Connie Kinnard
Connie W. Kinnard is Senior Vice President of Destination Engagement for the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB). Ms. Kinnard leads the department’s tourism development efforts by elevating neighborhood tourist focused programs, promoting attractions, supporting tourism capacity building in the community, leading multicultural marketing initiatives, and overseeing hospitality education/scholarship activities. Under Connie’s leadership, the bureau has broadened its focus on business development programs for small businesses around tourism capacity building along with the elevation of the arts and artists through Miami’s cultural communities. Her portfolio has expanded to include oversight of the GMCVB’s non-profit, the Visitor Industry Council (VIC), which focuses on scholarship, education and talent development. The non-profit has an executive director, but Connie’s role is serving in leadership and oversight capacity on behalf of the GMCVB with the VIC to maintain internal and external alignment.
Connie has worked in the hospitality industry for over 30 years and holds a master’s degree in management from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Tennessee State University. She is active with numerous civic/service organizations and has served on various professional boards or participated in volunteer organizations throughout her career to include Destinations International (past Foundation Board of Directors, Social Impact and Governance committees), Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce ( current 2026/2028 Chairwomen of the Board), National Museum of African American Music( Founding Legacy Board Member, Women of Tomorrow mentoring program, International Women’s Forum, National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals(past Board of Directors) and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc where she currently serves as Vice President of the Alpha Gamma Delta Omega Chapter. Prior to joining the GMCVB in 2015, Ms. Kinnard worked for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation (NCVC) for 19 years and held the position of SVP of Multicultural Sales & Development. She also served administratively as the National Museum of African American Music’s, Chief Administrator respectively from 2003-2008 in addition to but in tandem with her responsibilities at the NCVC.
Connie has worked in the hospitality industry for over 30 years and holds a master’s degree in management from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Tennessee State University. She is active with numerous civic/service organizations and has served on various professional boards or participated in volunteer organizations throughout her career to include Destinations International (past Foundation Board of Directors, Social Impact and Governance committees), Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce ( current 2026/2028 Chairwomen of the Board), National Museum of African American Music( Founding Legacy Board Member, Women of Tomorrow mentoring program, International Women’s Forum, National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals(past Board of Directors) and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc where she currently serves as Vice President of the Alpha Gamma Delta Omega Chapter. Prior to joining the GMCVB in 2015, Ms. Kinnard worked for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation (NCVC) for 19 years and held the position of SVP of Multicultural Sales & Development. She also served administratively as the National Museum of African American Music’s, Chief Administrator respectively from 2003-2008 in addition to but in tandem with her responsibilities at the NCVC.