Julie Pingston is the current President and CEO of the Grreater Lansing Convention and Visitor's Bureau and has been with the GLCVB for 27 years. Her responsibilities included overall organization operations, as well as, direct oversight for convention services, membership, event coordination, the Greater Lansing Sports Authority, the East Lansing Visitor Center and the Certified Tourism Ambassador Program.After graduating from Alma College, Pingston began her career at the U.S. Department of Commerce in the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration in Washington, DC. She found her way back to Michigan in 1993, joining the GLCVB as the convention services manager. Pingston has added increased responsibilities over her 27-year tenure including being named COO in 2006. Some of Julie's most notable accomplishments at the GLCVB include: creating the first Certified Tourism Ambassador Program in Michigan, developing Lansing's Sensory Friendly Destination initiatives which have been recognized as best practices at the state and national levels, and facilitating the development of the region's first master plan for tourism. Julie resides in Holt, Michigan with her husband Steve, and has two adult children, Jacob and Allison.