Visit West Hollywood names new Chief Executive Officer

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – Visit West Hollywood announces the appointment of Tom Kiely – a seasoned travel industry executive – to the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective October 17, 2016. Kiely will transition to Visit West Hollywood from the San Francisco Travel Association, where he has served as Executive Vice President – Tourism since 2010.

“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.”

“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.

As CEO, Kiely will provide executive oversight of Visit West Hollywood operations and be responsible for implementing the direction set by the Board of Directors to fulfill the organization’s mission and goals. Kiely has extensive 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.

Visit West Hollywood is responsible for driving West Hollywood’s tourism industry, which contributes more than $900 million to the local economy annually. 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. The increased revenue from visitation benefits not just hotels but nearly all local businesses, while providing significant tax revenues that fund city services and improve the quality of life for residents.