The North Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (North Little Rock CVB) announced that Karen Trevino, formerly Senior Vice President & COO, has been officially promoted to President & CEO as of January 1, 2021.
“On behalf of the North Little Rock Advertising & Promotion Commission, I would like to congratulate Karen Trevino on her new role of President & CEO of the NLRCVB,” said Melanie Hoggard, A & P Commission chairman and owner of Moe’s Southwest Grill Arkansas. “Karen’s extensive history with the CVB and most recent role of senior Vice President & COO make her the perfect candidate to lead this great team into the new year and beyond. Her dedication and love of promoting our city’s tourism and hospitality industry are unparalleled and we look forward to working with her in this endeavor.”
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent restrictions on events, sports, group gatherings and venue capacity, North Little Rock hospitality and industry businesses suffered economic losses in 2020. North Little Rock hotel occupancy was down 20 percent in 2020 over 2019, and North Little Rock restaurants had a 10-percent decrease in revenue January 2020 through October 2020 over 2019: a $16.4 million loss.
“2020 was difficult. But the hospitality and tourism industry will lead the recovery of the economy,” Trevino says hopefully. “We have an opportunity to make a real difference in 2021 and in the future.”
Trevino’s four decades of tourism and hospitality experience include work as group tours consultant at the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism; assistant and later executive director of then-named North Little Rock Visitors Bureau; director of operations for the Arkansas Hospitality Association; hospitality and tourism professor at Pulaski Technical College’s Arkansas Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Institute; director of Skal International Arkansas and administrator for the Arkansas Tourism Development Foundation.
Trevino graduated Summa Cum Laude from California University in 2010 with a Master of Arts in Tourism Planning & Development and Magna Cum Laude from John Brown University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management. She is also a Certified Culinary Travel Professional (CCTP) and Certified Travel Industry Specialist (CTIS).
Trevino currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Arkansas Travel Council, Skal International Arkansas and Southeast Tourism Society and as deputy auditor for Skal International USA. She has served on the Boards of Directors or on committees for Argenta Community Theater; Argenta Downtown Council; Arkansas Dance Network; Arkansas Festival & Events Association; Arkansas Hospitality Association; Heart of Arkansas Tourist Association; North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce; Riverfest; Skal International USA, Susan G. Komen Runway for the Cure, and is a sustaining member of the Junior League of North Little Rock. She was a founding member of the Arkansas River Cities Sports Commission and the Arkansas Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (AACVB).
Trevino’s passion for the community and tourism is shared by the North Little Rock CVB team.
“We are making a concerted effort to work closer with our neighborhood groups to identify and develop tourism opportunities in their areas. A program for DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) is also in the works in partnership with the City to ensure all visitors and locals feel welcome in North Little Rock,” Trevino said.
Trevino has won several achievements and awards related to her work in tourism, including being named Tourism Person of the Year at the 2011 Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism and being inducted into the Arkansas Hospitality Association’s Hospitality Hall of Fame in 2010. She has also won the Silver Cup for Tourism from the Arkansas Hospitality Association; State Management Award from Arkansas Business & Professional Women; Spirit of Skal Award from Skal International Arkansas; Shining Example Award for CVB of the Year from Southeast Tourism Society, and both the President’s Award and Silver Cup Award from the Central Arkansas Chapter of the Arkansas Hospitality Association.