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ATA eNewsletter July 2009
Board Member Highlight
With the intent of unveiling areas that show us Board members' passion and unique background in the tourism industry, the Board Member Highlight is designed to better familiarize members with the personalities and opinions of key leaders. This month, we are pleased to feature Greg W. Gilstrap, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Arizona Tourism Alliance.
Greg has served as Chairman of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Arizona Tourism Alliance for the last two terms and will be honorably stepping down this July as Chairman. Greg is recognized not only as a great leader in the tourism industry with his years of experience but also for his committed and active involvement with ATA staff and members. He has always gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide the support and guidance needed during the transitional phases ATA has gone through in the past few years. With great appreciation, Greg, we thank you for your time, energy and dedication you have put into strengthening and improving the Arizona Tourism Alliance. He is on indefinite medical leave from his Chief Marketing Officer Position at Madden Media, as he fights a challenging cervical and lumbar spine-related medical condition. Previously, Greg served as the Cabinet Secretary of the Arizona Office of Tourism and as the Director of the Kansas Travel and Tourism Division. After leaving the Arizona Office of Tourism, he was CEO of Nichols Gilstrap, Inc. for eight years. The Phoenix-based firm was a national leader in providing strategic planning, marketing, and research services to the travel and tourism industry. Early in his career, Greg worked as a television producer/anchor and appeared in Screen Actors Guild speaking roles in the motion picture Kansas and television mini-series Cross of Fire.
Q: If you could have any job what would you be doing? A: It has always been a goal of mine to be involved in, or lead, organizations that are committed to delivering great products and services and to serving in roles where I can personally make a difference. I have been extremely blessed to have been involved in work that meets such goals throughout my professional career. Because this orientation has continually proven to be fulfilling and allowed me to successfully care for my family, I’ll likely stick with these goals in the future. Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting in our industry? A: I could write a book answering that question. So, I’ll just give you one of my favorite recommendations: “Never work to the level at which you are currently being paid.” The tourism industry offers a wide variety of reward packages, ranging from extremely conservative pay for entry level positions to incredibly lucrative compensation for many executives. The people I have seen who have experienced the greatest level of success in this area are those who consistently deliver results and efforts far beyond what others might generally expect of someone making similar pay. Those who assume an “I’m not getting paid to do that” attitude tend to be individuals who never get the kind of opportunities for which they ultimately aspire. The people who are often quoted as saying, or acting like, “I’ll do more when I get paid more” are almost always viewed as offering empty promises to the best decision makers. Q: What is one thing you could not live without? A: Faith. Again, I could (or should) write a book on this. Without boring those who’d rather I not go to great lengths answering this question, let me just communicate that all my other priorities and goals are rooted in my belief and trust in my Christian faith.
Q: When you’re not working, what do you love to do the most? A: Amongst other things:
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