To help you get to know who’s who in Illinois tourism, ITN profiles an industry leader each month. This month, we introduce Nina Winston, executive director of Visit Illinois.

On April 3, Nina Winston became executive director of Visit Illinois, a federation of key public and private sector tourism organizations. The mission of Visit Illinois is to be a leading voice for Illinois tourism, develop educational programs for the tourism industry, communicate with state and local government leaders on the importance of tourism to the state’s economy, and provide informational resources for the industry on key topics and issues.

Winston’s appointment came on the heels of February’s successful 2006 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism, co-sponsored by the Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Tourism (DCEO/IBOT) and Visit Illinois, which hosted more than 600 attendees and raised more than $20,000 for tourism scholarships. She assumed the responsibilities of former Visit Illinois Executive Director Patrick Snyder.

“Illinois’ tourism industry is poised for incredible growth, and I am honored to be a leader in this field,” said Winston. “On behalf of Visit Illinois, I look forward to working with our public and private sector tourism partners across the state to build on our organization’s accomplishments as we become an even stronger resource for the industry.”

Before joining Visit Illinois, Winston was the director of strategic marketing partnerships at the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCTB). In that position, she developed and managed a wide range of marketing partnerships in the public and private sectors. Prior to her five-year tenure at the CCTB, Winston also held a variety of marketing positions at the Chicago Office of Tourism, a division of the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

Originally from Boston, Winston has lived in Chicago’s East Lakeview neighborhood for the past 15 years. She is a lifelong traveler whose journeys have taken her to Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, and throughout the United States. She is also an enthusiastic cook, enjoys kayaking, and is an avid baseball fan. Winston holds a B.A. from Chicago’s DePaul University.