About Us

The CACVB is an innovative, collaborative and service-oriented destination marketing and management organization that welcomes all visitors to Charlottesville and Albemarle County with the goal of improving the quality of life for residents and supporting a robust tourism ecosystem. This ecosystem is sustained and enhanced through partnerships with all tourism-related businesses and attractions in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The CACVB is funded through a portion of the Lodging Tax, generated through overnight stays in our wide variety of accommodations. Therefore, welcoming visitors from all backgrounds to stay overnight is the primary mission of our organization.

Marketing
The CACVB promotes our community through inclusive and welcoming Marketing, Public Relations and Sales efforts. These efforts are enhanced by our team’s individual passion for telling authentic stories, our destination’s wealth of amenities, diverse businesses and attractions, and emphasizing partnerships.

Destination Development
Destination Development aims to improve a destination’s ability to attract visitors by enhancing the visitor experience. We use a community-focused approach to help build economic prosperity within the Charlottesville and Albemarle area. Our Destination Development team assists partners with establishing an online presence, facilitates stakeholder meetings, disseminates industry knowledge and initiatives, supports partners with local/state funding opportunities, builds on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and accessibility efforts, and develops workforce opportunities.

Sales
The CACVB works to develop and maintain relationships with meeting/group planners that would have potential business in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Critical responsibilities include lead distribution to our partners, attending and exhibiting at regional and national trade shows, hosting familiarization trips, and conducting sales calls.

Visitor Services
The CACVB proactively serves our tourism partners, potential visitors, and visitors by responding to inquiries, providing brochures individually and in bulk, and at our Mobile Visitor Center locations in the City and County.

Administrative
The CACVB staff is the most knowledgeable, approachable and accurate resource for wholistic visitor information in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The CACVB is a responsible steward of public funds and supports its team internally to work collaboratively, joyfully and effectively.

Community Support & Service

The CACVB acts as a resource to serve all tourism-related businesses/attractions and the community in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

Economic Impact of the CACVB

The CACVB’s efforts helped to stimulate more than $956 million dollars of direct visitor spending in Charlottesville & Albemarle County in 2023. This economic activity helped support more than 7,000 jobs within the local tourism industry. Below is the combined tourism industry economic impact data for Charlottesville and Albemarle County in calendar year 2023:

- $956 million in direct visitor spending
- 7,066 jobs supported by tourism
- $356.3 million in jobs payroll
- $47.1 million in local taxes collected


Mission

The mission of the CACVB is to enhance the economic prosperity of City and County by promoting, selling and marketing the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle as a destination, in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets.

Vision for 2025

Albemarle County and Charlottesville will create a better quality of life for residents by being the most inclusive, diverse, welcoming, thriving destination for visitors in the Southeast.

Equity and Inclusivity Statement

At the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau, we believe in the power of diversity and inclusion to enrich our community and enhance every visitor's experience. We welcome visitors from every corner of the globe, embracing the diversity of cultures, backgrounds, and identities that make our area vibrant. Whether you are here for a short stay or a long visit, we strive to ensure your experience is memorable, accessible, and inclusive. The CACVB pledges to actively promote a culture where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to explore and enjoy all that our destination offers by creating inclusive content, sharing diverse local stories, and providing equitable opportunities for local partners in our work. We here at CACVB would like to be the first to welcome you to visit our community here in the heart of Central Virginia, where diversity thrives, and inclusion is at the heart of everything we do.

Board of Directors

Francois Abadie – The Draftsman Hotel

Olivia Branch - Keswick Hall

Andrea Copeland – Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce

Russ Cronberg – UVA Foundation

Chris Engel - City of Charlottesville Economic Development

Athena Eastwood - Eastwood Farm and Winery

Emily Kilroy - Albemarle County Economic Development

Bea LaPisto-Kirtley - Albemarle County Board of Supervisors

Jennifer Lyon - Monticello

Jaruchan Palakawongs – Blue Ridge Cyclery

Danny Shea - Red Light Management, Starr Hill Presents

Amber Smith - The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative

Brad Uhl – Bread & Table Management Group

Juandiego Wade - Charlottesville City Council

Darcie Weigand - University of Virginia

Staff

Courtney Cacatian
Executive Director
434-972-4142
ccacatian@albemarle.org

Rami Gadow
Travel Specialist
434-293-6789
rgadow2@albemarle.org

Cassie Ivey
Director of Visitor & Community Engagement
434-972-4133
civey@albemarle.org

Teresa Lamb
Sales Manager
434-972-4138
tlamb@albemarle.org

Carla Mullen
Destination Development Manager
434-972-4137
cmullen1@albemarle.org

Kathy O'Leary
Budget & Purchasing
434-972-4130
koleary@albemarle.org

Chris Ridder
Destination Development Manager
434-906-4077
cridder@albemarle.org

Brantley Ussery
Director of Marketing & PR
434-972-4139
bussery@albemarle.org

Amanda Vierrether
Marketing Manager
434-972-4134
avierrether@albemarle.org

Sabrina Combs
Social Media & Content Manager
434-972-4124
scombs@albemarle.org

Ethan Wagner
Travel Specialist
434-293-6789
ewagner2@albemarle.org