Tourism Commission Members

Lucinda DiNovo began her career in the gaming and hospitality industry 22 years ago. She is the Director of Sales and Events for The Mill Casino • Hotel & RV Park owned and operated by The Coquille Indian Tribe in North Bend, Oregon. Lucinda has a degree in Business Management and Marketing from Oregon State University. She is a Coos Bay City Councilor, Coos Bay-North Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau Board Member, Past President of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow, and has served on numerous boards including the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, Board of Trustees for Coos History Museum, Steering Committee Member for the foundation of Travel Southern Oregon Coast, and Advisory Committee Member for the International Port of Coos Bay.

Greg Willitts is President and partner at FivePine Lodge and Spa in Sisters. FivePine was a family effort, planned, designed and constructed by Greg and his parents. Greg has served as a board member and President for the Sisters Area Chamber and an advisor, sponsor and volunteer for some of Central Oregon's most renowned events: the state's largest MTB race, Sisters Stampede, the Fresh Hop Festival and host of the Happy Girls Run in FivePine's backyard, the Deschutes National Forest.

David Gremmels has been President of Rogue Creamery since 2002 and is a leader in promoting and supporting sustainable and organic agriculture and Oregon's producers, makers and growers. In 2012, 2016 and 2021 David was appointed to the Governor’s Sustainability Board of Oregon. David also serves as an advisory board member for Oregon State University’s Food Science, Technology and Engineering Department. He led the creation and development of the Central Point’s Artisan Corridor in 2003 and the Oregon Cheese Festival in 2006 attracting thousands of visitors annually. David grew up on a farm in the Pacific Northwest and received his Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing from Pacific Lutheran University in 2003.

Travis Hill brings over 25 years of expertise to the tourism and hospitality industry. As Chief Operating Officer at Umpqua Indian Development Corporation (UIDC), he plays a pivotal role in the company’s growth and expansion, while also overseeing operations for nine businesses of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, including the notable Seven Feathers Casino Resort. Travis is a recognized leader who actively participates in various working groups, such as the Oregon Tribes Economic Development & Community Services and Travel Oregon’s Tribal Tourism, championing economic development alongside sustainable and responsible tourism practices. A Southern Oregon native, Travis resides in Roseburg, relishing the outdoors, cherishing time with family and actively supporting regional charitable events and organizations.

Harish Patel has served, and currently serves, on several boards in the travel and hospitality industry, including Immediate Past Chair on the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association Board of Directors, Board of Directors on the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) Owners Association and Vice Chairman of the Choice Hotel Owners Council Board of Directors. Harish is an Engineering Graduate with a Doctorate in Fluid Mechanics from the University of Birmingham, England and currently resides in Portland with his wife, Bina. In his current role as President of Florencein, Inc. he mentors individuals from disadvantaged and under-resourced communities to build successful careers in the hospitality industry.

For more than 15 years, David Penilton has been helping visitors from all over the world explore the wonders of Oregon though his tour companies America’s Hub World Tours and Oregon Tour Experts. David is passionate about building an all-inclusive community in the tourism ecosystem to educate and expose Oregon residents and visitors about all the state has to offer. Through his business he is committed to making sure the economic impact of tourism reaches all corners of the state, supporting local businesses, health and education. David serves on the Boards of Travel Lane County, Our Children Oregon, Travel Portland, Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy and Clackamas Tourism Development Council. In his free time, David enjoys being in the outdoors – running, camping, fishing, hiking and golfing around the state are some of his favorite past times.

Anna Maria (Maria) Ponzi is the owner of amponzi & company, a wine consulting firm based in the Willamette Valley. Her lifetime experience has served both the wine and tourism industries in a myriad of ways, most importantly, as an ambassador for the state and Oregon wine both nationally and internationally. She was pivotal in helping to establish one of the state’s first wineries in 1970, and it’s first craft brewery in 1984. In her former role as owner and president of Ponzi Vineyards, while growing the family winery, she envisioned and set in motion the transformation of Oregon wine country into a world class visitor destination. In 1999, she established the valley’s first regional wine bar and regional restaurants, and in 2013, opened it’s first seated wine tasting experience. In 2020, she published her memoir Pinot Girl, and the following year successfully negotiated the sale of the winery to the prestigious Société Jacques Bollinger of Champagne, France. She continues to support the state and it’s wine industry through ongoing service for multiple organizations, including Women in Wine, OWA & Salud, and her consulting and speaking engagements.

Erin Stephenson is the founder of a boutique lodging company with two brands: the award-winning luxury Atticus Hotel, and 3rd Street Flats, a curated collection of vacation rentals in two historic buildings in downtown McMinnville. Erin earned a degree in History from the University of Oregon before spending the early part of her career in non-profit management as the executive director of McMinnville’s Habitat for Humanity and then directing the charitable giving program for a regional bank. Erin continues to indulge her passion for nonprofit work through her role as board chair of Visit McMinnville and by volunteering with various local organizations. She was named Business Leader of the Year in 2015 by the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce; Woman of the Year through the Distinguished Service Awards in 2019; and received the Pillar of the Community award from McMinnville’s mayor in 2020.

Scott Youngblood grew up near Willamette Falls in Oregon City and began his hospitality career bussing tables in the restaurant at Multnomah Falls Lodge at age fifteen. Working his way up in the hospitality industry, Scott has performed almost every responsibility from cleaning and cooking through sales management and operation of large hotels with conference centers. His career has been split between the Hilton and Marriott brand families, requiring occasional relocation.