After a year-long search and behind-the-scenes political maneuvering, Choose Chicago, the city's tourism marketing agency, has appointed Kristen Reynolds as its new President and CEO. This decision comes after Mayor Brandon Johnson faced pressure to appoint an ally to the position, which is known as the highest-paid public position in Chicago.
Reynolds brings 27 years of tourism leadership experience to Chicago, most recently serving as CEO of Discover Long Island in New York for the past decade. She will be responsible for promoting Chicago against other cities with significantly larger marketing budgets.
While Chicago has seen growth in both business and leisure travel, it has yet to reach the record numbers recorded before the pandemic. Reynolds acknowledged this challenge, stating, "The numbers say the city has not recovered to where we want it to be. That’s why I’m here."
The Search Process and Political Interference
Reynolds' hiring concludes a search that extended over a year, marked by tension between Choose Chicago's board of business leaders and Mayor Johnson. The board sought a tourism veteran with a proven track record, while sources indicated that the mayor advocated for hiring an ally with no experience in the tourism industry. It was reported that Johnson had tried to persuade board members to hire Deputy Mayor Kenya Merritt, a long-time city employee.
Glenn Eden, board chair at Choose Chicago, clarified that Merritt was never formally offered as a CEO candidate. He emphasized that the board insisted on selecting someone with "the DNA of the industry in their background."
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Johnson hailed Reynolds as a “proven leader in tourism” while Gov. JB Pritzker said he looked forward to working with her to encourage travel to Chicago. The selection of a CEO traditionally has gotten approval from the mayor and the governor, as the agency gets both city and state funding. Choose Chicago’s announcement contained those customary endorsements.
Several sources familiar with the marathon search said there’s more to it than that. They asserted that Johnson allies spent months lobbying behind the scenes for Merritt, deputy mayor for economic and community development. The resistance stemmed from the fact that Merritt is a career city bureaucrat with no background in the insular convention and tourism industry.
In a statement to the Sun-Times, the mayor’s office insisted that Johnson “never lobbied on behalf of any candidates for Choose CEO or instructed anyone to lobby on his behalf for anyone.”
Several insiders said Johnson’s campaign on Merritt’s behalf was led by a close ally in the business community, Charles Smith, CEO of CS Insurance Strategies.
Reynolds' Background and Priorities
Reynolds' resume includes stints at the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association, the Arizona Office of Tourism, and the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa.
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Among her priorities will be implementing a Tourism Improvement District, which would increase the tax on hotel stays to generate more revenue for Choose Chicago. The district would add 1.5 percentage points to the city’s hotel tax for stays at hotels with over 100 rooms, bringing it to 18.9%, the highest rate in the nation. State legislation authorized the district, but City Council approval would be needed.
“If we want to be the best, we have to be able to compete,” Reynolds said.
Choose Chicago's Budget and Challenges
The agency has gone through turmoil. The pandemic led to layoffs and pay cuts for its staff, but its annual budget of about $33 million is now just above its level in 2019, before the COVID-19 onset. Its leadership hopes the Tourism Improvement District will double its budget, although its funding will still be less than that of agencies promoting convention cities such as Orlando and Las Vegas.
Choose Chicago is dead last among major convention cities, with a projected budget of $33 million for 2024. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has an annual operating budget of $457 million, according to a comparison prepared by Choose Chicago. That’s followed by Visit Orlando ($116 million); Discover Los Angeles ($62 million); the San Diego Tourism Authority ($57 million); and New York’s NYC & Company ($45 million).
The COVID-19 pandemic shut down most of its tourism economy and smashed the five-day-a-week commuting habit of office workers. The city’s recovery since then has been gradual, with leisure and business travel bouncing back, but many office workers still opting for remote work at least part of the time.
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Choose Chicago, which has yet to release data for 2024, said Chicago had 52 million domestic and international visitors in 2023. The number has increased steadily in recent years, but Chicago has struggled to match the 61 million visitors of 2019, the last full year before the pandemic.
The Choose Chicago CEO has in the past been paid $520,000. Her salary was not reported. Reynolds will start her new job May 5. Rich Gamble, a Choose Chicago board member and former Brookfield Zoo executive, has been the agency’s interim CEO since Lynn Osmond left the post in early 2024.
Comparison of Convention City Budgets:
| City | Agency | Annual Operating Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority | $457 million |
| Orlando | Visit Orlando | $116 million |
| Los Angeles | Discover Los Angeles | $62 million |
| San Diego | San Diego Tourism Authority | $57 million |
| New York | NYC & Company | $45 million |
| Chicago | Choose Chicago | $33 million (projected for 2024) |
Reynolds said she had a genial hourlong interview with Johnson and that navigating local politics isn’t new to her. “I come from New York,” she said, noting that her Long Island bailiwick covered two counties and towns totaling more than 900 elected officials. Her prior work included promoting and government lobbying for Arizona tourism.
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