Stephanie Immelman, a five year veteran of the DBMC, has been named executive director
After a lengthy search, the board of the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative has chosen a familiar face to lead the organization as it evolves from an event driven agency to a destination marketing vehicle for Delray Beach.
Cathy Balestriere, chair of the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative (DBMC), has announced the promotion of Stephanie Immelman to Executive Director.
“With her extensive background in international marketing and corporate finance, including 13 years working in Europe, Stephanie has made numerous valuable contributions to DBMC ever since joining as Destination Marketing Manager in 2008, including spearheading the social media campaign that resulted in Delray Beach being named the Most Fun Small Town in the USA by Rand McNally, USA Today and the Travel Channel,” said Balestriere.
Ms. Immelman has been serving as Interim Director since mid-March, overseeing such projects as the Summer Drive Campaign for in-state travelers, the annual 4th of July celebration, and the ongoing collaborative cohesive branding initiative between the City of Delray Beach, the local Chamber of Commerce and the CRA. The previous director, Sarah Martin, left to become an executive with ELEV8 Sports Institute, a Delray Beach sports training company.
Prior to joining the DBMC, Ms. Immelman had a successful corporate career, including a four-year stint working as Director of Market Intelligence for AT&T in Brussels, Belgium and London. In addition, she has managed international marketing programs for two giant telecommunication corporations (MCI and Sprint) and two major airlines (Continental and Eastern).
“Stephanie even spent more than three years managing a private art gallery in London, which gives her both great insight and empathy with the thriving cultural community in Delray Beach,” added Balestriere.
“I’m very excited about the strides that the DBMC has made so far in destination marketing, but this is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Ms. Immelman. “I look forward to working closely with our partners – the City, the Chamber of Commerce and the Delray Beach CRA – to further promote our city as a great place to visit. After all, as more people visit us, the more they want to move to Delray Beach and open businesses here.”
The DBMC is at a critical crossroads in its history. Once solely an event driven organization that offset expenses with sponsorship dollars, the DBMC is pivoting to help grow Delray’s thriving tourism sector.
The city has added a number of hotels in recent years including a new Hyatt, the Seagate Hotel and a planned Fairfield Inn at the city’s “gateway” on West Atlantic Avenue.
Balestriere has been a driving force behind Destination Marketing in Delray Beach and Immelman appears to be a solid fit for the city’s emerging vision for tourism and economic development.
Speak Your Mind