Beautiful summer aerial shot of Red Deer's river valley.

Our team

Tourism Red Deer strives to be the collective voice of a strong and diverse tourism community and lead the development of authentic experiences. We drive destination development, create awareness and promote regional collaboration to enhance the visitor experience.

Our Team

Together, the Board of Directors & staff of Tourism Red Deer are responsible for coordinating and growing hospitality & tourism revenue and developing Red Deer & Area tourism industry. The Board provides leadership and guidance to hospitality & tourism businesses while being a strong, credible, and trusted voice of representation for the industry.

Board of Directors

A 11 member volunteer Board of Directors establishes its policies and direction. Nine directors are elected by the membership; Two other directors are appointed from Red Deer City Council and Red Deer County. Liaison with City of Red Deer Administration is through the Director of Economic Development, who is an advisory, non-voting member of the Board of Directors. Tourism Red Deer CEO oversees the organization’s operations.

Past Chair – Nancy Paish, Red Deer Regional Airport

Co-Chair - Jonathan Strome, Taco Monster

Vice Chair – Rob Ironside, Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society

Treasurer – Michelle Tooze-Matthews, Holiday Inn Hotel

Secretary –  Dean Williams, Red Deer Rebels

Board Member - Doug Bos, Discovery Wildlife Park

Board Member - Robbie Halonen - Red Deer Polytechnic

Board Member - Amanda Gould, Downtown Business Association

Red Deer City Council - Councillor Vesna Higham, City of Red Deer

Red Deer County Council - Councillor Lonny Kennett, Red Deer County

(Advisory), City of Red Deer - John Sennema/Michelle Zeggil

(Advisory), Red Deer County - Sandra Badry

Click here for the current Tourism Red Deer Bylaws.

Staff Directory

Reach out to a member of our team, we welcome your inquiries and look forward to connecting with you.

CEO – Jesse Smith
jesse@tourismreddeer.com  403-346-0180

Marketing and Communications Manager - Nicole Clermont
marketing@tourismreddeer.com 403-346-0180

Digital Media Specialist - Francis Arevalo
video@tourismreddeer.com 403-346-0180

Finance & Operations Coordinator - Tara Halford
operations@tourismreddeer.com 403-346-0180

A young family enjoying a summer meal at the DNA Gardens in Red Deer.
A young family enjoying a summer meal at the DNA Gardens in Red Deer.

Become a Member

Tourism Red Deer can connect you with new customers, assist with experience and itinerary development, expand your marketing reach, produce digital assets and provide access to industry resources to support business growth. Members also have exclusive access to a variety of tools to leverage marketing dollars.

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