Julie Gilbert

Julie L. Gilbert, CDME CTP

Julie is President & CEO of Destination Door County (DDC) located in the State of Wisconsin. Since arriving in November 2021, Julie has set the organization on a new path with the departure from a membership model to an inclusive partner model with a community shared values focus.
Julie came from Destination Niagara USA where she led the organization’s marketing, communications, sales, and brand management functions to increase the visibility of, and visitation to, Niagara Falls USA and its assets as a leisure and meetings destination as the VP of Sales & Marketing.
Julie joined Destination Niagara USA in 2014 and managed the initiative of repositioning the iconic Niagara Falls USA brand. Prior to joining Destination Niagara USA, Julie served as Director of Sales and Marketing for National Park Reservations, the oldest and largest provider of reservation and information services for national parks and gateway communities. Julie started her career as Director of Sales and Marketing for the State of West Virginia. She then accepted the Director of Marketing Programs for the American Society of Travel Agents before establishing a full-service travel, tourism, and hospitality marketing agency providing strategic marketing, sales, and management services to a wide range of travel-related companies including Disneyland Resort, Big Mountain Ski & Summer Resort, and US Dept. of Commerce among others.
Julie has a Bachelor of Science in Business and Management Studies from the University of Maryland, holds the CDME (Certified Destination Management Executive) through Destinations International along with a CTP (Certified Travel Professional) designation from the National Tour Association.
As an industry leader, she has served several boards including TTRA, Chair of NE Chapter of TTRA, ESTO’s planning committee and USTA’s IPW. She has also served on DI’s International’s Membership Advisory Committee, Chairperson for Wine, Water & Wonders of NY State, and Board of Directors for the Lockport (NY) Locks Heritage District Corporation and Canal New York. She is currently Co-Chair of Destinations International Advocacy Committee and was appointed by Wisconsin Governor Evers to the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment.