Four new board members joined us in August 2020
The Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute and the Department of Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management are grateful for the contribution of the industry leaders who part of our Industry Advisory Board. We take this opportunity to thank all members who have been with us for the past years sharing their experiences and insights with our faculty, researchers, students and staff. As some of them are transitioning out (while continuing to be involved as Friends of EFTI), we have new members coming in.
Now more than ever, the Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management industries benefit from information provided by research, as well as students need to be properly trained to showcase excellence when becoming the next generation of professionals. The input from the Industry Advisory Board will continue to be valuable for our next research projects and curriculum adjustments in the years to come. This August we welcome four new members to our board.
Learn a little more about them:
Chip Futch - He is the Director of Digital Strategy and Business Intelligence at Aqua Marketing and Communications. In his role Chip handles digital strategy, research, business/market intelligence and data engineering at Aqua Marketing and Communications, helping to promote Aqua’s many clients, including destination marketing organizations throughout the state and beyond. Prior to joining Aqua in 2020, Chip served almost eight years as the Marketing Director for Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor and Convention Bureau (Charlotte County Tourism) and seven years as CMO/CTO at HBNC S. de R.L. de C.V. & HNOC S.A. de C.V. (restaurant development group) headquartered in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México. He has served on various tourism committees for VISIT FLORIDA, SimpleView industry advisory committees and currently serves on the Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens Board of Directors. Chip, even though a native Floridian and diehard Gator fan, is a graduate of Vancouver Film School/DigiPen in British Columbia, Canada and draws from over 29 years of experience in marketing and advertising.
Anne Madison - Anne Madison is the Principal and founder of 357 Communications, a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, crisis communications, and multi-channel marketing. Anne helps organizations develop and execute effective strategies that drive results, protect organizational reputation, and advance brand purpose. Prior to establishing 357 Communications, Anne was chief strategy and communications officer for Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization. In that role, Anne established the strategic foundation on which Brand USA continues to successfully pursue its mission, as well as developed award-winning communications strategies to build strong and positive engagement with internal and external stakeholders worldwide. Anne is a member of the Women’s Leadership Board at the Harvard Kennedy School and also serves on the board of the Center for Workforce Inclusion.
Rick Merriman – Rick Merriman is the VP of Consumer Insight for Disney Parks, Experiences & Products (DPEP) within The Walt Disney Company. In his role, he infuses consumer-centric thinking and decision-making into various of Disney’s domestic businesses. His work involves future foresight, market trends, new product development testing, demand estimation, brand equity studies, marketing effectiveness assessments, social listening, guest experience measurement and key business driving analytics. Rick holds a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from UF and is a Disney cast member since 1990.
Bob Schalow- Bob is the VP or Franchise Operations for Jack in the Box Restaurants. He has over 25 years experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Currently he is responsible for leading a franchise division of Jack in the Box Restaurants which has locations in 22 states and Guam. Previously he was Senior Director of National Franchise Operations for Einstein Bros. Bagels, Bruegger’s Bagels and the Brand Leader for the Manhattan Bagel Company. Bob graduated UF with a B.S. in Recreation, Parks and Tourism and upon finishing his internship joined Taco Bell/Yum! Brands where he spent 21 years leading restaurant teams in multiple regions across the country.
Join us welcoming our new Industry Advisory Board members and keep following us to learn more about the great things we will be accomplishing together.
