LONG ISLAND, NY-- Discover Long Island, the official tourism bureau for Long Island, is pleased to announce the appointment of several industry leaders to its Board of Directors.

The new members bring a wealth of tourism and hospitality industry experience to the Board, ranging from hotel and retail to major transportation. They include:

J. Grady Colin: Managing Director of the Garden City Hotel and Vice President of Operations of Fortuna’s hospitality portfolio. Prior to Fortuna, he was a General Manager at Hilton’s AAA Four Diamond Boston Downtown Financial District hotel. Mr. Colin held managerial positions at several notable hotels in various capacities. This includes The Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan as Executive Director of Catering and Operations and the Waldorf Astoria as Executive Director of Food and Beverage. Mr. Colin began his career with the Marriott International at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. In his tenure with Marriott, Mr. Colin served as Director of Catering and Operations at the Marriott Glenpointe Hotel and the Marriott World Trade.

Nancy Costopulos. President/CEO of Old Westbury Gardens. Ms. Costopulos has 24 years of nonprofit leadership experience, most recently as Chief Marketing Officer of the Chicago-based American Marketing Association. She also served as Director of Membership and Annual Giving for the Los Angeles Zoo Association and Director of Membership Marketing at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Ms. Costopulos worked to broaden organizational awareness, boost member engagement, strengthen relationships with supporters, and grow revenue. Ms. Costopulos holds a certificate in marketing metrics from The Wharton School and is a founding member of the Marketing Advisory Council of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board.

Shelley LaRose-Arken: Commissioner Long Island MacArthur Airport. Ms. LaRose-Arken was appointed to her current position at Long Island MacArthur Airport in 2016. She had previously been the Airport Manager for Republic Airport, and brings 24 years of experience in the aviation industry to her new post.

Kristen Reyes: Vice President of Marketing and Events for the Hotel Indigo East End.  Kristen has embraced a philosophy of “keeping it local” and successfully cultivated a weekly live entertainment program, which features the music of local artists at Hotel Indigo’s restaurant, Bistro 72.  Bistro 72, a farm to table restaurant located in the hotel has under her direction, embraced a philosophy of seasonally showcasing locally grown ingredients and regional beer, wines and spirits.  Kristen formerly served as General Manager and Director of Sales at the Riverhead based Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites from opening in 2005 through September 2012. Kristen also serves on the Board of Directors for the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce and the East End Tourism Alliance.   She is also the co-founder on the Patchogue Community Garden, which provides space for forty-nine families to grow fresh vegetables in a group setting.  She is an active member of many other community based organizations.

Nancy Gilbert: Director of Marketing at Roosevelt Field for Simon. Nancy has over 30 years in the shopping center management field and in her current capacity she handles the marketing, advertising, public relations, community relations, and retailer relations for the center which is home to over 250 stores.  Ms. Gilbert played a crucial part in the marketing of the three-year redevelopment of this iconic center.  Prior to her position at Roosevelt Field, she marketed the transformation of Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington.  Ms. Gilbert also has worked for other shopping center developers over the years with stints as Marketing Director at Kings Plaza Shopping Center in Brooklyn, Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream and Broadway Mall in Hicksville.

Discover Long Island’s Board of Directors consists of 30 leaders representing industries directly or indirectly related to lodging and tourism, including hotels and resorts, heritage organizations, attractions, transportation and the business community. Elections take place at the annual meeting of the members and new terms begin January 1 the following year. The full list of members is available at DiscoverLongIsland.com

 

ABOUT DISCOVER LONG ISLAND:

Discover Long Island was established under the name Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau & Sports Commission in 1979 as the official tourism promotion agency for the destination’s travel and tourism industry. The organization contributes to the economic development and quality of life on Long Island by promoting the region as a world-class destination for tourism, meetings and conventions, trade shows, sporting events and related activities. For more information, please call 631-951-3900 or visit www.discoverlongisland.com.