Visit Philadelphia has announced that Angela Val has been chosen as the new leader of its organization, as the president & CEO.

She is the first Black woman to ever be named into the organization's leading role. 

In the role, Val will spearhead the economic engine for Philadelphia’s tourism industry, which supports local businesses, creates jobs and generates taxes — all with an eye toward ultimately enhancing residents’ quality of life, while elevating both the organization and the city to new heights.

This effort is even more critical as the city continues its recovery from the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Val is a recognized trailblazer and established leader within Philadelphia’s tourism and hospitality industry, bringing with her more than two decades of destination marketing experience.

Throughout her storied career, Val has played an integral and impactful role in positioning and elevating Philadelphia as a desired tourism destination for audiences regionally, nationally and internationally.

Since the start of the new millennium, she has played an important role in just about every major event the City of Philadelphia has hosted, including the Republican National Convention (RNC) in 2000, the 2015 World Meeting of Families and Papal Visit, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in 2016, and the 2017 NFL Draft. 

Manuel N. Stamatakis, chair of Visit Philadelphia’s board of directors, described Val as “the clear choice for the type of leader who will strategically drive the organization and city to new heights.”

“With a passion for Philadelphia and a proven record rooted in collaboration, partnership and consensus-building, we are confident Angela’s return to Visit Philadelphia will accelerate the city forward as travel and tourism return in full force,” he added.

This new role serves as a homecoming for Val, who spent the first 17 years of her professional career with the organization — one as a executive assistant/receptionist, four years as hotel program director, nearly 11 years as vice president of special projects, and her final year as vice president & chief external affairs officer. 

In 2016, she became the chief administrative officer at the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau; a role she held for over four years before taking on her current role as chief operating officer at Tempest, an integrated marketing agency that works to help destination-marketing organizations and convention and visitors bureaus across the country strength their local communities. 

She was also named the executive director of Ready.Set.Philly!, a yearlong shared initiative between the City of Philadelphia, the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, and the downtown business community, in January 2021. 

In a press release, Val said she is “thrilled to return to Visit Philadelphia… so I can give back to a city and organization that has given me so much.”

“As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, I look forward to working with our partners to build back the tourism industry, reinvigorate the economy and restore the vibrancy of Philadelphia, which is so essential to attracting leisure travelers,” she continued. 

Val began her journey in Philadelphia as an undergraduate at Drexel University, where she earned a bachelor’s of science degree in hospitality management with a minor in business. She has since then made Philadelphia her “chosen home.”

Val will officially begin her role as Visit Philadelphia’s new president & CEO June 27, 2022, succeeding Jeff Guaracino, who passed away in December 2021 after a battle with cancer.