Three New Industry Advisory Board members joined our board this July

The Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute is grateful for the volunteer participation of industry leaders on our Industry Advisory Board. These individuals share their experiences and perspectives with our staff, researchers, and students.

Working and constantly facing the issues in the field, the input of these professionals is valuable for our faculty and doctoral students to work on meaningful and real industry needs. Our Industry Advisory Board members serve on the following committees: Outreach, Research and Education, and Development. Each is responsible for spreading EFTI’s message at industry conferences and meetings, recruiting new “Friends of EFTI”, being a source of industry needs and providing ideas for research, or engaging with contributors.

We are proud to announce three amazing women that joined our board this July: Carolyn Feimster, Kari Goetz, and Claire Lessinger.

Carolyn Feimster – She is the President and founder of CJF Marketing International, a successful marketing company focused on developing marketing, tourism, business, and retail productivity of shopping centers, retail districts, commercial properties, and attractions. CJFMI also offers marketing training programs and seminars. UF Journalism Alumna, she has won many professional recognitions and awards such as the Shop America Salutes Innovation. You can read more about it in her website.

Kari Goetz – She has been the Vice President of External Relations at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa since 2018, after being the Director of Marketing for the Tampa International Airport for 12 years, where she was a key player as the marketing team received various awards from industry organizations. Graduated from UF with a BFA in Theatre Performance, she has always been involved in the arts, currently performing in addition to serving as a board member of many theatres throughout her career.

Claire Lessinger – She has been the Director of Special Events at Tampa Bay Sports Commission since 2015, where she was previously the Sales and Events Manager since 2012. Graduated from UF with a BS in Exercise Science, she was a Gator student-athlete playing Volleyball. Between her time as an assistant and then the Head Volleyball Coach, Claire spent more than 13 years working at the University of South Florida. She is constantly featured as “one of the most influential women in sports in Tampa.”

We are looking forward to great contributions they will make as members of our Industry Advisory Board!