ESTES PARK — Sarah Leonard, who has been executive director of Visit Longmont for nearly three years, will begin Dec. 1 as CEO of Visit Estes Park.
Leonard interviewed on Oct. 1 with the VEP board of directors, which then tentatively offered her the position and negotiated final contract terms. The board announced Leoard’s official appointment on Thursday.
Leonard was one of two finalists to become CEO of Visit Estes Park, the local marketing district for the tourism-dependent town at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, along with Tyler Daugherty, executive director of Explore Siouxland in Sioux City, Iowa.
“After conducting an extensive nationwide search, the board was thrilled to select Sarah for this critical leadership role,” Sean Jurgens, VEP’s board chair, said in a prepared statement. “Her strategic approach to sustainable tourism, community engagement, marketing and destination stewardship made her the perfect candidate. She brings a proven record of strong leadership, community collaboration, and a deep passion for tourism advocacy. She is going to be an incredible asset to our community.”
The CEO role at Visit Estes Park has been vacant for more than a year after Kara Franker, who had taken the job in May 2021, left for the Sunshine State to take the top job at the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, which promotes visitation in the Florida Keys.
Mike Zumbaugh, VEP’s chief financial officer, was appointed interim CEO while the organization sought a permanent leader. A leading candidate for the job had been Cindy Mackin, who had been hired by VEP as community engagement director in April 2024 after serving 12 years as director of Visit Loveland. However, on May 6 Mackin was placed on administrative leave because of undisclosed internal issues, and she resigned in August.
Leonard brings more than 20 years of tourism and destination-leadership experience to the organization.
While directing Visit Longmont, that organization signed a first-ever memorandum of understanding with the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County to support local tourism business owners and create awareness of the Longmont area as a diverse, culturally rich traveler destination. It also worked to gain support among Longmont officials to create and implement a tourism improvement district to raise money to promote the city to out-of-towners.
Before taking the Longmont job in January 2023 that had been vacant for more than a year after the departure of Nancy Rezac, Leonard spent 10 years as president and CEO of the Alaska Travel Industry Association, where her service included an advisory role with the National Parks Conservation Association. She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an emphasis on public relations and a master’s degree in recreation management and tourism from Arizona State University, then worked with Arizona State Parks.
“I’m honored to join the talented VEP team, its dedicated board and this vibrant community to promote one of Colorado’s most inspiring destinations,” Leonard said in a news release. “The opportunity to lead an organization at the heart of the community’s economic vitality and set within such an iconic setting near Rocky Mountain National Park is truly exciting. I look forward to listening, learning and working collaboratively to foster sustainable growth and a strong sense of place.”
Leonard’s initial focus will be on connecting with the VEP team, local businesses, residents, community partners, and government leaders to listen, learn and gain insights on their concerns and opportunities about tourism in Estes Park. She will also help guide the Tourism Master Plan, a five- to seven-year strategy for product development, marketing and destination stewardship in the Estes Valley.
“We are delighted to welcome Sarah as VEP’s new CEO,” said Estes Park Mayor Gary Hall. “She brings a remarkable wealth of knowledge and experience from across the travel and tourism industry, particularly in sustainability, government relations, brand stewardship and destination marketing and management. Her strategic, visionary, and humble leadership makes her the ideal individual to guide VEP to even greater heights.”
An avid outdoor enthusiast, Leonard enjoys hiking, walking and fly-fishing with her husband, and is currently honing her golf skills. As a self-proclaimed “casual foodie” who loves exploring new recipes, she also cherishes antiquing and spending time with her son, a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder, and their family “baby dog,” Kumu.
According to VEP, tourism is the leading economic driver in the Estes Park Local Marketing District, generating $510.8 million in direct travel spending in 2024 as well as $29 million in local tax revenue, a 2.4% increase over 2023. Tourism supported 3,419 local jobs and contributed to 82% of the town’s sales tax revenue.
According to a VEP news release, “without tourism, each resident household would pay an extra $5,110 annually to sustain public services and support workforce housing and child-care solutions. Every day, visitors inject $1.4 million into the local economy and generate $79,452 in local tax revenue, helping to sustain the quality of life and amenities that make Estes Park such a vibrant place to live, work and visit.”
Read more on Boulder Daily Camera
