PROVIDENCE – After a nationwide search, the R.I. Commerce Corp. has hired Anika Kimble-Huntley as its chief marketing officer.
Kimble-Huntley will be charged with working with the state’s tourism regions and their directors. In the role, she will be responsible for marketing the state to a broad audience as a destination for tourism and commerce, attracting transient, corporate and group travel, as well as job-creating businesses.
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Kimble-Huntley, who has an MBA from Simmons College Graduate School of Management, will begin in the role starting on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
Kimble-Huntley has more than 20 years of marketing experience and recently served as vice president of marketing for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain. R.I. Commerce said Kimble-Huntley developed and executed all marketing strategies to open the company’s first branded hotel and casino property in California.
Kimble-Huntley also previously served as vice president for national marketing at MGM Springfield, helping to open the property, which generated more than $100 million in revenue during its first four months. Previous roles include serving in leadership positions at the Animal Foundation, the Tropicana Las Vegas and M Resort Spa & Casino, and at Hasbro Inc. in Rhode Island.
“Ms. Kimble-Huntley starts in this important role as Rhode Island emerges from the COVID crisis – and as our state’s recovery leads the region,” said R.I. Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor. “Anika’s focus upon forward-thinking tourism and data-based marketing strategies will help Rhode Island continue to lead the way – while ensuring that we support still-struggling small businesses and impacted communities along the way. Anika’s significant experience in this field will elevate Rhode Island’s stature as a preeminent, year-round tourist destination.”
“Rhode Island has so much to offer as a place to live, work, and play,” said Kimble-Huntley. “From the state’s natural beauty to the growing and vibrant business and entrepreneurial community, Rhode Island has a great story to tell. At this point in time, we need to make smart, swift, and data-backed decisions so we can continue to recover from the economic downturn with strength. I am very much looking forward to starting that work with our governor and lieutenant governor, the team at Commerce, the state’s tourism regions, and our valued business community.”
Matt Sheaff, formerly the agency’s director of communications that now serves as senior communications advisor to Gov. Daniel J. McKee, has been serving as acting chief marketing office since Heather Evans resigned from the role in May of 2020.
Evan Smith, CEO and president of Discover Newport, said, “We want to extend a warm Rhode Island welcome to Anika, and extend our full cooperation as she begins her vital role as chief marketing officer for the state. In her new role she will have many important responsibilities, one of which will be to heighten the awareness of our state as a preferred destination for both business meetings and leisure travel year round. This is a pivotal time for the travel industry, both nationally and internationally, and there is great opportunity right now for Rhode Island to enhance and develop new experiences and infrastructure that will greatly aid our efforts to rebuild and recover from the many setbacks our industry has suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Kristen Adamo, CEO, and president of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, said, “I have had the opportunity to spend some time with Anika and I am looking forward to collaborating with her in rebuilding Rhode Island’s tourism economy. She strikes me as smart, capable, and ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work. That’s exactly what we need to move forward.”
R.I. Commerce Corp. commissioned a study in 2017 that found the state generated $6.5 billion in revenue and $775 million from state and local tourism taxes with more than 24 million people visiting the state.
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Shuman@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @CassiusShuman.
Best of luck, Anika!