VISIT FLORIDA has unveiled native Floridian Ken Lawson as new president and CEO.
Lawson assumes his new position from today and currently serves as the secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
A past U.S. Marine Corps Judge Advocate General, Lawson has extensive regulatory experience including licensing oversight of restaurants, hotels and vacation rentals with DBPR, among other business divisions throughout the state.
He was appointed by an unanimous vote of the VISIT FLORIDA board of directors.
"The work VISIT FLORIDA does to promote tourism is vital to the continued growth of the state’s economy and having someone with Secretary Lawson’s strong leadership background will secure our continued success." said William D. Talbert, III, Chair of the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Lawson said: "Florida tourism has great momentum with five consecutive years of record visitation, visitor spending and industry-related employment and I look forward to building on this momentum to take VISIT FLORIDA to the next level."
Lawson replaces longtime Visit Florida president and CEO Will Seccombe, who was ousted following controversy over the agency’s failure to disclose details of a tourism promotion contract with Miami rapper Pitbull.
