Sarasota tourism agency names new CEO, president

A new leader is in place for Visit Sarasota County in September, when the current president of the county’s tourism marketing entity, Virginia Haley, retires.

Erin Duggan, vice president of VSC since 2016, will become the new president and CEO Sept. 30. Duggan, a Business Observer 40 Under 40 winner in 2016, has been with the organization since 2005, during which she helped create an airline marketing incentive program that brought in new air service to the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, among other accomplishments. She also developed Savor Sarasota Restaurant week 18 years ago, which continues to this day, taking place annually in the first two weeks of June.

“In Erin Duggan, we have selected a leader in the tourism industry who will be able to take this organization and Sarasota County to the next level into the future,” Nick Mavrikas, chair of the VSC board of directors, says in a release.

Outside of VSC, Duggan is active in the Sarasota community. She’s served as Junior League of Sarasota president and is the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s Youth Leadership Program past chair. Duggan is also a Gulf Coast Community Foundation Leadership Institute and Sarasota Chamber Leadership Sarasota program graduate.

During her career, Duggan has served on the board of directors for Destinations Florida, the trade association for the state’s destination tourism organizations, Society of American Travel Writers and the Visit Florida Marketing Council.

Editor's note: Business Observer Managing Editor Mark Gordon is on the board of Visit Sarasota County.