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Fred Dixon is president and chief executive officer of Brand USA, the nation’s public-private partnership dedicated to increasing international visitation to the United States through marketing and promotional efforts. In this role, Fred is responsible for accelerating the organization’s efforts to build and execute effective marketing strategies to increase U.S. travel exports, create jobs, strengthen the economy, and help enhance the image of the United States with people all over the world.

Fred Dixon began his tenure as Brand USA’s President and CEO on July 15, 2024. He brings with him more than 30 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry.

Immediately prior to joining Brand USA, he served as President and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions for 10 years where he developed and implemented New York City’s tourism, meetings, and events strategy and programming to grow business and leisure travel from across the USA and from around the world.

Under his leadership of NYC Tourism + Conventions, international visitation more than doubled to more than 13 million travelers; the result of a long-term strategy to create a global network of outposts comprising sales, marketing, and press professionals in diverse feeder markets including Australia, China, Mexico, Brazil and the UK.

Dixon is highly respected within the travel industry and serves on several association boards and committees. He is the Immediate Past Chair of Destinations International, serves on the New York Convention Center Operating Corporation Board, the board of IGLTA, the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, the U.S. Travel Association
Executive Committee, and is a trustee for the FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ Host Committee.

Leah is the Chief Marketing Officer for Brand USA, the Destination Marketing Organization for the United States. With more than 20 years of experience in branding, advertising, and destination marketing, Leah leads Brand USA’s global marketing strategy, spearheading efforts to inspire international travel to the United States and elevating the country’s presence as a premier global destination.

Prior to Brand USA, Leah served as the Chief Marketing Officer of Discover Puerto Rico, where she re-positioned the brand, laying the foundation for four years of record-breaking tourism growth. Under her leadership, Discover Puerto Rico launched its most successful marketing campaign, “Live Boricua,” celebrating the island’s vibrant culture. The campaign has driven significant growth in perception, awareness, and visitor interest.

Prior to her move to San Juan, Leah was the Chief Marketing Officer for Explore Branson, where she led the growth of the community’s tourism industry for five straight years, repositioning the destination’s brand and posting back-to-back years of record ROI for the organization’s marketing program. In previous years, Leah led the Missouri Tourism account at H&L Partners, the former agency of record for the Missouri Division of Tourism. In this role, Leah developed and guided the strategic direction of the Division’s marketing.

Leah is a veteran of the travel and tourism industry, having directed the Indiana Tourism account for five years prior to joining H&L Partners. Leah earned her Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) credential in 2014. This designation, from Destinations International, is the tourism industry’s highest individual educational achievement.

Chris Heywood is the Senior Vice President, Public Relations and Chief Communications Officer for Brand USA.  In this role, Chris oversees Brand USA’s global public relations, media relations, and communications efforts and its network of international offices in 14 markets, serving more than 20 regions across five continents.

Chris previously led global communications for the nation’s two largest destination marketing organizations: New York City and Los Angeles. His accomplishments in New York include driving a decade of continuous tourism growth, promoting the City’s “Monumental Year” in 2019, and spearheading recovery efforts in the aftermath of COVID-19. In Los Angeles, Chris played a pivotal role in establishing a new global PR network post-pandemic, promoting the 100th anniversary of the Hollywood sign, and hosting IPW 2024, earning widespread recognition in global travel and lifestyle media outlets.

Chris is a proud graduate of the School of Hospitality Management at Florida International University (FIU) and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). He has also contributed to the industry as Chair of the U.S. Travel Communications Committee (2017–2019) and served on Visit California’s PR Committee, demonstrating his commitment to advancing tourism and travel communications nationally and globally.

Most recently, Chris was named one of the “Top 25 Extraordinary Minds” for 2024 by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

As Chief AI Officer and SVP of Innovation at Brand USA, Janette spearheads AI-driven strategies to enhance tourism marketing, streamline internal operations, and foster innovation for the benefit of both Brand USA and the broader U.S. travel industry. Prior to joining NYC Tourism, she spent more than two decades marketing Broadway at organizations such as Broadway.com and AKA, a global leader in entertainment advertising and strategy. She is a two-time Ironman, a LinkedIn Top Voice, an expert advisor for the European and U.S. cohorts of the “AI Opener for Destinations” program, and was named a 2024 Influential #Eventprof by Northstar Meetings Group.

Malcolm Smith is a Senior Executive in Global Markets, Trade Development, and Tourism Strategy with over 25 years of experience. As the Senior Vice President of Global Markets and Chief Trade and Product Development Officer at Brand USA, Smith leads a global team driving international engagement and inbound tourism.

Previously, Smith served as Senior Vice President of Business Development at the U.S. Travel Association, where Smith led the industry’s marquee international inbound trade show, IPW, facilitating over 100,000 business appointments, which generated more than $5.5B in future travel to the USA.

Smith has a proven track record of success in the travel industry, with expertise in destination marketing at Travel Texas, hospitality sales at Kimpton Hotels, and strategic planning at Suncoast Global Strategy. Smith holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas Tech University and a Master of Arts in International Relations from St. Mary’s University (TX).

Cassady Bailey is vice president, partner engagement & marketing for Brand USA, the public-private partnership responsible for launching the United States’ first-ever nationally coordinated tourism marketing effort. Cassady heads up interactions with Brand USA’s expanding network of nearly 500 partners. Her department assists partners with cooperative-marketing opportunities and manages efforts to attain targeted levels of partner contributions and renewals. These continued efforts have great success as Cassady and her team have a 94-percent partner retention rate.

Cassady joined Brand USA in October of 2012 as a business-development assistant and subsequently moved into the roles of partner service representative and partner services manager. Previously, Bailey interned at the U.S. Travel Association, where she assisted with conference planning. Prior to moving to Washington, D.C., she was a ticket writer for the Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she accepted bets for the race & sports book.

Cassady earned her Master of Tourism Administration from The George Washington University in 2012 and her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from West Virginia University in 2005.

Outside of the office, Cassady enjoys whitewater rafting in her home state of West Virginia and is an avid Washington Nationals baseball fan.

Jackie Ennis is vice president, global trade development for Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization with the mission of increasing international visitation to the United States, fueling the nation’s economy and enhancing the image of the USA worldwide. In this role, Jackie leads Brand USA’s trade engagement and marketing efforts, manage Brand USA’s global offices, and continue to effectively work to optimize trade and consumer reach around the world.

Jackie joined Brand USA in August of 2018 as senior director, global trade development after working as a consultant with the organization’s global trade team and became instrumental in strategic development of our trade initiatives. Jackie was previously responsible for the international marketing strategy for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. She also was the executive director for Discover New England, where she developed the successful business-to-business international marketplace which is considered one of the most valuable business opportunities for the New England hospitality industry in marketing the region to international travelers. Her other previous positions included principal of Ennis Marketing; director and international marketing manager for Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing; and product manager for Saga Holidays.

An avid traveler, Jackie has lived in three countries as has visited 29 countries, 28 states, and the District of Columbia. She loves tennis and is semi-fluent in Spanish. She is married with two children.

Jackie received her bachelor’s in international relations and Spanish from the University of Warwick, England.

Chelsea Benitez is Senior Director, Research & Analytics for Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization with the mission of increasing international visitation to the United States, fueling the nation’s economy and enhancing the image of the USA worldwide. In this role, Chelsea supports international marketing efforts through the development, direction, and implementation of consumer research and analysis for Brand USA.

Prior to joining Brand USA, Chelsea worked as the director of research at Destination Analysts, a market research company where Chelsea was responsible for the development, oversight, and implementation of market research strategies for projects on behalf of the clients. Chelsea also spent over eight years at the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention board as the director of tourism insights, overseeing all tourism related research and data analysis. Chelsea currently is a board member of the Travel and Tourism Research Association and is a 2018 California Travel Association 30 & Under Emerging Leader Award recipient.

She received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from University of California, Santa Cruz. Chelsea is a proud third generation Angeleno who is always avidly rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers. She loves spending time in the warm California sun with her husband and rescue dog, Ouzo.

Peter Dodge is senior director, public affairs for Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization with a mission of increasing international visitation to the United States, fueling the nation’s economy, and enhancing the image of the USA worldwide. In this role, Peter functions as a liaison with all levels of government and manages outreach efforts with key stakeholders to promote and advance Brand USA’s mission, raise visibility worldwide for the organization, and build community engagement. Peter first joined Brand USA in April 2017 as senior coordinator, public policy and public affairs.

Prior to working at Brand USA, Peter served as a legislative assistant to a Member of Congress from South Carolina, advising him on a host of policy issues, including those related to travel and tourism.

In his free time, Peter serves as the president of the South Carolina State Society in Washington, DC and is an active member of the General Society of Colonial Wars.

The son of a retired Air Force officer, he has lived in three countries – Germany, England, and the United States. While he calls the Lowcountry of South Carolina “home,” he has also resided in Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Florida – as well as Washington, DC.

Peter received his bachelor’s degree in American politics and rhetoric at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and his J.D. at the Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida.