Visit Plano announces new staff members

Visit Plano has tapped Steve Yearwood as its new Association and SMERF (social, military, educational, religious and fraternal) Sales Manager, and appointed Olivia Woodward to the position of Event Services Coordinator.

Yearwood, who joined Visit Plano this month, is responsible for booking SMERF and association conventions, meetings, events and securing hotel room nights in Plano. He comes to Visit Plano from Aimbridge Hospitality, where he served as Group Sales Manager. He has also worked as Operations Director at TELOS and served as an Air Traffic Controller with the United States Marine Corps, having earned his Air Traffic Control Certification at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.

Woodward joined Visit Plano in November, 2020. She manages all logistics, arrangements, and services for Visit Plano clients once they have been booked in Plano by the Visit Plano sales team. She also assists meeting planners in coordinating events in each of the Convention and Visitors Bureau’s targeted market segments including corporate, association, government, sports, and SMERF.

Most recently, Woodward served as Dual Event Specialist with Marriott International in Richardson. Prior to her tenure there, she was Front Desk/Sales Team Lead at the Red Door Escape Room in Plano. Woodward is a graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown Texas, where she earned a B.A. in Theatre with a focus on stage and production management.

“Steve and Olivia are both tremendous assets to our team, drawing on their experience and education to deliver the superb experience that our clients expect of Visit Plano,” said Visit Plano Director Mark Thompson.