Jay Markwalter, Director of Sales at the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau, has been elected to a two-year term on the board of the Southeast Tourism Society, according to STS President and CEO Bill Hardman. Markwalter, who has been at the Augusta CVB since 2014, will serve STS through 2019.
 
“The Augusta CVB has always had a strong presence at the tourism industry table, and I am honored to be one of the Georgia representatives in the Southeastern arena” said Markwalter. “It is important to continue giving a voice to Augusta’s River Region and Georgia’s tourism-based economic development efforts.”
 
STS, which is headquartered in Atlanta, promotes travel and tourism throughout a 12-state region. Tourism ranks in the top five industries in every state in the Southeast. Monica Smith, Vice President of Sales and Service at Visit Jacksonville (Florida), is the STS board chair.
 
Member states are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. STS has more than 900 members who represent over 27,000 professionals in state tourism departments, convention and visitors bureaus, attractions, accommodations, media and additional organizations in the tourism industry.
 
Markwalter is currently serving as President of the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus and, by Governor appointment, serves on the Georgia Tourism Foundation Board.  He is a certified Travel and Tourism Marketing Professional by the Southeast Tourism Society.  Markwalter is a Savannah native and a graduate of the University of Georgia, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing.