by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
John Reyes is in an interesting position. Jacksonville’s new tourism point man is not only from another city, he’s been on the job for little more than a week.
But despite his being an out-of-towner, the new president of the Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau says the opportunities ahead for the city are not only plentiful, but also closely within reach.
“I’m very impressed with this city,” Reyes said. “I’m just beginning in my exploration of it, but I look around and see that it has so much to offer, that it has such amazing potential.”
The CVB board is equally impressed with Reyes.
“We’re very excited to have him on board with us,” board chair Margo Dundon said. “It has been said that he is exactly what we need and I couldn’t agree more.”
Fresh faced and upbeat, Reyes, 47, arrives with more than 21 years in the hospitality industry under his belt.
He last worked for the San Diego CVB, leaving after 17 years there as vice president of sales.
“I heard about the job in Jacksonville from an executive search firm,” Reyes said. “After a lot of thought, I thought that it was a good match with respect to what I had been looking for and what my skill sets are.”
Reyes contacted the CVB board and was soon flown in for an interview. Almost instantly he said liked what he saw.
“I was ready to take the job, but it wasn’t entirely up to me,” he said.
Reyes’ wife and 13-year-old daughter had an equal say in the matter.
“Again, the board was very sensitive to my situation and agreed to fly them out so that they could see the city for themselves,” he said. “On the flight home we had a family meeting and took a vote.”
For Reyes, it was a no-brainer. He was ready to pack his bags but he didn’t want to pressure his family when it came to moving across the country.
“Luckily we all agreed that Jacksonville was right for us,” he said, “and I can’t imagine there being a better time to be in my position.”
Reyes said the city’s Super Bowl status may prove to be the selling point it needs to move it into a much more tourist-friendly and lucrative direction.
“We have to make sure we capitalize on the game as much as possible. For about the next year we’ll be able to use the Super Bowl to effectively market ourselves,” he said. “The secret is out and people are starting to understand that Jacksonville can be a destination city.”
During the week preceding the Super Bowl, Reyes made a special trip to Jacksonville, temporarily assuming his CVB duties while here. He was not paid.
“That’s to the credit of this city and the CVB board,” he said. “The energy and excitement surrounding the game made me understand that I had to make a commitment to be here and to learn as much as I possibly could about Jacksonville. Every day I learn something new.”
Still knee-deep in his quest to know more about the city, Reyes said he’s prepared for the challenges he may face.
Among them, he’s aware that the ongoing debate of whether or not to build a new convention center is waiting for him.
San Diego, Reyes said, faced similar convention center woes more than 20 years ago.
“It was very similar to what Jacksonville is going through now,” he said. “A convention center was eventually built, but it wasn’t like it was a slam dunk. People had their concerns, but over time it has proven itself to a tool for a lot of economic growth.
“But again, when you look at all of the attention Jacksonville is getting right now, a new convention center would be a very strong asset. There will be a lot of discussion and debate and, at a certain point, a strong business plan to support that need will come forward.”
Reyes said he’s prepared to cross that sensitive bridge when he comes to it. But even without a new convention center, he says he made the right to decision to relocate to Jacksonville.
“I came here for four reasons,” he said. “Jacksonville has an incredible story to tell, it’s on the launching pad, this CVB has an excellent reputation and, in 10 years, I want to be able to look back and say that I was a part of the team that was able to accomplish a lot of good here.”