31 -Year Veteran of Visit Salt Lake Mark White Announces Retirement

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31 -Year Veteran of Visit Salt Lake Mark White Announces Retirement

4/23/2024
SALT LAKE CITY – After more than a 31-plus-year successful and storied career, Visit Salt Lake (VSL) is proud to honor industry veteran Mark White on his retirement in May. Mark most recently served as Chief Sales & Experience Officer.

“Mark’s departure is truly bittersweet as his list of contributions to Visit Salt Lake is endless,” said Kaitlin Eskelson, president & CEO of Visit Salt Lake. “From development of the Ski Salt Lake brand and Super Pass product to overseeing the sales department’s record bookings of more than 947,000 room nights in 2023, Mark leaves a true legacy of leadership and vision behind.”

Mark White

Mark is incredibly proud of his many accomplishments and the staff he’s mentored over the years. “While this change is bittersweet, I know I leave Visit Salt Lake’s valued clients in incredibly capable hands. I am confident this team is ready to take the baton and run with it,” said White. “I’m really looking forward to spending more time skiing, cycling, whitewater kayaking, making music, and traveling.”

VSL’s seasoned Vice President of Sales Tyson Lybbert will be stepping into the role of Chief Sales Officer and veteran industry professional Julie Rhoads is being promoted to Chief Services Officer. VSL’s sports division, which Mark founded before sports tourism was a “thing,” is managed by Clay Partain, the Executive Director of Sports Salt Lake. This division’s focus is attracting and managing youth and amateur sports events. Partain has been newly named VSL’s Chief Sports Officer.

After competing on the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, earning his MBA from Utah State University, and working in the investment and banking industries, Mark was hired as Visit Salt Lake’s first Director Ski Tourism. In that role, he attracted hundreds of ski clubs and tour operators to the area and developed the interchangeable Super Pass which allows skiers to access Alta, Brighton, Snowbird and Solitude with a single pass. He also hosted the weekly Ski Utah! program on KSL-TV to promote the state’s winter sports industry. He later assumed the role of Director of Conventions & Sports Events and in 2002, became Visit Salt Lake’s Chief Sales Officer. He’s been intimately involved in securing thousands of events that contribute several hundred million dollars to the local economy every year.

Some of the more notable events include Outdoor Retailer, American Society of Association Executives, National Brotherhood of Skiers, Rotary International, Meeting Planners International, USA Volleyball, United Nations, and Parliament for the World’s Religions.

While at Visit Salt Lake, Mark served on numerous boards and committees, including the Utah Ski Association, Discovery Gateway Childrens Museum, Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, American Whitewater, Utah Rivers Council, and Destinations International.

About Visit Salt Lake
Visit Salt Lake is a private, non-profit corporation responsible for the promotion of Salt Lake as a convention, meetings, sports events and travel destination. In partnership with Salt Lake County, Visit Salt Lake improves the area economy by attracting and providing support to conventions, leisure travelers and visitors with a strong commitment to sustainability and stewardship of the area’s natural environment. Through its sales and marketing programs, Visit Salt Lake’s impact on Salt Lake’s annual $4.5 billion visitor economy equates to $1,238 in tax relief for each household within Salt Lake County. For more information on all that Salt Lake has to offer, go to www.visitsaltlake.com.

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