Strengthened internal operations are also a goal for Lincoln, who was named President and Chief Executive Officer in March 2006 following a nationwide search. He is building a sales and marketing team and developing internal work processes that will keep the bureau on a strategic path toward quality sales. He also is deepening ties with local corporate partners to work collectively to establish Cincinnati as a world-class meetings destination.

Lincoln is a native Cincinnatian who worked with the Cincinnati USA CVB, formerly known as the Greater Cincinnati CVB, as Vice President for Tourism and Membership for eight years before leaving to join the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association in 1998. He spent five years in Baltimore, first as Vice President for Tourism and Communications then as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He developed and led new branding and advertising campaigns and established award-winning partnerships with corporations including Amtrak, Southwest Airlines, American Express and the National Aquarium.

He and his wife decided to return to Cincinnati with their new baby to be closer to both their families, and in 2005 Lincoln served as a consultant to the Cincinnati USA CVB to develop and implement an 18-month sales and marketing plan to launch the new convention center. He also represented the bureau on the City Manager's RFP committee to review firms to manage the convention center, a decision that marked a significant change in the way the center is operated.

Previously, Lincoln held positions in marketing, communications and operations with Deaconess Hospital in Cincinnati, Premier Events in Cincinnati, and the Ohio State Fair and Ohio Exposition Center in Columbus, Ohio. He holds a degree in journalism and public relations from The Ohio State University.

Perks lived and worked in Cincinnati for 10 years while serving as Director of Marketing for the Westin Hotel in downtown Cincinnati from 1992 to 1997 and as proprietor of the American Pie Café in Harper’s Point from 1997 to 2002.

Perks has led the strategic realignment of the CVB sales team to focus on specific vertical industry market segments rather than geographic regions, as had been done in the past. In 2007, Perk's first full year heading the CVB sales efforts, the team exceeded its room night goal by nearly 10 percent.

Perks implements an aggressive strategic sales and marketing plan to promote the city as a vibrant convention and meetings destination. He works closely with area hotels and convention facilities, and serves as a liaison between the CVB's clients and these facilities. He also develops cooperative programs, familiarization visits and sales missions with the local hospitality industry to effectively market the region, as well as oversees the sales managers and sales budget.

A primary focus area for Perks is creating a cohesive community and stronger relationship between the local hotels and the CVB, where the entities work collectively toward the goal of increased hotel room nights and attracting high volume, high value meetings and conventions to Cincinnati USA.

Perks came to the CVB from the Hilton Los Angeles at Universal City, a 482-room hotel with 60,000 square feet of meeting space. He also has held sales, marketing and management positions with hotels including the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles; the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach; the Portofino Resort and Marina in Redondo Beach; the Biltmore in Los Angeles; Omni Hotels in Houston; Hyatt Hotels in Indianapolis and Chicago; Princess Hotels in Bermuda; and Loews Hotels International in London, England.

Cindi, who joined the bureau in 1999, works closely with President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Lincoln to manage the finances and determine new initiatives going forward. Cindi analyzes the challenges, changes and opportunities facing the industry and the region, and in response makes recommendations and develops long-term strategies for boosting meetings and tourism for the region.

Her professional experience makes her a natural for this role. She draws upon her background in finance to ensure the CVB operates on a sound fiscal basis. One of the aspects Cindi likes most about her job is that it affords her the opportunity to interface with just about every department and every staff member. Her range of responsibilities requires that she stay informed of a variety of issues that have the potential to impact the CVB. She vigilantly stays abreast of industry developments, trends and legislation, and taps into her knowledge base as she makes decisions.

Her administrative duties include taking steps to ensure the CVB's internal office environment is conducive to an efficient workplace. Cindi's team oversees and provides the physical equipment everyone at the CVB needs to do their jobs well the workstations, the computers, the tools, the resources. Her oversight extends beyond providing just the equipment. She also works to help cultivate a healthy, invigorated environment where she and her colleagues can do the best job they can. Cindi takes particular care to see that employees are satisfied and their workplace needs are being met.

Regardless of which area of the business she's focusing on, Cindi keeps an objective oversight on the situation. She listens closely, plans carefully, and makes recommendations. She brings a great volume of energy to the table, but it's a low-key energy not readily evident to those who haven't met her. She has a great deal of resolve, focus and fortitude, and derives satisfaction from getting things done.

Like many of her colleagues at the CVB, Cindi is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati with a love of her hometown and a solid understanding of what makes it tick.