Sunshine Matters

Today, I am proud to announce the appointment of Merry Coffman, Matthew Johnson and Nerissa Okiye to the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors. Coffman, Johnson and Okiye were confirmed as members of the VISIT FLORIDA board during the recent Enterprise Florida Board of Directors meeting held in Miami on September 12. The new members, who have already been approved by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, fill vacated seats.

I’m very excited to have these three distinguished leaders join our Board of Directors and I look forward to their contributions. Their diverse experience and perspectives will be valuable as we work to strengthen Florida’s share of the global travel market.

Merry Coffman is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Pure Florida, a small business with two locations in Naples and Fort Myers. She oversees the daily operations at the Fort Myers location and manages the business’s public relations, marketing and advertising efforts. She fills a regional seat and was appointed for a term beginning September 12, 2018 and ending June 30, 2022.

Matthew Johnson is the Executive Director at IMAG History & Science Center in Fort Myers where he leads the multi-disciplinary museum and educational center. He fills the dedicated attractions seat and was appointed for a term beginning Sept. 12, 2018 and ending June 30, 2019.

Nerissa Okiye is the Tourism and Marketing Manager of the Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing where she is responsible for the development and implementation of Martin County’s marketing, publicity and promotions campaigns. She fills a DMO industry seat and was appointed for a term beginning September 12, 2018 and ending June 30, 2020.

VISIT FLORIDA’s 31-member Board consists of 16 regional seats appointed to represent all geographic areas of the state, and 15 additional seats that represent key sectors of the Florida tourism industry. The VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors is the organization’s private sector governing body that, along with the members of its councils, committees and work groups, provide guidance, input and insight into the evolution of VISIT FLORIDA’s marketing programs.

To learn more about the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors, visit https://www.visitflorida.org/about-us/who-we-are/board-of-directors/.

(From left to right: Merry Coffman, Matthew Johnson, Nerissa Okiye)