Discover The Palm Beaches Appoints Milton Segarra as President and CEO
Segarra will replace the retiring Jorge Pesquera, who led the organization for the past 16 years
Posted On: September 19, 2023 By :Discover The Palm Beaches, the official tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County, has announced the appointment of Milton Segarra as president and chief executive officer, effective October 1 and the start of the TEAMS Conference & Expo in the Florida destination.
Segarra will succeed industry veteran Jorge Pesquera, who has led the organization for the past 16 years. Since joining the destination in the fall of 2022 as chief marketing officer, Segarra has led the marketing team through the approval of a “success continuation plan” that accelerated the implementation of promotional efforts for Discover The Palm Beaches. Tourism’s economic impact in Palm Beach County surpassed $10 billion in 2022 for the first time.
“I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Jorge Pesquera, who truly has been a remarkable leader and accomplished so much for Palm Beach County and the tourism industry overall,” said Segarra. “I am excited to continue to work with an incredibly talented and diverse team, a terrific board and a wonderful community to position The Palm Beaches as one of the world’s premier tourist destinations. I genuinely believe this destination is second to none and look forward to major achievements and milestones in the years ahead.”
Prior to his role with Discover The Palm Beaches, Segarra led the Coastal Mississippi Tourism Board, where he helped create a community-built brand, Coastal Mississippi. He also helped create the Mississippi Destination Marketing Organization Association, which implemented statewide efforts to secure federal COVID-19 funds for tourism.
Previously, he was president and chief executive officer at Meet Puerto Rico, where he oversaw advertising and public relations campaign strategies and a network of representation offices in the U.S. and Europe. Segarra’s background also includes tenure as executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and a cabinet position as secretary of economic development for Puerto Rico. Segarra has experience in the hotel industry where he held senior sales, revenue and marketing positions with Hilton Hotels and Resorts, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts and Sands Hotels and Casinos.
“Milton is a seasoned and proven leader with decades of experience, having delivered significant results, growth in revenue, and advancing tourism at other successful destinations,” said Jason Emmett, chair of Discover The Palm Beaches’ board of directors. “I am certain he will continue that trajectory in The Palm Beaches. I know that the board is fully confident that his strategic approach and organizational knowledge will advance our vision of positioning The Palm Beaches as Florida’s premier travel destination and further solidify our brand as America’s First Resort Destination.”
Segarra will focus on several initiatives in 2023–2024, including transforming The Palm Beaches visitor experience and brand evolution with marketing technology. He will also work on the launch of a new brand campaign and build on previous marketing, sales, community engagement and organizational sustainability initiatives.
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