Zumbaugh named Visit Estes Park’s interim CEO

ESTES PARK — Mike Zumbaugh, who has been chief financial officer at Visit Estes Park for nearly three years, has been named interim CEO at the tourism-promotion organization.

Zumbaugh will replace Kara Franker, who will leave her post at the helm of Visit Estes Park, the local marketing district for the tourism-dependent town at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, on Sept. 6 to become president and CEO of a similar organization in the Florida Keys. Zumbaugh’s first day as CEO will be Sept. 9.

The Visit Estes Park board of directors made the decision at its Thursday meeting.

“The board felt Mike has a really strong grasp of the operating plan and will bring stability and continuity after Kara’s departure,” Heidi Barfels, VEP’s chief marketing officer, told BizWest on Tuesday.

In a letter last week to staffers and town officials, Franker said Sean Jurgens, who chairs the board, “has asked me if I would lead the annual joint board meeting to review the VEP operating plan with all governing bodies before I depart. I am happy to do so and will contact representatives from both the town and county to see if that is possible.” Jurgens’ board will also launch a search for a permanent replacement for Franker.

Barfels said the board will appoint a national search firm to bring in five or six candidates for a final round of interviews, and that a final decision would likely be made in about three months, but almost definitely before the busy holiday season.

When Zumbaugh was hired as CFO in September 2021, he brought 30 years of experience in tourism finance and operations. He had held a similar role at the Chattanooga Tourism Co. in Tennessee, and he had been vice president for finance and administration for tourism organizations in Irving, Texas, and Lansing, Michigan. He has served on the board of Destinations International’s Certified Destination Management Executive program.

He holds associate’s and bachelor’s degrees from Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Franker will lead Visit Florida Keys and Key West. The Monroe County Tourist Development Council voted July 30 to offer Franker the position, and she decided to resign from the Estes Park post after contract negotiations with the Florida council proved successful.