Visit Sarasota County Expands Leadership Team, Announces Promotions

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Visit Sarasota County has announced two promotions to enhance its tourism marketing efforts to attract visitors, drive support of local businesses, and strengthen resident well-being. Starting October 1, Jess Bertolini was named Director of Web & Digital Engagement, while Olivia Turpening now serves as the bureau’s Community Relations Manager.

“We couldn’t be prouder to celebrate Jess and Olivia’s many years of service to Visit Sarasota County through these expanded roles,” said Erin Duggan, President and CEO at Visit Sarasota County. “Together, these two marketing leaders bring nearly a decade of relationships and expertise to our team, which makes all the difference in building trust – with not only inbound visitors but also our businesses and locals alike. Their efforts ensure tourism keeps fueling Florida families and futures, right here in Sarasota County.”  

Bertolini joined Visit Sarasota County as its Website & Social Media Coordinator in June 2021, already with an extensive background in global tourism. Her leadership has deepened the bureau’s digital presence across its website, social media channels, e-newsletters, and creative campaigns in partnership with the VP of Marketing & Communications and several external agencies.

As Director of Web & Digital Engagement, Bertolini will oversee website and content strategies for the tourism bureau’s digital channels, ensuring consistency of brand voice, visitor appeal, and alignment with destination goals. Her responsibilities include management of the Zartico data platform, which is a powerful resource for measuring visitation’s economic impact.

Turpening joined Visit Sarasota County in November 2022 as the Communications Project Coordinator, focused on strengthening the tourism bureau’s partnerships, community presence, and visitor experience through public relations and communications.

In her expanded role as Community Relations Manager, Turpening will lead a year-round calendar of industry events and play a vital role in supporting Visit Sarasota’s partnership program – now more than 450 businesses strong – helping spearhead attraction and retention initiatives, deepen engagement, and generate revenue to help stretch public dollars further.

To learn more about how Jess, Olivia, and Visit Sarasota County help leverage tourism to create a stronger community, visit www.visitsarasotacountytransparency.com.

About Visit Sarasota County
Visit Sarasota County (VSC) is the official tourism marketing entity and primary provider of visitor information for Sarasota County where tourism is the top industry. Through programs and partnerships, VSC makes Sarasota County a better place by promoting our community on the world stage. These efforts bring together over 450 partners to keep visitors coming, local businesses open and residents employed all year. VSC is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, a program of the Destination Management Association International (DMAI). To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com.

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