Karen Gibler
October 12, 2021Rowena Cage
October 14, 2021Deborah Ward
Executive Director, Visit Omaha (Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau)
As Executive Director for Visit Omaha, Deborah is responsible for spearheading the strategic planning and overall direction of Omaha’s official tourism authority. She oversees the marketing, sales, and operations for a team dedicated to welcoming travelers from all over the world, growing visitor demand, and increasing awareness of Omaha as a tourism destination.
For the majority of her 14 years with the city, Deborah served as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Under her leadership, Visit Omaha has won numerous regional and national advertising awards, and during her tenure, those advertising campaigns have resulted in a 25% increase in visitation to the city.
Deborah is a member of the Omaha Mayor’s cabinet and works with key city leaders to develop, enhance and promote Omaha as a tourism destination. Tourism is a $2 billion dollar a year industry here in Omaha and supports 17,826 jobs for our friends, family and neighbors.