LAKE CHARLES, La. (January 31, 2022)—Today, Visit Lake Charles announced the staff additions of Timothy Bush as Chief Marketing Officer and Anna Strider as Director of Digital Strategies/Online Marketing. Bush and Strider have worked in the travel industry for years and bring with them experience and expertise in the realm of destination marketing.   

 

“I am so excited to add Timothy and Anna to the already dynamic Visit Lake Charles marketing team.  With their combined industry experience and creativity, the bandwidth of what the team can accomplish has been magnified. Visit Lake Charles is ready to expand the marketing efforts of the destination as Southwest LA continues to rebuild and grow with new attractions, restaurants, events and cultural assets,” said Kyle Edmiston, President/CEO.  

 

Most recently, Bush was the Chief Tourism Development Officer for OneSpartanburg, Inc., with the mission of building a vibrant Spartanburg through business, economic and tourism development. He was the President/CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism for nearly six years where he directed the strategic vision along with developing tourism products to drive more economic impact to the community. Bush was the Marketing Manager for Visit Macon with for nearly two years after having served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Experience Ruston for over seven years. Bush started his career in journalism as a staff writer for the Beauregard Daily News prior to spring-boarding into his lifelong career in tourism as the Executive Director for the Beauregard Tourist Commission.  

 

A graduate of the University of Louisiana Monroe, Bush earned a B.A. in journalism/public relations. He obtained his Certified Destination Management Executive designation by Destination Marketing Association International as well as completed the Travel Marketing Professional program by the Southeast Tourism Society. Bush has served as chair for both the LA Association of CVBs and the Louisiana Tourism Coastal Coalition, and he was also recognized as one of the 2012 Forty for the Future: Travel’s Leading Talent.

 

“Having been in a variety of roles with an array of destination marketing organizations, I am eager to draw from my experiences to be able to support the efforts of the team at Visit Lake Charles and bring marketing programs to new heights. I am honored to work with the seasoned travel professionals at Visit Lake Charles, and I am confident that we’ll be able to bolster the creative programming that can entice visitors to explore Southwest Louisiana,” said Bush, Chief Marketing Officer.

 

Strider began her career in tourism at the St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission/Louisiana Northshore where she excelled to serve as the Manager of Marketing and Public Relations, promoting the destination through an assortment of programming from media buying and strategic planning to online promotions and representing St. Tammany at culinary festivals, PR events and consumer shows. She also managed film projects, developed social media campaigns, and participated in parish and statewide PR initiatives.  

 

Strider initiated her Tourism and Event Management degree at George Mason University School of Business in Virginia prior to uprooting to Louisiana to complete her bachelor’s degree from Southeastern in Business Administration & Management. Strider earned her MBA from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2018, and she completed the 2020 Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy’s program by the Louisiana Travel Association. Strider started the three-year Travel Marketing Professional program by the Southeast Tourism Society in 2021.

 

“The sky is the limit for destination marketing in the digital space. Everyone dreams and discovers where they want to go by searching online, and many times, stumbling across destinations through captivating and informational blogs, images, videos, social media and online ad placements and programming. I am looking forward to collaborating with the marketing team to showcase the best of what Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana has to offer,” said Strider, Director of Digital Strategies/Online Marketing. 

 

For more information on Visit Lake Charles, log onto www.visitlakecharles.org or follow #VisitLakeCharles and #LouisianasPlayground on social media.  

 

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