Cortland County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Founded in 1919, Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance is recognized as one of the oldest destination marketing organizations in the United States. We are an association of private-sector attractions, tourism-related businesses and county tourism offices working together to enhance and promote visitor businesses for the 9, 000 square-mile Finger Lakes region of New York State. Cynthia Kimble, the former President of the Schuyler County Chamber of Commerce, was selected as FLTA's President in November of 2007. Kimble brings years of experience in marketing and financial management to her new post. She spent nearly 14 years at the Canandaigua Area Chamber of Commerce as Vice President, Financial Manager and BlueCross/Blue Shield Administrator. She also served as a Risk Management Supervisor for Paychex. Kimble holds a B.S. degree in Business Management from St. John Fisher College. Scott joined the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance as Director of Marketing in December of 2008. A lifelong resident of the Finger Lakes Region, Scott is responsible for the overall marketing and public relations strategy of the organization. He will also partner with other tourism promotion agencies within the region to increase the visibility of and visitation to the area. Scott joins the FLTA by way of Designworks Advertising in Syracuse, New York where he was an Account Executive for several local and national clients. He also served several years as Marketing Director for Schuyler Hospital in Montour Falls and has a Bachelor's degree in Communication from SUNY Geneseo. Mary Lou has been recognized as the marketing and promotional expert by our Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance Partners for the past 17 years. She has been helping our cherished partners maximize their exposure by adequately highlighting the allure of their respective businesses. In addition to her marketing talent, her dedication is unmatched. As a lifelong resident of Penn Yan, Mary Lou also has a well developed knowledge of the intricacies, and overall beauty of New York's Finger Lakes region. From local wineries, restaurants, gift shops, and various other merchants, she has shown diligence in recruiting only the highest quality businesses in the Finger Lakes region. Her hard work has aided in the success of our partners, as well as helping our visitors and residents make the most of their time in the Finger Lakes. A graduate of Keuka College with a bachelor's degree in hospitality management, Michelle was with Five-Star Bank for more than six years as a customer service representative. She is on the board of directors for Pennsylvania Yankee Theatre Company. She also sings with the Yates County Community Choir. Alison joined the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance in October 2005 as Publications Coordinator. She is responsible for key print publications such as the travel guide, mini-guide, group-tour planner, and many others. She is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA in graphic design. Jack has over 25 years of experience as an IT Professional in both large and small corporations as well as IT experience in Direct Marketing with Catalyst Direct of Rochester, NY. He also has other unique, tourism & marketing related work experience with the wine industry, Ski resorts in in Killington VT, and a Atlantic City hotel and casino. Originally from Syracuse, Jack has lived and worked in the Finger Lakes area since 1979, and now resides in Canandaigua with his wife.

The Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau offers various products and services, such as preconference planning, sample tour itineraries, multimedia maps, registration assistance and computerized central housing systems. It also offers videos, photographs, electronic images, logos and other materials for tours. Additionally, it operates several programs that offer training to Onondaga County hospitality industry employees. Its programs include classroom sessions with role-playing and group brainstorming activities. It also includes familiarization tours of the community. Located in Syracuse, N.Y., the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau is a part of the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, a broad-based association, which represents more than 2,000 businesses from various industries.