Alexandria's Tourism Chief Leaving for North Carolina

Stephanie Pace Brown, the head of the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association, is leaving in June to take a job in North Carolina.

ACVA President and CEO Brown will head the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Brown has been Alexandria’s top tourism official since 2007. During her tenure, visitor spending has increased 17 percent—more than doubling the average growth in Virginia and neighboring jurisdictions, according to ACVA.

Brown implemented research and redeveloped Alexandria’s tourism brand, and the new theme “Shop, Dine & Celebrate on America’s Historic Main Streets” was introduced. VisitAlexandriaVA.com now attracts more than 1 million visits annually.

“Stephanie has done a fabulous job for Alexandria,” Mayor Bill Euille said. “Tourism in the city has grown significantly under her outstanding leadership, generating more than $22 million in city tax revenue annually. We appreciate that she has created a truly remarkable organization, and we wish her every success in Asheville.”