DoT PR officer moves to top CITA job
(CNS): Jay Ehrhart has crossed over from the civil service to the private sector after departing the Department of Tourism for a top job at the Cayman Islands Tourism Association. Ehrhart, a former Radio Cayman newscaster who moved to the DoT in 2014, will take up the role as executive director with the body that represents the tourism industry on 1 November. CITA President Theresa Leacock-Broderick said she was pleased about Ehrhart’s appointment to the key role.
“As the board of directors are all volunteer roles, the executive director is crucial to the successful execution of the organisation’s endeavors,” she said in a release about the new appointment.
“The board has every confidence that Jay will build on the work of his predecessors and will be instrumental in advancing current initiatives and opportunities to serve our members and the interests of the industry,” she added.
Officials said Ehrhart, who begins the job Friday, brings a wealth of government and private sector tourism experience to the post, especially his experience in the DoT public relations unit.
“The knowledge of the inner workings and programmes of the Department of Tourism will certainly support me in my new role as CITA executive director,” Ehrhart said. “I am looking forward to working with the CITA directors, members and the government to help ensure positive visitor experiences and to help our local tourism businesses continue to thrive in this growing industry.”
Many CITA members will likely be hopeful that the organisation will now be more outspoken about the challenges in tourism, given Erhart’s public facing experience. The sector is facing a number of issues, including the problems of capacity at attractions, challenges at the airport and the conflict that the cruise project is causing for members of the association.
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I had no idea he was working for the DOT until I saw the article about the pool shut offs at the beginning of October. Fits for a DOT civil service worker, I guess.
Congrats Jay!! Hope it all goes well for you and the Cayman Islands. CITA needs a lot of help to build credibility and not be a rubber stamp for Dart.
Congrats Jay!!
Please report back about what, exactly, CITA does other than run an elite, funded, club that only serves the interests of its paying members.
Isn’t that usually how associations work?
Sure it is but the fact that it pretends to be for all of the tourism interests in Cayman, and clearly is NOT, makes it an elite, funded club that only serves the interests of it’s vetted, paying members.
Kinda makes you think of the Lodge, doesn’t it? Oh wait…………
CITA: We’re for tourism as long we approve the tourism entity into our association, the tourism entity thinks the way we tell them to think, and the tourism entity does “favours” for the other members in the association.
If you’re not part of their expensive, self aggrandizing association, too bad.
But, fascinatingly, CITA will still get up on it’s pedestal where they claim to “represent” the interests of all the tourism entities in Cayman.
Interestingly, they are silent on the port debate.
Interestingly, they are silent on the dump.
Interestingly, they are silent on most of the major situations that are impacting tourism in Cayman today.
Makes you think they do have the motto of “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you…”
Glad to see the private sector recruiting from our must improved civil service. This is a huge win for the private sector.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Really??
Wish him all the best but he won’t last. Good luck bro.