FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHOOSE CHICAGO BOLSTERS LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH KEY APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTION
Chicago’s Destination Marketing Organization Announces a new Vice President of Sales, Chief Marketing Officer, and Chief of Staff
Media Contacts:
Isaac Reichman, ireichman@choosechicago.com (312) 805-9586
Stephen Crano, scrano@choosechicago.com, (312) 567-8505
Chicago, IL (July 19, 2023) – Choose Chicago President and CEO Lynn Osmond today announced key appointments and a promotion to bolster the Choose Chicago leadership team. Eric Kincaid, who has been on the sales team at Choose Chicago for two years, was promoted to Vice President of Sales; Lisa Nucci has been hired as Chief Marketing Officer; and Tara Welch will become Choose Chicago’s first ever Chief of Staff.
“Following an extensive recruitment and interviewing process, I am thrilled to fill these positions and strengthen our dynamic leadership team,” said Osmond. “Lisa and Tara will make outstanding additions to our team, and Eric has proven an invaluable leader within the sales department. Each is an experienced leader who will enable the entire staff at Choose Chicago to work more effectively toward our mission of elevating Chicago as a must-experience global destination.”
Eric Kincaid, formerly Associate Vice President of Sales, joined Choose Chicago in 2021 and has proven himself to be a critical member of the sales team. During his tenure, Kincaid has played a leading role in recruiting numerous new clients and securing the Democratic National Convention for August 2024. He has over a decade of experience in sales at destination marketing organizations and hotels, serving as a National Account Director at Destination DC before joining the Choose Chicago team. In his new role, Kincaid will fill a key leadership position on the sales team and will work to execute Choose Chicago’s business plan and achieve organizational goals. Kincaid assumed the new role on July 6th.
“I am proud to be a part of the incredibly talented team we have at Choose Chicago,” said Kincaid. “I’m inspired to work harder and smarter by my colleagues and I look forward to continuing to make a difference in our community by selling and promoting this city that I love.”
Lisa Nucci brings over 15 years of experience to Choose Chicago as the organization’s Chief Marketing Officer, with a background in sports, cultural, and non-profit organizations as well as creative agencies. Most recently, Nucci served as Chief Creative Strategy Officer at the Chicago Architecture Center, where she built a new marketing team and established a digital strategy. Prior to that role, Nucci was Executive Director of Marketing for the Chicago Bulls, where she directed marketing initiatives, youth engagement programs, retail marketing, and special events. As Chief Marketing Officer, Nucci will be tasked with leading Choose Chicago’s strategic marketing initiatives across the organization to attract leisure and business visitors as well as meetings and events to Chicago. Nucci joined Choose Chicago on July 12th.
“Throughout my career, I have worked to bring awareness to Chicago and our incredible cultural assets,” said Nucci. “I look forward to bringing all the experiences I have accumulated in the sports, philanthropic, and cultural sectors to bear in my new role marketing and promoting the Best Big City in the U.S.”
Tara Welch is a veteran operations leader for mission-driven organizations, with over 20 years of experience in both New York City and her native Chicago, including an extensive background in operations, project management, and program leadership. Most recently, she served as Director of Program Operations at Global Cities, Inc., a Program of Bloomberg Philanthropies. Prior to her career in operations, Welch spent fifteen years as an educator with Chicago Public Schools, where she launched multiple after school programs, mentored early career teachers, and wrote and oversaw grants from local and national philanthropies. Welch’s diverse experiences as a strategic and collaborative leader have prepared her for the Chief of Staff role, where she will be responsible for managing and implementing special initiatives and serving as a strategic advisor to President and CEO Lynn Osmond. Welch will assume the role on July 31st.
“I’m excited to join the amazing Choose Chicago team and work to build organizational capacity as the Chief of Staff,” said Welch. “Together, we will continue working to enrich our community by driving the growth of tourism and business travel to Chicago.”
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About Choose Chicago
Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city, its residents and our partner business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitter and tag #ChicaGOandKNOW. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.
