Florida CEOs You Should Know - Stacy Ritter of Visit Lauderdale

Photo: Visit Lauderdale

Stacy Ritter is President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. Since 2016, Ritter has been at helm and is responsible for the administration of the official destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale and serves as the tourism department for Broward County, Florida.

Visit Lauderdale promotes the area’s 31 municipalities to a global audience of leisure and business travelers as the ideal place for Everyone Under the Sun in recognition of the area’s diverse and welcoming vibe, and books conventions into the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and area hotels and resorts. Find more information at visitlauderdale.com and follow @VisitLauderdale on FacebookInstagramTwitter and YouTube

Visit Lauderdale is based in Broward County with multiple domestic and international offices. The permanent staff is comprised of a 45-person organization of sales and marketing professionals with a $24 million operating budget. Ritter oversees an organization that provides sales and marketing development for leisure, international, sports, convention and group sales. Visit Lauderdale also focuses its efforts on behalf of the County for multicultural tourism, LGBT+ development, film and entertainment as well as national and international advertising and public relations.

Stacy also serves as a member of the United States Travel Association Board of Directors, Destination International Foundation Board, the Steering Committee of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Board Member of Winterfest, Inc., and the Executive Board of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. She serves as a member of the Orange Bowl Committee and the Miami Super Bowl Committee. Prior to her position with Visit Lauderdale, Ritter served as an elected Broward County Commissioner from November 2006 till June 2016, representing the 3rd District, and serving as Mayor of the County in 2008 to 2009. Prior to serving in Broward County government, Ritter served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1996 to 2004, representing the 96th District.

Ms. Ritter has been a community activist for years with the National Council of Jewish Women and other organizations prior to her election to State office, she was inducted to the Broward County Women’s Hall of Fame; Woman of the Year by the American Jewish Congress and a First Lady of Broward. She was named the Chair of Broward County’s Management and Efficiency Study Committee from June 2004 to June 2006. During the 2008 presidential election, Stacy was The Chair of the Broward County Obama for America Campaign and served on the National Finance Committee for the campaign. She was named one of the 50 Most Powerful People in Broward by Gold Coast Magazine and awarded as one of the 100 Outstanding Women by the Boys and Girls Club. She is consistently named to the list of South Florida Power Leaders.

As Broward County Mayor, Ritter was instrumental in the county considering and moving forward with a new county courthouse as well as pushing for improvements at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, including the expansion of the south runway. Today that runway and the terminal improvements are attracting new airline service and stimulating record-breaking passenger traffic.

Stacey Ritter was born in Washington, D.C., and moved to Broward County in 1974, where she attended and graduated law school at Nova Southeastern College of Law. She is an attorney licensed by the Florida Bar. She received her BA from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Stacy and her husband Russ live in Fort Lauderdale with their adopted rescue dog, Frasier and have three children Matt (34), Scott (33), and Stephanie (31).

Hear the entire podcast with Stacy Ritter and Big 105.9's Paul Castronovo:


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