two. They will be joined by second-year students Kristin McIntosh of Meyer Vacation Rentals, Sharon  Wiese of Coastal Alabama Business Chamber and Jenna Romano of LuLu’s who were awarded scholarships last year. Sheena Mizell of The Wharf in Orange Beach, also awarded a scholarship, will attend for her third and   final year.

“Being chosen for this opportunity was the epitome of my career in the hospitality industry,” Snider said. “It just goes to prove that if you let fear of the unknown or rejection stop you from taking a step out into the unknown you never know what you could have achieved.”

Just last month, the Southeastern Tourism Society held a Marketing College Graduation ceremony during their annual conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. Four local professionals were recognized for completing the  program - scholarship recipients Cecelia Mace of The Original Oyster House and Tara McMeans of Design Print Promote and GSOBT’s own Mary Sergeant and Claire Blackwell. They may now use the TMP designation in    their professional titles and join a network of over a thousand STS Marketing College graduates since 1992.

For more information, visit www.GulfShores.com/