GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, ALA. – “After growing up close to the California coast, spending time promoting Hawaii, Florida, and Arizona resorts and leading the marketing for beaches from Delaware to Florida, I am convinced that you will not find a better beach destination than the product that we promote along the Alabama Gulf Coast,” said Joanie Flynn, who became the vice president of marketing for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism (CVB) effective March 19, 2012.

This leisure subject matter expert has 20+ years of hotel and vacation rental marketing experience and has played an instrumental role in destination marketing at the international, national and regional levels with an emphasis on beach resorts the last 15 years.

“Throughout the years, I have broadened my skill set by gathering experience with meeting/convention sales support, public relations and internet marketing plus served on a few CVB committees and formative association board positions too,” Flynn added.

Prior to joining the CVB, Flynn served as the vice president of marketing and sales at Professional Hospitality Resources, Inc. Based in Virginia Beach, Va., a timeshare resort, hotel and restaurant development/management firm. Other past positions include executive level marketing roles at Gaylord Hotels, ResortQuest and Hilton Hotels Corporation.

She has also worked at Four Seasons Hotels in Newport Beach, Calif., and L’Ermitage Hotel Group in Los Angeles.

Fluent in French, she holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of California Santa Barbara, a MBA in marketing from UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management and attended Université de Bordeaux for a year as part of the University of California’s Education Abroad Program.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Joanie to our team and to our CVB family,” said Herb Malone, president/CEO of the CVB. “Her wealth of marketing knowledge and enthusiasm for our beach will be great assets as she leads our destination promotion to the next level.”

Flynn and her husband will be relocating to the area soon from the Nashville, Tenn. area. The couple’s two children are recent graduates of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and are starting their own careers but are already planning their first of many visits to the Alabama Gulf Coast.