Home Economy Regional tourism leaders hopeful next R.I. marketing chief will build on Kimble-Huntley...

Regional tourism leaders hopeful next R.I. marketing chief will build on Kimble-Huntley initiatives

By

Christopher Allen

-

05/23/2025

LEADERS FROM SEVERAL regional tourism districts say initiatives spearheaded by R.I. Commerce Corp.’s marketing division under the leadership of Anika Kimble-Huntley should ease the transition to her replacement./ COURTESY R.I. TOURISM DIVISION — LEADERS FROM SEVERAL regional tourism districts say initiatives spearheaded by R.I. Commerce Corp.’s marketing division under the leadership of former Chief Marketing Officer Anikka Kimble-Huntley should ease the transition until the administration hires a replacement./ COURTESY R.I. TOURISM DIVISION

PROVIDENCE – In March 2020, as much of the country’s economic activity was grinding to a halt due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the South County Tourism Council was in the midst of its preseason marketing campaign to lure travelers to southern Rhode Island. Knowing that tourism revenue was the third largest economic driver in

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PROVIDENCE – In March 2020, as much of the country’s economic activity was grinding to a halt due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the South County Tourism Council was in the midst of its preseason marketing campaign to lure travelers to southern Rhode Island. Knowing that tourism revenue was the third largest economic driver in the Ocean State, Louise Bishop, the council's CEO and president, decided to push forward with its advertising efforts, even while then-Gov. Gina M. Raimondo was trying to prevent travelers from crossing the border into Rhode Island. A devotee of the power of marketing and data-driven analytics to identify and reach potential tourists, Bishop said the district brought in more revenue than its costs in 2020, benefiting partly from the growing desire for people in metropolitan areas along the East Coast to escape the pandemic lockdowns. “That’s when we recognized we were no longer a third-tier but a second-tier market,” she said. That's why Bishop found it refreshing when a former casino marketing executive, Anika Kimble-Huntley, was hired in 2021 to take over as chief marketing officer for R.I. Commerce Corp. Kimble-Huntley implemented a more technical approach to the quasi-agency's statewide marketing efforts. “She really dug in and shared the information,” said Bishop. “To us, it was a great relationship to have.” Kimble-Huntley's abrupt departure from the agency earlier this month left many wondering if the vacancy could handicap the state in its battle for tourism dollars, particularly so close to the busy summer season and days before the R.I. Commerce board of directors awarded $8 million in contracts to two firms charged with public relations, advertising and expensive media buys. Kimble-Huntley confirmed that she was hired as vice president of advertising out of the New York City office of Las Vegas-based Resorts World Inc., providing two weeks' notice to R.I. Commerce even before she had a job offer. Kimble-Huntley's move to Rhode Island from California and her decision to leave were both spurred by circumstances surrounding her husband, Cedric, the former director of the nonprofit Nonviolence Institute who died last July at the age of 65. “He inspired me to go into the public sector. I had always been in the private sector,” she said. “Seeing his work with the institute made me want to do something community-based too. He was my reason for being here. "It's a tough transition to experience something like that,” she added. “I thought it was time.” Several leaders of regional tourism districts said Kimble-Huntley had instituted changes to the marketing department of R.I. Commerce, leaving behind new strategies – such as the use of QR codes to give would-be visitors a virtual mobile experience of Rhode Island – that will now become baked into its strategy. Kimble-Huntley was also responsible for campaigns such as the giant stuffed quahog promotion unveiled in September 2023 and the “All That” push in February 2024, the latter being the first statewide marketing campaign since 2018. “She elevated our national position, which has absolutely changed our growth,” Bishop said. “She understood the connection between technology and tourism. She brought the department into this century." Bishop said hotel tax revenue allocated to the South County Tourism Council has more than doubled since 2020. Providence Business News also spoke with the heads of regional tourism councils in Blackstone Valley, Providence-Warwick, and Block Island. A representative from Discover Newport declined to comment. Even though Kimble-Huntley had no previous professional experience in the Ocean State, Robert D. Billington, Blackstone Valley Tourism Council president, said she excelled working within the regional tourism district system, where leaders “know their respective districts very well.” “Rhode Island is small, but it has so many idiosyncrasies that must be understood to make things work smoothly,” he said. Bishop wasn’t surprised that another tourism chief was moving on. Kimble-Huntley was the fourth to serve either as a permanent or interim CMO in the past 10 years. “This role has been underpaid in this state. So if you get people with the qualifications, they are not going to stay very long,” she said. “They may be valued, but not monetarily.” Kimble-Huntley, who said she took a 65% cut in pay to take the job, acknowledged that the CMO pay, as well as salaries for marketing staff, may need to be “reevaluated.” “It's hard to find and retain talent when the salaries just aren't there,” she said. The position has already been posted on the R.I. Commerce Corp. website, requiring 15 or more years of experience for the executive role managing “multi-channel marketing strategies,” crafting annual budgets and coordinating with regional tourism leaders. A salary was not included. Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Wednesday said the administration was “fully prepared to seamlessly continue building on the strategic marketing momentum created by Anika and her team.” A request for comment on whether he plans to push for a salary increase was not immediately returned. Jessica Willi, executive director for the Block Island Tourism Council, said Kimble-Huntley had put the tourism office in a position for a transition. “She had already put in place strong marketing initiatives,” she said. "She worked hard to get input from everyone and was a champion for the state." Kristen Adamo, CEO and president of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, has been pleased with the direction of the state and local marketing regime, and she believes things should run smoothly in the interim. Asked if the CMO pay should be increased, Adamo said it's typical that private-sector jobs provide higher compensation. “It's hard to say what a salary equivalent to the private sector would be," she said. "You have to come up with a number that fits with other leadership positions." Kimble-Huntley said she always felt supported by the McKee administration and will continue to promote Rhode Island whenever she gets the chance. On a recent visit to New York in preparation for her new job, she was walking the casino floor with a Resorts World Inc. colleague and stopped at the lounge. On the TV was a Visit Rhode Island commercial. “I pointed and said, ‘Look, there’s my ad,’ ” she said. Bishop said the next CMO must understand the importance of coordinating with the local districts. “The partnership with Commerce is very important. It's the only way we all grow together," she said. "We don't have an IBM here or major corporate entities. So, paying attention to growing tourism properly is especially important. And marketing is the way to go.” Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.