Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands March 12, 2013 –  Although the buzz in Cayman surrounds the government elections taking place in May, the non-profit Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) is also in the process of soliciting nominations for the CITA Board of Director elections which will take place April 17, 2013. Jane van der Bol of the CITA says, “we are looking for some of the strong leaders from within CITA membership who wish to help steer the future of tourism in the Cayman Islands”.

Nominations are due by 4:00pm on March 18, 2013, with the CITA Board of Director election taking place at the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort on April 17th 2013 from 3:00pm – 5:30pm, with a cocktail reception to follow. There are a total of 10 seats open out of the 14 seats on the board. The following board members will be serving their second term in 2013/14, as they received the highest votes in the last election:

Sherry Lee (Condo/Villa), Brian Krug (Transportation), Steven Hayes (Restaurants) and  Ken Hydes (Cruise).

Any CITA member business that is in good standing with the association and has been a member for at least one year is eligible to be nominated for a Board of Directors position, with the support of five member signatures. There are 14 board seats available representing the various CITA sectors: hotel, condo/villa, watersports, transportation, restaurants, cruise, sister islands and allied sector, which represents numerous businesses in the community that are directly or indirectly supported by tourism (e.g. retailers, developers, wholesalers etc.) When one stops to think about it, there are very few businesses on the island that are not supported by tourism in one way or another, as tourism is one of the two economic pillars of the Cayman Islands.

CITA’s Board of Directors have always been strong leaders, not only in their own businesses but also within the community. They contribute their knowledge and expertise in tourism by directing the CITA. Directors set goals for the upcoming membership year ahead while working closely with government bodies to tackle issues such as safety, air arrivals, tourism product development, cost of doing business and education in addition to working alongside CI Department of Tourism (government) on international destination promotions that promote CITA member businesses and the destination as a whole.

CITA’s AGM will feature the association’s annual report presented by the CITA executive director Jane van der Bol, as well as reports by the board members, treasurer and a speech by the president. The elections take place at the beginning of the AGM, when members cast their votes for the final selection of the 2013/14 Board of Directors. During the presentations, the votes are tallied behind the scenes, and at the end of the meeting, the new board is announced. Attendees of the AGM will also have an opportunity to “Mix N’ Mingle” after the meeting’s adjournment during a small cocktail reception which is an excellent opportunity for the membership to network.

CITA encourages more businesses to get involved and become a member of the CITA and help contribute to the success of the association and tourism! “We welcome businesses in the community that would like to learn more about the CITA to attend the annual general meeting in order to get a better sense of what the association is all about. We also encourage you to ask our members and staff about the association and about the benefits of CITA membership” said Jane van der Bol, CITA executive director. All CITA Members are welcome to attend this event, and paid members will be eligible to vote for the 2013/14’s Board of Directors. For more information contact the CITA at 345-949-8522 or email [email protected]

PHOTO executive director Jane van der Bol