LONGMONT — Sarah Leonard, most recently the CEO of the Alaska Travel Industry Association, has been hired as the executive director of Visit Longmont, the city’s tourism-advocacy arm. 

“Leonard will be leading the execution of strategic goals, including business development, community relations, finance and operations, and the Visitors Center for the organization,” Visit Longmont said in a news release. “She will develop and oversee marketing and promotional strategies and promote and recruit meetings, tournaments and other group travel.”

Leonard, a member of the U.S. Travel Association’s board of directors, takes over leadership of Visit Longmont more than a year after the departure of former executive director Nancy Rezac. 

“The Visit Longmont board used the time without a director to work with the Colorado Tourism Office on its Reimagine Destination Program in a visioning and action planning process designed to advance tourism,” Longmont Downtown Development Authority executive director Kimberlee McKee said in the release.