STAFF & BOARD

Leadership

The SWT Board of Directors represents industry stakeholders who have invested in past statewide tourism marketing and industry advocacy efforts and may also have direct investment in, or concern for, Washington State tourism programs.

Executive Committee

Ron Peck – Chair

Brad Jones – Vice Chair

Skip Thompson – Corporate

Julie Eisenhauer – Treasurer

Elizabeth McGree – Secretary

Andi Day – Immediate Past Chair

Board of Directors

Bridget Baeth – JayRay, South Metro Puget Sound Representative

Gary Ballew, Spokane, Incorporated, Director representing Economic Development

Krista Bentley – Expedia, North Metro Puget Sound Representative

Heather Bradshaw – Washington State Wine Commission, Wine Representative

Troy Campbell – Leavenworth Chamber, Director representing the Trails & Lakes Region

Megan Ching – Seattle Monorail, Attractions Representative

Andi Day – Andi Day Consulting, Beaches Representative

Julie Eisenhauer – Clark Nuber, At-Large

Tommy Farris – Olympic Hiking Co., Outdoor Recreation Representative

Guy Glaeser – InquisiTours, At-Large

Dipra Jha – WSU School of Hospitality Business Management

Brad Jones – Visit Bellevue, Vice Chair, representing DMOs

Elizabeth McGree – JEM Development Real Estate, Wine Country Representative

Cliff Myers – Visit Vancouver, Director representing the Gorge Region

Ron Peck – Ron Peck Travel Consulting, At-Large

Annette Pitts – Visit Olympia & Beyond, Director representing the Volcanoes Region

Teresa Taylor – Tribal Representative

Skip Thompson – The Boeing Company, Corporate Representative

Leslie Womack – Mayflower Hotel, Hospitality Representative

Staff

David Blandford

Executive Director

David is Executive Director of State of Washington Tourism. Previously as Senior Vice President, Public Affairs of Visitor Seattle, he oversaw public policy, industry advocacy, government relations, crisis communications and strategic communications. His career in tourism began with statewide travel promotion, running press trips throughout Washington and working closely with the state tourism office on destination PR programs. Blandford currently serves on the Communications Committee of the U.S. Travel Association and previously was President of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and served on the board of directors of the Society of American Travel Writers.

Mike Moe

Director of Strategic Partnerships and Tourism Development

Mike is a Washingtonian through-and-through. Born in Spokane, he grew up on Tiger Mountain, 30 minutes east of Seattle. After high school, Mike fell in love with the tourism industry, first working on steamboats up and down the Mississippi River. His tourism career has taken him around the world. Among his many jobs, he was a photographer, a maitre’ d, and an overland tour guide in South America. He joined the SWT in 2012 and after 7 years of working to help pass tourism marketing legislation, Mike loves playing a part in showcasing Washington to the world. He now lives in Seattle with his wife Shannon, son Kieran, daughter Mazie, and dog Pacha.

Michelle Thana

Director of Marketing

Michelle joined SWT in 2021. A relatively new Washingtonian, Michelle has lived in the Pacific Northwest her entire life and grew up in Portland, Oregon. Her career in tourism began at Travel Portland, where she spent nearly five years working on from consumer marketing. From there, she hopped the river to lead the marketing team at Visit Vancouver USA from 2019 – 2021. Michelle is excited to help tell Washington’s story on a larger stage and bring her experience in consumer marketing to the team at this exciting point for tourism in the state.

Marianne Graff

Content Manager

Marianne joined SWT in 2022 as the new Content Manager. A lifelong Washingtonian, Marianne is excited to lead content creation and strategy, guide organic social media, and support tourism efforts for her home state. Before joining SWT, Marianne worked in digital marketing and communications for the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham. Prior to that, she spent seven years as an editor and social media specialist at the daily Skagit Valley Herald in Mount Vernon. Marianne holds a degree in journalism from Western Washington University.

Matthew Ozuna

Destination Development Manager

Matthew grew up in the Yakima Valley, attended college in Walla Walla, and is back home after graduate school and tourism advocacy work in Washington, D.C. He has worked with Destinations International, Simpleview, and many consulting teams on tourism projects, and holds a Master of Tourism Administration with a concentration in Sustainable Tourism Management from George Washington University. At State of Washington Tourism, Matthew manages programs associated with scenic byways, rural tourism, industry education, and destination development grants. Before venturing to D.C., he worked with political campaigns, cultural heritage organizations, and educational institutions in the Walla Walla Valley.