Southeast Tourism Society Names Nan Marchand as President& CEO
ROSWELL, GA — The Southeast Tourism Society (STS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Nan Marchand as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1, 2026. Marchand brings more than 30 years of executive leadership across the travel and tourism industry, with a proven track record of driving revenue growth, building high-performing teams, and strengthening member engagement for organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Marchand joins STS following an accomplished career that includes more than a decade at the U.S. Travel Association, where she served as Senior Vice President of Membership and Industry Relations and General Manager of the Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO). During her tenure, she significantly strengthened member retention, expanded ESTO into one of the industry’s premier annual gatherings, and led the Meetings Mean Business Coalition in advocating for the meetings and events industry.
Earlier in her career, Marchand served as Executive Director of the Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau and as Vice President of Sales at Universal Studios Hollywood, where she built and led high- performing teams across domestic and international markets. Most recently, she has provided strategic advisory services to a range of leading destination and tourism organizations across the country.
“I’m honored to join an organization that has spent decades championing the Southeast tourism industry,” said Marchand. “I look forward to building upon its strong legacy while helping shape the next chapter for the STS community.”
Marchand has been recognized throughout her career as one of the industry’s most influential leaders, including being named to Successful Meetings’ “25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry” (2015 and 2016), receiving the Smart Women in Meetings Award (2019), and being inducted into the Smart Women in Meetings Hall of Fame (2020 and 2021).
“On behalf of the Southeast Tourism Society Board of Directors, I want to welcome Nan Marchand as our new President and CEO,” said Ben Berthelot, STS Board Chair and President & CEO of Lafayette Travel. “Throughout this process, the committee was incredibly impressed with Nan’s industry experience and her vision for how we collectively move STS forward as an association. We look forward to working alongside her and supporting her as she steps into this new role with the full support of the STS Board of Directors.”
The executive search was led by Kellie Henderson, Global Head of Destinations at SearchWide Global, a full-service executive search firm serving travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association, venue management, experiential marketing, sports, and entertainment industries.
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About the Southeast Tourism Society
Founded in 1983, the Southeast Tourism Society (STS) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association representing tourism professionals across 13 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia) plus the District of Columbia. STS empowers a diverse network of tourism professionals through its four pillars: Education, Advocacy, Recognition, and Networking (EARN). For more information, visit southeasttourism.org.
Media Contact:
Adrienne A. Gadling Director of Marketing & Communications adrienne@southeasttourism.org
