The Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau is celebrating 20 years in 2013, and President and CEO Herb Malone has led the organization since the beginning.

Malone, who grew up in Citronelle and came to the Island every summer during his childhood, didn't always know what career path he would follow, but he never doubted he would end up on Alabama's Gulf Coast.

Putting down roots

“I had a short opportunity in the NFL as a free agent, and after that was over, I sat down with my wife and said, 'Well, what do we do now?'” Malone says. “She said, 'I don't know what you want to do, but I know where you want to live — Gulf Shores.'”

After running a title insurance office for 10 years, serving two terms on the Gulf Shores City Council and as chairman of the board of directors at the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Malone became the president and CEO of the Chamber in 1988.

“The search committee said, 'You've got big shoes to fill,' and I said, 'Well, I wear a size 12,'” Malone remembers from his interview. “They also asked if I was looking at this as a stepping stone and if I was planning to leave, and my response was, 'Well, last year we bought cemetery plots in Baldwin County, so I think we're planning to stay.' When you get salt water in your veins, it just sticks.”

The Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau

In 1993, Malone worked with the Chamber and the local government to create the CVB, which specializes in destination marketing of the area. The CVB is now also known as Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism.

“The role of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism is to go out and invite guests to spend their beach, fishing, golf or nature time here in the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area,” he says. “By helping generate a higher demand for tourists, that has also stimulated growth of the infrastructure, like hotels, restaurants and golf courses. When we started in '93, there were 5,000 rental accommodations here, and today there are more than 17,000.”

Small town, big opportunities

Malone says the improvements on the Island to accommodate tourists have created a rare type of community — a small town with big-city amenities and events.

“I grew up in the small town of Citronelle, and I'm very proud of it,” he says. “My wife is also from a small town, and I went to college in a small town. I like the feel of a small town — neighbor knowing neighbor and people helping one another — but sometimes small towns can get a little stale.

“I like dynamic places and being able to meet new people, try new restaurants and go to all kinds of events. Most small towns don't evolve very fast, but Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Foley have evolved and grown, and not a day goes by that I can't meet someone new.”

Prospering through tough times

But even with the constant influx of new faces, Malone says the local community remains strong and unified, especially during difficult times. Over the past 20 years, he has witnessed the community rally together to rebuild after storms and to prosper even after the uncertainty of economic downturns and the 2010 oil spill.

“Ivan was a huge challenge for us because it did so much damage to the area,” Malone says. “Fortunately, most business leaders and community leaders all came together, and we had a lot of experience dealing with storms. I was on the volunteer fire department during Frederic, and I know what it's like to be on that bridge when it's shut down or to search through houses and pull people out.”

The oil spill created more emotional trauma.

“Ivan was a huge challenge as far as fiscal devastation,” he says. “The oil spill carried a greater emotional challenge. With a tropical occurrence (they don't say the H-word at the CVB), you kind of know what to expect, but when the oil spill happened, there was so much uncertainty. Numerous reports were published that said the Gulf would be a dead sea for a decade, and we had to stop and wonder, 'Is our entire way of life gone?' We had grown up swimming in these beach waters, and we raised children and grandchildren here — to think that could all be gone was emotionally devastating.”

But Malone and his team stayed committed to communicating with the experts and getting the truth out to the public, which proved to be valuable when the waters were deemed safe.

“Part of our role is to help be the communicator during a disaster,” Malone says. “One of the things we try to live by is to make sure any information we share comes from authoritative sources. We are also very honest and candid. We shared daily videos and made a commitment to show the good, the bad and the ugly, and that honesty was a big reason people came back. We, meaning the entire industry and community down here, earned their trust.”

People profile

NAME: Herb Malone

OCCUPATION: President and CEO of the Alabama Gulf Coast CVB

HOMETOWN: Citronelle

SPOUSE: Bessie, married 41 years

HOBBIES: Fishing, golf