Spring-Summer 2024 Visitor Guide

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    Who We Are

    The St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission is a public, quasi-governmental agency created on Nov. 18, 1976. The commission is governed by a seven-member board of directors appointed by the St. Tammany Parish Council and Parish President. In other destinations, our organization may be called a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) or Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

    Our Vision:

    The vision of the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission is to establish St. Tammany Parish as a premier travel destination.

    Our Mission:

    To market and promote St. Tammany Parish as a highly desirable destination for visitors and thereby increase the economic impact of tourism on the area.

    Official St. Tammany Parish Visitor Center

    The office is located in Mandeville on Highway 59 just north of Interstate 12 (Exit 65). Stop by to pick up a visitor guide, brochures, and information about attractions across Louisiana. Be sure to stretch your legs on the surrounding boardwalk; the center was erected over a native swamp filled with trees, bushes, and plants native to Southeast Louisiana.

    St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission
    68099 Highway 59
    Mandeville, LA 70471
    The Visitor Center is open Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30 p.m.

    Local: 985-892-0520
    Toll-free: 800-634-9443
    Fax: 985-892-1441
    Contact Us

    St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce 2024 President Investor

    The Northshore is for Everyone

    As an organization founded with the vision to establish St. Tammany Parish as a premier travel destination, Visit The Northshore is committed to promoting a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for everyone, and believe everyone should have equal opportunities and access to services, regardless of racial/ethnic background, ability, neurodiversity, body size, language, socioeconomic status, citizenship, land of origin, faith, religious, and/or spiritual affiliation, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age or marital status.

    Visit The Northshore is dedicated to welcoming individuals and groups of all backgrounds and abilities in its internal and external approaches to sales, marketing, communications, media relations, administration, recruitment, and community engagement.

    We’ve made strides, and we’re committed to keep improving.

    We are committed to listening, learning and growing to ensure that we’re contributing to a community that’s safe, welcoming and representative of all locals and visitors. To help visitors discover the joy of everyday life in St. Tammany Parish, we seek out a diverse mix of industry partners, vendors and photography subjects who are representative of the diversity in our local communities to tell stories that resonate.

    We aim to create opportunities for advancement in a diverse hospitality industry and are committed to broadening awareness internally to make a more fulfilling place to work while enhancing engagement with those who visit. Each member of our team has completed diversity training and certification by Travel Unity, a group that works with organizations in the world of travel to broaden their social inclusion efforts. We have established a guest blogger program that is inclusive of more voices. All senior leadership positions are held by women, and we are working with industry groups on ways to diversify our board and committees.

          

    Team Members
     

    Donna O'Daniels - President and CEO
    Rae Shipley - Executive Assistant
    Devan Richoux, CPA - Vice President, Finance and Administration
    Katie Guasco - Chief Marketing Officer
    Tanya Leader - Vice President, Sales
    Zondra White Jones - Senior Sales Manager
    Roberta Carrow Jackson - Multimedia Content Manager
    Erica Glory - Communications Manager
    Sarah Hill - Marketing Manager
    Louise Lovich, CTS - Visitor Services Specialist
    Visitor Services | Certified Travel Specialists:
    Christy Paulsell, Annette Shurtz, Sheila Nolinske

     

    Visit The Northshore staff

    Board of Directors
     

    Marlaine Peachey - Commission Chair
    Patti Ellish - Commission Vice-Chair
    Alex Carollo - Commission Secretary/Treasurer
    Barry Bagert - Commissioner
    Melissa Ruddick  - Commissioner
    Mark Myers - Commissioner
    Katherine Diemont Domingue - Commissioner

    St. Tammany Tourist Commission Board of Directors and staff

     

    2023 Annual Report
    Upcoming Meeting Dates
    Proposed 2nd Amended Budget 2023
    Bylaws
    Employment Opportunities

     

    Industry & Recognition

    Visit The Northshore is fully accredited by the globally recognized Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). In 2023 we received Level One Certification from Travel Unity, a charitable non-profit focused on increasing diversity in the world of travel. We are a member of the Travel Unity Alliance, the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations focused on travel and economic development. Our staff is affiliated with numerous service, community development and travel industry organizations.

    DMAP Seal         Travel Unity Alliance Bronze Member Badge       Certified By Travel Unity Level One Badge

     

    We have been recognized with top awards from industry organizations across the country.

     

    2023 Recognition:

    • All staff earned their Travel Unity Individual Certificate.

    • Certified by Travel Unity (CBTU) organization Level One certification.

    • Katie Guasco named a 2023 Chevron Community Fellow.

    • Sarah Hill named a 2023 Forty Under 40 recipient by Northshore Media Group.

    • Roberta Carrow Jackson graduated from the Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy.

    • Sarah Hill graduated from Leadership Northshore.

    • Erica Glory graduated from Leadership St. Tammany.

    • Zondra White Jones recognized in Small Market Meetings' Spotlight on Meeting Leaders.

    • Southern Living Magazine's "South’s Best" for Covington, LA.

    • USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice awards for The Candy Bank.

    • ConventionSouth Readers' Choice Award.

     

    Industry Awards:

    Southeast Tourism Society – An association dedicated to promoting festivals and events in addition to supporting travel and tourism within its member states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC.

    • 2023 Signature Events of the Southeast for Wooden Boat Festival

    • 2023 Signature Events of the Southeast for Hospice Foundation of the South's Crawfish Cook-off

    • 2019 Shining Example Award, Best Marketing Award >$500K

    • 2018 Shining Example Award, Tourism Office of the Year

     

    Louisiana Travel Association "Louey" Awards

    • 2024: Marion "Butch" Fox Advocacy Award – Donna O'Daniels, President/CEO; Rising Star of the Year – Erica Glory, Communications Manager; and Restaurateur of the Year – Liz Munson

    • 2023: Victor Profis Memorial Travel Media Award – Katie Guasco

    • 2022: Outstanding CVB/Tourist Commission of the Year, Budget of $1 Million and Above, and Restaurateur of the Year – Chef Pat Gallagher

    • 2019: Outstanding CVB/Tourist Commission of the Year, Budget of $1 Million and Above

    • 2018: Tourism Campaign/Promotion of the Year

    • 2016: Tourism Campaign/Promotion of the Year

    • 2011: CVB/Tourist Commission of the Year, Budget from $750,000 and Higher

     

    North American Travel Journalists Association

    • 2023 Gold Award, Visitors' Guide

    • 2020 Bronze Award, Visitors' Guide

     

    The Communicator Awards

    • 2024 Award of Distinction for Print Content - Travel & Transportation, Fall '23-Winter '24 Visitor Guide

     

    City-County Communications & Marketing Association

    • 1st Place, National Savvy Award, Social Media Marketing

    • 2012: 2nd Place/Silver Circle Award, Most Innovative Marketing for social media efforts in the Train of Hope Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts for New Jersey (joint award)

     

    Sports Events Media Group

    • 2018 Readers' Choice Award

     

    How We Are Funded

    A three percent hotel occupancy tax funds the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission. We also receive 25% of the four percent state sales tax levied on lodging. Our organization does not receive any funding from St. Tammany Parish resident taxes.

    Current Sexual Harassment Policy
     

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    © 2024 The Northshore

    68099 Highway 59
    Mandeville, Louisiana 70471
    800.634.9443 | VisitTheNorthshore.com