Gov. Phil Scott has appointed Wendy Knight as commissioner of the Department of Tourism and Marketing.
Knight is a self-employed marketing and communications consultant for Knight and Day Communications. She has written two travel books and worked as a freelance writer for the New York Times.
Her company has created campaigns for the Vermont Grape and Wind Council, the Vermont Department of Health, and Vermont Chamber of Commerce. The company has also served companies as far away in London, New York City, Spain and Italy.
Knight also served as a managing director of a marketing agency in New York, a director of public relations for an international culinary school and acting executive director for Cigna HealthCare of Northern New England, according to a press release.
“Her wealth of marketing and communications expertise will be valuable as we work to market Vermont as a place to visit, live and do business,” Scott said in a press release. “Wendy’s broad business background and appreciation of Vermont will be a tremendous asset in promoting the State to strengthen our economy.”
Mike Schirling, the secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, said Knight is “highly respected within the tourism industry, inside and outside of Vermont,”
“As a small business owner, she understands the importance of economic development to the state, and the vital role that tourism plays in driving economic growth,” Schirling said.
Scott had considered consolidating the Department of Tourism and Marketing with other functions in the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
Scott later changed his mind and emphasized that “tourism is very important to Vermont.”
