Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau Welcomes New Board Members And Officers

Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) announced today the addition of three new board members, and four new board officers. Ellis O'Connor, Jeff King and Fabian Lewkowicz have been added as board members, and West Hooker, Bill Doak, former chair Mary Ann Powell and Jeffrey Jarow have been installed to the board of directors as officers. All were officially inducted at yesterday's SMCVB 2009/2010 board installation and welcome reception, which took place at Hotel Oceana in Santa Monica, California.

Board member Ellis O'Connor is an Asset Manager/Owner's Representative for the MSD hospitality team and works to oversee MSD Capital's portfolio of prominent hospitality assets, which includes the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, where he most recently served as the hotel's general manager. Additionally, Ellis has worked with Ian Schrager's Gramercy Park Hotel, Peninsula Hotels and Cunard Hotels and Resorts. Ellis is also a board member of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce.

Board member Jeff King, co-founder and chairman of King's Seafood Company, oversees 17 restaurants that altogether attract more than three million guests per year. Since the 1980s, the family-run business has been serving high quality seafood to the Santa Monica community and its visitors. Jeff also established Jeff King Consulting, Inc., which focuses on all aspects of restaurants hospitality, from grand openings to operations. Jeff is often called upon to lecture at various institutions, including the Collins School of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona and University of California, Los Angeles and is a board member of LA Inc., the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Board member Fabian Lewkowicz is an internationally published photojournalist, photographer, and owner of Fit By Fabian Private Fitness Studio and SantaMonicaCloseUp.com, a photo journal of every-day life in Santa Monica. As well, he is a freelance photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica Observer, and has been published in the Los Angeles Times and picked up by the Associated Press (AP). In addition to now serving on the SMCVB Board of Directors, Fabian also serves as a board member for the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, the Santa Monica Kiwanis Club, the Santa Monica Police Activities League, Santa Monica Family YMCA and on Santa Monica College General Advisory Board. He contributes to numerous charities and non-profit organizations, such as Heal the Bay, American Red Cross, Santa Monica Boys and Girls Club.

West Hooker has been announced as the chair of the SMCVB Board of Directors. West has been with the SMCVB Board of Directors since 2002, most recently serving as vice chair. He is the president and CEO of Bussola, Inc., which operates restaurants such as Locanda del Lago and Caffe' Bellagio. Lago is currently featured in the Michelin guide of top restaurants and was recently listed in the Los Angeles Times Travel Section as "Best Italian Cuisine" in the city. He has worked in the hospitality industry for over two decades and has worked with the likes of Hilton Hotels as part of the Rooms Division and Food and Beverage management, as well as Regent International and New Otani. West previously served on the boards of the Bayside District Corporation and the Italian American Chamber of Commerce West. Last month, West was officially recognized by the Mayor of Bellagio, Italy, West's hometown, for his valuable contributions in valorizing Bellagio's image. He is currently developing a sustainable and eco-friendly mountain inn in a regional park above Lake Como.

Bill Doak, general manager of the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel (Loews), has been appointed as vice chairman of the SMCVB Board of Directors. For Loews, Bill oversees the day-to-day operations and marketing for the 342-room hotel and its award-winning programs and amenities. Under his leadership, Loews has maintained its long-standing reputation as one of Los Angeles' leading hotel destinations. In 2008, it was recognized with a Sustainable Quality Award by the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, and has maintained its AAA Four Diamond ranking since its 1989 opening. Before joining Loews, Bill served as president of Oceana Hotel Group, an owner and operator of upscale hotel groups, where he successfully led the renovation and repositioning of a diverse portfolio of fully independent upscale boutique hotels that span nationwide. Prior to that, he was general manager for the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood. He has also worked with Regent Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, in Beverly Hills, Calif. where he played a vital role in the hotel's $35 million renovation and major rebranding efforts. He has been with Loews since 1992.

Mary Ann Powell has spent more than 10 years as the general manager and CEO of Pacific Park, LA's only admission-free amusement park located on the Santa Monica Pier. Focusing on improved profitability, operations and guest services, she has led Pacific Park to gain 10 new amusement rides and attractions, complete midway games refurbishment, create a new "Kid's Cove" children's area, and renovate and re-brand the oceanfront food plaza. Mary Ann has also generated record-setting EBITDA growth for the organization since she joined the team in 1997 and has implemented an industry-leading customer service program for Park employees. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and has served as the Chairman of the Board of the SMCVB for the past two years. Mary Ann will now serve as secretary for the SMCVB Board of Directors.

Jeffrey Jarow has been in Commercial Real Estate Brokerage since 1983, and is currently the vice president of Par Commercial Brokerage. Jeff has been an SMCVB board member since 2006 and will now serve as treasurer for the Board of Directors. He is also a board member of the Ocean Park Association, Santa Monica YMCA, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and the Main Street Business Improvement Association and served on the Centennial Steering Committee for the Santa Monica Pier's Centennial Celebration on Sept. 9, 2009. Additionally, he is on the advisory committee of the Santa Monica Community Gardens. Jeff is highly involved in the local school system and was recently appointed by the SMMUSD to chair the Prop 39 Bond Oversight Committee to oversee Measure BB (school facilities bond voted on in November of 2006) spending of $268,000,000. Jeff also serves with the SMMUSD's Child Development Services as treasurer for the PTA arm of the District Advisory Committee, and serves as vice president of the PTSA Board at SMASH (Santa Monica Alternative School House).

"We are pleased to welcome such a diverse and knowledgeable group of members and officers to the Board of Directors," said Misti Kerns, president and CEO of the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Each one brings a unique set of qualifications and experience to the board and we look forward to working closely with all of them as we continue to position Santa Monica as a premier destination to both domestic and international travelers."

About Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau
Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) is a non-profit organization designed to increase visitor expenditures, tourism revenues and local employment opportunities through the promotion of Santa Monica as a travel destination. For travel and accommodation information or a free copy of the Official Visitors Guide, the public can write to the Santa Monica Visitor Center, 1920 Main Street Suite B, Santa Monica, CA 90405; call (800) 544-5319 or (310) 393-7593; visit http://www.santamonica.com; or email info@santamonica.com.