Effective November 1, travel industry veteran JORGE PESQUERA, will become president and chief operating officer of the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).  He is charged with leading the $10 million agency, responsible for Palm Beach County’s most important industry: tourism.  He replaces interim administrative director Jim Stuber, who has also served as the CVB’s outside legal council since its founding in 1983.

“Jorge Pesquera is the right person for the job,” said Stuber. “He is widely acknowledged in the national arena as a talented leader in the hotel and hospitality business as well as a dynamic strategist in destination management. We believe he will successfully drive the economic engine of Palm Beach County’s tourism industry to new standards of excellence.”

Prior to accepting this position, Pesquera was president and CEO of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association, where he was recently recognized as the Hotel Association Executive of the Year at the annual Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC).  He spent ten years as president and CEO of the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, spearheading the construction of the $450 million Puerto Rico Convention Center and surrounding district.  During his tenure, the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau was repeatedly acknowledged as one of the best destination marketing organizations by top associations and industry publications. Pesquera is a member of the accreditation board of Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and Meeting Professionals International (MPI).   He holds a degree in hotel administration from Cornell University and has held senior executive positions with Hilton.