Visit Franklin announced Jan. 5 that President and CEO Ellie Westman Chin will leave to join the convention and visitors bureau in Madison, Wisconsin.
“We thank Ellie for the incredible leadership and vision she brought to Visit Franklin,” Visit Franklin board chair Andy Marshall said in a release. “Under Ellie’s leadership, Franklin and all of Williamson County has reached heights in tourism that many would have said were never possible. We are known on the world stage now, and that is thanks in large part to the efforts of Ellie and the team she has directed since 2014.”
According to Visit Franklin, under Westman Chin's leadership, annual visitors to Williamson County have increased 48% to over 1.81 million annually, and visitor spending in the county has grown to $497.2 million, an increase of almost $90 million annually since 2014.
During her tenure, Westman Chin was named Woman of the Year by the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association’s Women in Tourism & Hospitality organization. She also served with a number of organizations, including the U.S. Travel Association, the Destination International Foundation, the Tennessee Tourism Committee, the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association, the Nashville Predators Foundation, the Franklin Public Arts Commission, and the Williamson County Chamber of Commerce.
“It has truly been my honor to serve as president and CEO of Visit Franklin these past six and a half years," Westman Chin said in a release. “Although it was a difficult decision to resign from my position, the Visit Franklin team is exceptional, and I’ve no doubt they, along with the board of directors, will continue to do great work in the community and continue to increase Williamson County’s tourism impact.”
Westman Chin's resignation will be effective Jan. 29, according to Visit Franklin.