Five members of the Brand USA board have been abruptly dismissed.
These includes its chair, vice chair and secretary.
They were only months into their new terms.
The firings were delivered by email.
Elliott Ferguson, CEO of Destination DC, had only recently begun his one-year term as Brand USA’s board chair when he was removed.
Allen Orr, founder of Orr Immigration and Brand USA’s board’s secretary, confirmed his dismissal.
Other officers let go include Lauren Bailey, vice chair and CEO of Upward Projects, Kristen Esposito, treasurer and principal at Esposito Global Partners and Tim Mapes, Delta Air Lines’ chief marketing and communications officer.
Brand USA is the nation’s destination marketing organization and is overseen by an 11-member board which is appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, along with input from the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security.
The dismissals were reportedly initiated by the White House.
A Brand USA spokesperson declined to comment on the dismissals.
Remaining board members include Gus Antorcha, president of Princess Cruises; Danny Hughes, president of the Americas for Hilton; and Stephanie Young, president of Disney Vacation Club.
Brand USA plays a vital role in promoting inbound US tourism and works closely with main source markets in Europe, the Americas and beyond.
With US tourism heading for potential decline due to a trade war and immigration issues faced by travelers, Brand USA’s future direction remains uncertain as stakeholders await further developments.
The upheaval came just days before the passing of Casey Canevari, Brand USA’s director of global trade development for Canada.
Canevari fell ill in Toronto during a scheduled travel trade sales mission and died last week in hospital.
