Kilday leaving Visit Spokane for job in South Carolina; recruitment for new CEO to begin

Thu., Sept. 13, 2018

From staff reports

Cheryl Kilday is leaving Visit Spokane to take a job in South Carolina. A search will begin for a new president and CEO at the organization, which promotes tourism and convention business for the greater Spokane area.

Kilday had led Visit Spokane for eight years. In her new job, she’ll be the CEO of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“It was a tough decision to leave such an amazing place,” Kilday said in a news release, “yet this great opportunity is even more attractive considering my husband’s job is on the East Coast. We couldn’t pass it up.”

Kilday’s last day with Visit Spokane will be Oct. 12.

SearchWide Global has been retained to conduct a national search for a new Visit Spokane president and CEO. The hiring process is expected to take about 12 weeks. In the interim, TJ Hake, the vice president of strategic development & operations, will serve in the position.

Visitors to Spokane County spent an estimated $1.3 billion in 2017, providing jobs for more than 10,000 residents in the region, according to Visit Spokane.

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