At the July 23rd meeting of the RSCVA Board of Directors, Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve was elected to Chair the organization’s Board for the next two years. An active proponent of the regional arts and culture community, critical to drawing overnight visitors to the destination, Mayor Schieve has been a member of the Board since 2014. Through her public service to the City of Reno, Mayor Schieve has also had a direct, positive impact on national awareness of the regional tourism product. In 2019, Mayor Schieve hosted a summer meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), which visited Reno to discuss tourism, arts and other activities that create cultural and economic opportunities for American cities. Mayor Schieve is the first woman in more than 25 years to Chair the USCM Standing Committee on Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports; a position she’s held since 2017.
Also during Thursday’s meeting, Reno+Sparks Chamber of Commerce CEO Ann Silver was elected Vice Chair, and Nugget Casino Resort Sr. Vice President and General Manager Mark Sterbens was elected Secretary/Treasurer. Both are slated to serve two-year terms.
RSCVA staff presented an updated, robust plan to aid in the recovery of the regional tourism market through the end of 2020. Health and safety messaging will remain at the forefront of the organization’s aggressive digital marketing and sustained communications programs. The sales team has launched a webinar series, which is being curated to engage new and existing clients with a soft-sale approach that is both informative and entertaining. The program has already featured guests like local two-time Olympic Gold Medalist David Wise and Mayor Schieve, and will continue for the foreseeable future.
Thanks to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and the Regional Air Service Corporation, there is continued optimism for regional air service. Southwest Airlines has announced a new, seasonal nonstop flight to Seattle, which launched this past weekend and is scheduled to run through September 6th. Southwest has not had a Seattle flight from Reno-Tahoe International since 2014. JetBlue service from Long Beach is moving to LAX in early October, providing additional connections to larger cities, such as Orlando, Austin and Boston. And Volaris flights to Guadalajara, Mexico are scheduled for return on August 3rd.
While we all understand that we will continue to face the uncertainties of 2020 far past the new year, it is our hope at the RSCVA that we can keep pushing to create and maintain a safe, welcoming and more prosperous Reno Tahoe for all to visit, live, work, and play. Please reach out to us with any comments or questions you may have.