October 17, 2006

Contact: Deborah Wakefield
503.275.9795
Deborah@travelportland.com

NEWS RELEASE: Jeff Miller Chosen to Lead Travel Portland

The Travel Portland's (POVA) board of directors announced today that Jeff Miller has been chosen to serve as the agency's new president and CEO. Miller currently works as general manager of the Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Commission (MERC), the agency responsible for managing several of the area's largest public venues, including the Oregon Convention Center, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center.

Miller, whose official start date is Nov. 13, 2006, succeeds Joe D'Alessandro, who was appointed president and CEO of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau last July.

In his new role, Miller will assume leadership for Oregon's largest destination marketing organization. Travel Portland has a staff of 50 full-time employees and an annual budget of nearly $8 million. The mission of the agency is to boost the region's economy by positioning the area as a preferred destination for meetings, conventions and leisure travel.

"As the general manager of MERC, Jeff was one of our primary partners in booking citywide convention business for Portland," said Carol J. Lentz, executive vice president of services and operations and POVA's interim president. "He knows the region, he knows what meeting planners are looking for, and he certainly knows our venues. He's going to be a great fit."

Nancy Stueber, president of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and POVA's 2006-2007 board chair, echoed those thoughts. "The selection committee reviewed the credentials of several strong candidates from across the U.S.," she said. "Ultimately, however, we hit the gold mine - in terms of experience, relationships and expertise - in our own backyard."

Miller takes control of a strong association that annually wins awards for excellence in customer service, meeting planning and publication development. His primary duties will be to develop and sustain partnerships that allow Travel Portland to maximize both its budget and the resulting economic impact; to create and guide - with assistance from the board - the agency's vision; to oversee POVA's strategic business plan; and to serve as a public face for the organization. Many of these responsibilities are similar to those he handled during his tenure at MERC.

Prior to joining MERC in February 2005, Miller was a retail executive with 20 years experience, including 13 as general manager of Saks Fifth Avenue in Portland. In addition to running a successful, service-focused enterprise at Saks, Miller also supported numerous community causes, including the Cascade AIDS Project. Under Miller's leadership, Saks significantly expanded its retail presence in Portland and increased sales by 83 percent.

Miller's current community involvement includes work with the Portland Business Alliance and a seat on the Advisory Board for the Cascade AIDS Project. He holds a bachelor in arts degree from King College in Bristol, Tenn., and has earned certificates in advanced leadership training from the Center for Creative Leadership. ###

To request a photo of Jeff Miller, please contact Deborah Wakefield at 503.275.9795 or deborah@travelportland.com.

POVA is a nonprofit independent association whose mission is to strengthen the region's economy by marketing the metropolitan Portland area as a preferred destination for meetings, conventions and leisure travel.