The Finger Lakes Visitors Connection will have a new leader, its second in a little over a year.
Tracey Dello Stritto will serve as the Ontario County tourism promotion agency’s next president and CEO, effective Aug. 3.
Dello Stritto, who has served as president and CEO of the Ontario County Chamber of Commerce since 2023, will succeed Alicia M. Richie.
Richie succeeded Valerie Knoblauch, the agency’s longtime leader who retired last year after 40 years of leadership and service to the Finger Lakes region. Richie, who came to Ontario County after serving as first deputy executive director of the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, is poised to be the next executive director of the Brandywine Valley in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
According to Krista Gleason, chair of the board of directors of the Ontario County Chamber of Commerce, board members will meet this week to discuss appointing an interim leader, who would start Aug. 1, while a search is conducted for the next president and CEO. That search will start immediately, Gleason said.
More about Tracey Dello Stritto
Dello Stritto led the development and implementation of the Chamber of Commerce’s strategic and marketing plans, managed signature programs such as Leadership Ontario, and promoted local businesses through community partnerships, advocacy efforts and other initiatives.
In a prepared statement, Dello Stritto said that during the past several years, she had the privilege of championing the business community and added she is honored to build on that work at the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection.
“As someone born and raised here, I know what makes this community such a special place to live, work and play,” Dello Stritto stated. “With Ontario County experiencing remarkable growth and opportunity, I look forward to collaborating with our community and business partners to strengthen our visitor economy, support local businesses, and inspire even more people to experience everything our county has to offer.”
Prior to joining the Chamber, Dello Stritto served as executive director of the Partnership for Ontario County, now known as Ontario Cares. She also served as executive director of the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, communications and club manager at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, and direct-to-consumer manager at Red Jacket Orchards.
“Her experience leading high-impact and community focused initiatives will contribute to FLVC’s mission of promoting Ontario County tourism and driving economic impact to our destination,” Finger Lakes Visitors Connection Board Chair David Hutchings said in a statement.
Gleason said in a statement that Dello Stritto has positioned the business organization at the forefront of economic development, workforce leadership development, and advocacy.
“It’s no surprise to us that FLVC has seen this impact and offered her an opportunity to bring her leadership to the tourism industry,” Gleason stated. “FLVC is a longtime Chamber partner, and we look forward to working with Tracey in her new position. Our Chamber board thanks Tracey for her indelible contributions and for being an absolute joy to work with.”
More about Alicia Richie
Richie is praised for her invaluable service and contributions, and under her leadership, the Visitors Connection experienced a chapter of growth and evolution, according to Charles Parkhurst, Finger Lakes Visitors Connection board representative Charles Parkhurst.
Richie led key advancements at Visit Finger Lakes, including a new data partnership with economic development to measure tourism’s economic impact and a countywide digital asset management platform to strengthen destination marketing, Parkhurst said.
How important is tourism to Ontario County?
Traveler spending in Ontario County accounted for an economic impact of $341 million in 2023, according to data compiled as part of a Tourism Economics report, released by I Love NY and Empire State Development.
Such spending set a record in the county and the growth was the second highest noted in the Finger Lakes region, officials with the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection said at the time.
In 2023, tourism’s economic impact was $4.382 billion in the 14-county Finger Lakes region. Ontario County’s contribution makes up 8% of the total for the region, largest behind Rochester and Syracuse.
The report noted that the tourism industry is responsible for 4,696 jobs in Ontario County, the largest outside of the metropolitan areas of Rochester and Syracuse. The number represents 9% of the region’s employment base. Tourism in Ontario County generated $157 million in direct, indirect and induced labor income.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. He can be reached at mmurphy@messengerpostmedia.com. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Tracey Dello Stritto named new head of Finger Lakes tourism agency
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
