The Board of Directors of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced the appointment of a new President and Chief Executive Officer. The non-profit organization has named Thomas B. Riford to the position, effective March 8th, 2004. The announcement comes following a national search for a new President/CEO for the Hagerstown-based organization.

According to CVB Board of Directors Chairman Ron Vitkun, "We went through the search process for several months, and carefully selected an individual that we believe will best help our organization. Tom Riford will be in charge of promotional efforts impacting Washington County's more than $165-Million per year visitor industry. We have been looking for an individual, known in the community, who will help lead the CVB and help market Hagerstown-Washington County as a destination for visitors. Tom Riford brings extensive and proven experience with him to this position. He has been involved in marketing and leadership activities in Washington County for many years, and we're very pleased that he will be joining our team." Vitkun said that the search committee included representatives from the CVB, from Washington County's elected government, and from local businesses.

As the new CVB President/CEO, Tom Riford will be responsible for overseeing all administration, marketing and public relations, and financial aspects of the organization.

According to Washington County's Board of County Commissioners President Greg Snook, "We welcome this announcement. Tom Riford has been very active in marketing Washington County, and he is very involved with the local business community. I am very pleased to see the county's Convention and Visitors Bureau moving forward in this direction." The CVB was formerly a county department, and became a private, non-profit organization in 1997.

Tom Riford is currently the Marketing Director for the award-winning Associated Engineering Sciences, Inc. in Hagerstown. Riford served as Marketing Director of the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission, and is the past chairman of the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce's Business and Community Development Committee. He has been in upper management positions for several years, and the Chief Operating Officer for an Internet Service Provider. He was involved in journalism for many years, and in 1989 was awarded the CBS Radio News Affiliate Reporter of the Year. Riford also was an accomplished professional skier, and served for several years as Director of Skiing of the Whitetail Ski Resort, and worked in various ski industry management positions in the United States and in Australia. Riford spent more than sixteen years in the ski industry, in management and marketing positions. During the 1980's he competed on the US Pro Tour, and Australian Pro Ski Tour. Riford was an examiner in the PSIA. He was named to the Advisory Board of Charity Airlift in 1999, and has assisted the charitable organization's pre-operational phase as its volunteer Director of Communications. Additionally, Riford serves on the Board of Directors of the Black Rock Golf Course, the Board of Directors of the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Directors of the Miss Washington County/Miss Western Maryland Scholarship Foundation. He is involved with several local non-profit organizations, and has been a member of the CVB for nearly a decade. Riford is a graduate of Cornell University and a decorated veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Riford served as a loadmaster and airborne radio operator in a Marine Corps C-130 squadron. As a sergeant, he served as the Air Transportation Coordination Officer of the Second Marine Air Wing.

The Hagerstown-Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau is the designated tourism promotion agency for Hagerstown and Washington County. The non-profit organization markets the community by creating materials to attract visitors, such as its Visitors Guide, Web site (www.marylandmemories.org), marketing collateral material, and advertising to potential visitors. The CVB office also works with travel writers, travel agents, bus groups, meeting planners, and state agencies to drive traffic to local hotels, motels, B&Bs, restaurants, stores, parks, and attractions. The Hagerstown-Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau is partially funded with a portion of Washington County's lodging tax dollars.

Contact: Hagerstown-Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 301-791-3246

please see: www.marylandmemories.org.