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Susan Whitaker
Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
312 8th Ave. North,
25th Floor, William Snodgrass Tennessee Tower
Nashville, TN 37243

For Media Inquiries, contact:

Cindy Dupree, Public Relations
Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Cindy.dupree@state.tn.us, (615) 741-9010

Whitaker, a veteran tourism marketing industry executive, was named Commissioner of Tourist Development in January 2003, by Governor Phil Bredesen. In this role, Whitaker is responsible for the development and implementation of statewide tourism publicity and programs designed to stimulate growth of tourism in Tennessee. She is responsible for planning, development and execution of marketing, advertising, promotional campaigns as well as oversight responsibilities for the state’s highly rated welcome centers.

Prior to her state cabinet post, Whitaker served as vice president of marketing for Dollywood, Tennessee’s most visited tourist attraction. Before joining Dollywood, Whitaker worked from 1993 to 1997 as director of marketing and advertising for the Silver Dollar City/Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation properties in Branson, Missouri. In 2000, Whitaker was appointed to serve on the Corporation’s President’s Team, developing strategic plans for all nine properties of the corporation, including Dollywood. From 1985 to 1993, she headed up broadcast fundraising efforts for CBN, the nonprofit Christian broadcasting company based in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Whitaker is a Chicago native and a descendent of Tennessee’s first Governor, John Sevier. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

Whitaker serves on several boards including Travel Industry Association (TIA) and Travel South USA, where she serves on the executive committee. She was recently elected to the Board of Directors of TIA’s National Council of State Travel Directors. She also serves on the University of Tennessee’s Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management Advisory Board. Whitaker is a member of the Governor’s Jobs Cabinet, the FastTrack Jobs Advisory Panel, the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute, and the Smoky Mountains Park Commission.

Throughout her career, Whitaker has received many awards and honors. She has earned the Telly and Addy Awards for her broadcast work. She was presented the Pacesetter Award from the Stennis Center for Public Service in 2004 and 2005 and was asked to serve as one of two Tennessee Representatives on their new Council of Pacesetters.