Broward County is shopping for a new face of Fort Lauderdale tourism, years before the current boss walks out the door.
The county has launched a nationwide search for a new president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale after Stacy Ritter, who has led the tourism bureau since 2016, announced she will step down on May 31, 2027. The job, posted in mid May, comes with a public salary in the mid six figures and hands the next hire control of destination marketing, convention sales and a super‑sized convention campus. With a long‑planned headquarters hotel finally open, county leaders say the incoming chief will be expected to turn that fresh room inventory into serious group business and stronger leisure demand.
County Administrator Monica Cepero has called the opening “a phenomenal opportunity” to grow Broward’s convention and leisure footprint, and local officials are signaling they want a visible, industry fluent executive, not a political placeholder, according to the Sun Sentinel. Commissioners and tourism veterans interviewed by the paper underscored how big the job has become and why the timing of the handoff matters.
What the job pays and requires
The county’s official job posting, dated May 19, lists a salary range of $155,771.77 to $248,612.45 and outlines duties that include overall destination marketing, convention and group sales, partnership building and financial oversight, according to Broward County. The bulletin notes that the president and CEO will report to the county administrator and is charged with lifting hotel occupancy, boosting convention bookings and improving the county’s return on tourism investment. Broward has tapped executive search firm SearchWide Global to run a national recruitment.
Convention center expansion raises the stakes
One big reason this hire carries extra weight is the newly expanded Broward County Convention Center campus. The complex now tops more than 1.2 million square feet and features a 65,000 square foot waterfront ballroom and a 6.5 acre outdoor plaza aimed squarely at drawing larger, more lucrative events. The adjacent Omni Fort Lauderdale, a 29 story, 801 room headquarters hotel that opened late last year, now anchors the campus, according to Omni Hotels & Resorts and reporting in ConventionSouth. That new supply gives Visit Lauderdale fresh muscle to chase midweek group business, and it also raises expectations for hard numbers to follow.
What county leaders are looking for
Local officials told reporters they want a market minded leader who can knit together partnerships with hotels, cities and meeting planners, rather than someone simply filling a political slot, according to the Sun Sentinel. Tourism veterans, including former long time bureau chief Nicki Grossman, framed the choice as a make or break hire for turning the convention campus investment into repeat bookings and steady tax revenue.
Why this matters to hotels, planners and residents
Visit Lauderdale bills itself as the county’s primary marketing engine. The bureau produces market research and planning tools that hotel operators and event planners lean on to track visitor trends and map out business, according to Visit Lauderdale. County officials argue that the agency’s work helps capture convention and leisure dollars that support jobs and generate sales tax across Broward, which is part of why the county is advertising for a seasoned, strategic executive rather than a short term caretaker.
For now, applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. The county’s online job posting lists the role as open since May 19 with a continuous closing date and explains that hiring will move through the standard county process in tandem with the retained search firm. County leaders say they are planning for a deliberate search and an orderly transition before Ritter’s scheduled departure in 2027.
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