New leader sought for Lake County tourism bureau
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The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority is on the hunt for a new president and CEO. Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report the organization has hired a search firm to find a successor to David Uran.
Uran resigned from the position on Dec. 31, less than two years after being named to the post. The former mayor of Crown Point stepped down from city hall to take the position.
The organization has tapped Westville-based Organizational Development Solutions to conduct the search. A job posting is asking for someone with a minimum of seven to 10 years of executive-level leadership in the tourism sector.
“This leader will have exceptional follow-through and capacity to inspire innovation, collaboration, and excitement with and for the authority, developing the organization as the recognized expert in all things related to attracting visitors to the region,” the job posting said.
The person selected for the position will lead a team of 12 employees and be responsible for an annual budget of $4M, according to the job posting. The position will pay between $150,000 and $175,000 per year.
Authority board member Matthew Maloney told the publication the vetting process could take a couple of months. ODS founder and President Desila Rosetti is expected to bring an update on the search at the board’s next monthly meeting.
“We did not limit the amount of finalists they could bring to us,” Maloney told The Times. “They could bring us 20 finalists if they have 20 qualified candidates. Most likely, it will be less than that. It’s up to them to deem who’s credible.”
In January, the board named Human Resources Director Niki Lopez as interim CEO while the search for Uran’s permanent successor was conducted.
In his resignation announcement, Uran said he wanted to spend more time with his family, according to the publication. He succeeded longtime director Speros Batistatos, whose contract was not renewed.