To help you get to know who’s who in Illinois tourism, ITN profiles an industry leader each month. This month, we introduce long-time industry member Roger Carmack, executive director of the Western Illinois Tourism Development Office and manager of the forthcoming Illinois Great Rivers Ride.

Roger Carmack is the executive director of the Western Illinois Tourism Development Office (WITDO) and has been for 16 years. In addition to being the WITDO director, he is also responsible for all 14 Illinois Tourist Information Centers throughout the state, directs the Illinois Great River Road National Scenic Byway, and is working in cooperation with Opportunity Returns, IDOT and IBOT to create the first-ever Illinois Great Rivers Ride – a 400-mile bike ride that will take 300 riders on a 7-day trip that begins in Rockford and traverses the Rock, Illinois and Mississippi rivers and ends at the Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton.

While under Carmack’s direction, WITDO received one of the first heritage grants from IBOT for the Illinois Great River Road, which was later established as one of the longest scenic byways in the United States. To find out more about the byway, visit www.greatriverroad-illinois.org.

Carmack and his staff are responsible for creating and printing the first statewide antique guide, which is in its second printing with a third printing coming out in August. They are also responsible for the beautiful Illinois Great River Road Guide that was made possible by a Federal Highway Administration grant and matching grants from IDOT and IBOT. Recently WITDO also just put the finishing touches on the new Western Illinois Official Visitors Guide that features all of the 25 counties serviced by the office.

In March, Carmack and Central Illinois’ Marge Heissinger co-chaired the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism’s silent auction. The auction, in combination with a live auction in which Carmack brought in a professional auctioneer, raised $18,000 — the highest amount ever raised through a Governor’s Conference auction. Proceeds from the auctions will be given back to the industry as scholarships for travel and tourism students.

With a strong sense of commitment to public service, Carmack was an alderman in Macomb having serving for eight years prior to resigning in 1997. He has also served on the Mississippi Parkway Commission (MRPC) and has represented the MRPC Illinois in Tokyo, Japan and Mexico City at various travel shows. He also was a board member of the Council of Area Regional Tourism Offices, a division of the Travel Industry Association of America, for seven years. He presently is a board member of Lafayette Square, a retirement home in Macomb...and is hoping not to become a resident in the near future!

In his spare time you can find him home working on his 2.5-acre lawn that is decked out with flowers and landscaping. Carmack also enjoys animals, especially the three cats that lounge around the WITDO office, while his favorite feline, Susie, tends to business at home.

Prior to being appointed executive director of the WITDO, Carmack owned and operated Scruples, a jewelry store where he hand-made and designed jewelry. Prior to the jewelry store, he owned and operated Damones, an upscale American restaurant in Macomb. Business ventures aside, inside and out, Carmack is a farm boy and revels in any kind of gardening, as well as buying and selling antiques. He still designs jewelry and appraises antiques for a hobby, and as the Illinois tourism industry will attest to, Carmack is a prize gem himself.