Huntsville/Madison County CVB’s Don Dukemineer Named Tourism Professional of the Year
Decatur, Ala. - The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA) has honored Mr. Don Dukemineer with its 2016 Tourism Professional of the Year Award. The award is among 11 that comprise the PEAK Awards that will be presented on Thursday, September 22 during the AMLA Annual Meeting at Marriott Shoals Conference Center in Florence, Ala.
Representing the highest achievement in North Alabama tourism, the PEAK Awards honor individuals and organizations that have had a major impact on tourism in North Alabama. The Tourism Professional of the Year award is presented to an individual or employee of an AMLA member organization who has made a great contribution to tourism in the past year.
Dukemineer joined the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2006. As Convention Sales Manager, he works with sports and education markets to attract meetings, conventions, tournaments, events and sporting activities to Huntsville and Madison County. In 2008, He was elected Chairman of the Alabama Sports Initiative, Sports Alabama, by the members of the Alabama Association of Destination Marketing Organizations where he continues to serve in this position today. Under his leadership, Don has represented both the State of Alabama as well as over 11 destinations in bringing forth awareness of Alabama’s rich history and tradition in hosting sporting events. Since 2010, he has served as the CVB liaison on the City of Huntsville’s Special Events Committee. He serves on various community boards including the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Executives, Friends Inc. (non-profit), HHS Future Business Leaders of America, Huntsville Special Events committee and is a graduate of the Leadership Huntsville/Madison County Connect program. He has earned his designation as a Certified Hospitality Sales Professional (CHSP) and Certified Sports Event Executive (CSEE). He is also a member of the mentoring committee for the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC).
In 2009, he was awarded the “Green Apple Award” for Young Professional of the Year by AMLA. In 2010, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Executives (HSME) of Huntsville/Madison County recognized him as the CVB’s “employee of the year” and he was selected in the Southeast Tourism Society’s inaugural class of the “Forty for the Future,” recognizing travel’s leading talent in 2012. His work in sports marketing has earned him recognition from “SportsEvents Magazine” as a Readers Choice Award in 2012 and 2013.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, we congratulate all winners of the 2016 PEAK Awards,” said Tami Reist, President/CEO of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association. “Their efforts to showcase our region as a premier tourist destination have not gone unnoticed and these awards give us an opportunity to publicly thank the recipients for their continuous hard work and contribution to North Alabama’s $2 billion tourism industry.”
The full list of awards and winners is as follows:
● Organization of the Year – Evelyn Burrow Museum
● Event of the Year – Downtown Decatur 3rd Friday
● Attraction of the Year – Jesse Owens Memorial Park
● Good Neighbor Award – LaRue Kohl, KFC franchise owner
● Northern Star Award – Kathy Marko
● Young Professional of the Year Award – Kathryn Balch, Colbert County Tourism and Convention
Bureau
● Tourism Professional of the Year – Don Dukemineer, Huntsville/Madison County Convention and
Visitors Bureau
● Lasting Impression Award – Lamar Pendergrass, Alabama State Parks
● Chairman’s Cup – Ron Presley, author and freelance outdoor writer
● President’s Award – Dr. Kenji Hamada, retired optometrist and humanitarian, Rep. Johnny Mack
Morrow and Dr. Martha Morrow
● Legacy Award – 2016 Forrest L. Wood Cup
Note: Photos of award recipients are available upon request by calling AMLA at 800.648.5381 or by sending an email to angie@northalabama.org.
About Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA)
AMLA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of the travel industry within the 16 northernmost counties of the state. It is supported by 500-plus members consisting of chambers of commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureaus, attractions, campgrounds, festivals, communities, counties, golf courses, restaurants, tour operators, accommodations, vendors, financial institutions and individuals. Counties included within the AMLA region are Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan and Winston. Additional information on North Alabama destinations, accommodations and special events is available from AMLA by calling 800.648.5381 or by visiting their web site at www.NorthAlabama.org.
