Strategic Tourism Marketing Council

The STMC is comprised of volunteer members of Alberta's tourism industry that are appointed by Alberta's Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation. The Council provides advice to Travel Alberta regarding effective and efficient delivery of tourism marketing programs and provides advice to the Minister on issues that affect tourism marketing. 

The interests and priorities of Alberta’s tourism industry are represented by members of the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council (STMC). 

The STMC provides Travel Alberta with advice and expertise as it works towards the goal of stimulating increased tourism expenditures in Alberta through effective marketing programs and services. The council provides input into Travel Alberta’s three-year business plan, which examines existing and emerging markets, identifies challenges and opportunities, and sets goals for growing tourism in Alberta.

The STMC was created in 1998 and has now been established within the Travel Alberta Act. Members are appointed to one-, two- or three-year terms to ensure there is continuity on the Council.

	Mac Makenny Chair Mac Makenny of Priddis is Owner / Operator of Homeplace Ranch. Mac has served as Industry Co-chair of the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council since 2004. He was first appointed to the Council in 2002. The following year, he chaired the third annual Travel Alberta Industry Conference held in his home town of Jasper. Mac also chaired the Calgary and Area Tourism Destination Region for four years and continues as a Board Member. Mac was an elected delegate with Tourism Calgary for eight years and the Calgary Hotel Association for two years. In addition, Mac was the Executive Director of the Alberta Outfitters Association and Chairman of the marketing committee for eight years.
	Doug McPhee Vice Chair Doug McPhee is Operator of the Hertz Rent-a-Car franchise in Jasper. Doug has been President of the Jasper Chamber of Commerce and is Past President of the Skal Club of the Canadian Rockies. First appointed to the STMC in 2004, he chaired the 2008 Travel Alberta Industry Conference, a role he continued in 2009.
	Marilyn Bell Marilyn Bell of Banff is the Executive Director, Global Sales, Tour & Wholesale, at Fairmont, Raffles & Swissotel. She brings more than 25 years of experience in tourism in the National Parks. Marilyn was originally appointed to the STMC in 2005.
	Peter Bidlock Peter Bidlock is the partial owner of four hotel properties in the Edmonton area. He is a past Director of the Edmonton Airport Authority, past Chair of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, past Board member of the College of Licensed Practical Nurses and currently serves as Vice-Chair of Horse Racing Alberta. He has served as a Director of the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association and continues to be active in the organization.
	George Brookman George Brookman is the owner and CEO of West Canadian Industries Group, and he currently sits as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Tourism Calgary. Mr. Brookman also serves as a Director of Penn West Energy, the Calgary Stampede Foundation, and the UBC Libraries Board. He has been the President and Chairman of the Board of the Calgary Stampede, the President of the Downtown Rotary Club of Calgary and served on the President’s Advisory Council for the University of Calgary.
	Terri Cameron Terri Cameron of Rocky Mountain House is owner / operator of The Prairie Creek Inn. She is a member of the Rocky Mountain House Tourism & Economic Development Board, the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, Charming Inns of Alberta and Alberta Bed & Breakfast Association.
	Crosbie Cotton Crosbie Cotton is Director of the National Park Ski Area Association, representing the common interests of the four internationally renowned ski resorts in Banff and Jasper National Parks. A former Editor-in-Chief of the Calgary Herald, he has 30 years of experience in journalism. He was first appointed to the STMC in 2002.
	Ken Fiske Ken Fiske is currently the Vice President, Tourism and Special Events for the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC). Ken has been with the EEDC since 1995. In addition, he also has over 20 years of executive management experience within the western Canadian ski industry. He is also a founding director of Travel Alberta International, a founding member of the Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance and past President of the Canadian Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus.
	Allen R. Gibson Allen R. Gibson is the owner of Star Media Services in Lethbridge. He has 27 years of experience in communications and media relations. In 2011, Allen is Chair of the Alberta Tourism (Alto) Awards Steering Committee. His company created the branding for Southern Alberta’s ‘Mormon Trail’ and also the Get Outta’ Town tours in Lethbridge.
	Emilia Hovorka Emilia Hovorka is the General Manager of the Podollan Inn in Grande Prairie. She served as Executive Director of the Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Association for nine years and has been involved in award-winning marketing campaigns. Emilia has served many local, regional and provincial boards, including Chair for the Alberta Tourism (Alto) Awards, the Travel Alberta Industry Conference Steering Committee, Travel Alberta North Tourism Destination Region, Arctic Winter Games, and the National Fly Fishing Competition. She was instrumental in starting the Destination Marketing Fee in the Grande Prairie region and developing tourism partnerships. Emilia has also worked as a marketing business consultant and has owned her businesses that included a weekly newspaper.
	Paul Jones Paul Jones, Pacrim Hospitality Services, General Manager of the Radisson Hotel & Suites in Fort McMurray. He has more than 24 years of hospitality industry experience. Paul was a charter member of the Fort McMurray Hotel Association and currently sits as the Past Chair of Fort McMurray Tourism and the Travel Alberta North Tourism Destination Region.
	Wynn McLean Wynn McLean is the General Manager of Camrose Regional Exhibition. His experience includes retail business ownership, adult educator, exhibition and fair management and partnership development. First appointed to the STMC in 2006, he was Chair of the 2009 Alberta Tourism (Alto) Awards Steering Committee, a position he also held in 2008.
	Jane Palmer Jane Palmer is currently Aboriginal Advisor for Devon Canada. Previously she held several senior management positions with Community Futures Lac La Biche and promoted regional tourism as a member of the Board of Directors of the Alberta Lakeland Destination Marketing Organization. Jane has also served on the Board of the Alberta Central Tourism Destination Region.
	Gary Stimson Gary Stimson is the Owner of Elkwater Lake Lodge and Resort in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. Previously, he developed and co-owned the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Brooks, which achieved the highest customer satisfaction award for the brand in North America in just its second year of operation.
	Guy Turcotte Guy Turcotte is Founder, Chairman, President and CEO of Stone Creek Resorts Inc., a privately owned company which owns Silvertip Resort in Canmore and Eagle Ranch Golf Resort in Invermere. Before entering the tourism sector, he worked in the resource and investment sectors.
	Reegan McCullough Ex-Officio Reegan McCullough is Assistant Deputy Minister of Tourism. During his career in government, Mr. McCullough has been involved in the delivery, policy and program development of social housing, consumer services and disability programs at the regional and provincial levels. He was the visionary behind the innovative Alberta Supports Initiative, which focused on improving service accessibility, reducing gaps and overlaps between programs, and enhancing client outcomes.
	Dave Rodney Ex-Officio Dave Rodney is in his second term as Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Lougheed. Mr. Rodney is the government liaison to the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council, a member of the Agenda and Priorities Committee, and serves over a dozen local, provincial, national, and international boards.  “Sherpa Dave” (BA, BEd, MRE) is a worldwide adventure guide, entrepreneur, educator, humanitarian, and keynote speaker. He is the first Canadian to climb Mount Everest two times.
	Bruce Okabe Ex-Officio Bruce Okabe is the Chief Executive Officer of Travel Alberta. Bruce has previously worked as Senior Vice President, Business Strategy Group, for InterVISTAS, and he was Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts for the Province of British Columbia between 2006 and 2008. In that capacity, he sat on the Board of Directors of Tourism British Columbia and the Canadian Tourism Commission. Prior to this, Bruce worked at TELUS Corporation where he held a variety of executive level positions in areas of marketing, strategy, retail distribution, outbound call centres and web development.