Chuck Jones, director of the Athens (GA) Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), has been promoted to Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Outreach of The Classic Center. In this new role, Jones will oversee not only the Athens CVB but also The Classic Center's sales and marketing departments as well as the Classic Center Cultural Foundation.
Jones has been director of the Athens CVB, the city’s official destination marketing organization, for over 23 years. Jones is the first director of the reorganized CVB, formerly a Chamber of Commerce division. Since 1996, the CVB has been a department of The Classic Center Authority.
Originally from Alabama, Jones graduated from Auburn University with a BA degree. Jones possesses over 35 years of experience in the hospitality/tourism industry. Before coming to Athens, Jones was director of sales at the Jekyll Island CVB for 10 years. Most of his previous employment was at hotels in Alabama.
Jones is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Athens, is on the boards of the Georgia Tourism Foundation and Athens Area Chamber of Commerce (ex officio), and has recently rolled off the board of the Athens Community Career Academy. He also serves on the University of Georgia Hospitality and Food Industry Management Program Advisory Committee, Culinary Arts Advisory Council of the Athens Community Career Academy and the Occupational Advisory Committee for the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Program at Athens Technical College.
Jones is the recipient of the 2005 Larry Allen Award for Tourism Excellence, which was presented at the Governor’s Tourism Conference. He is a past president of the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (2004 and 2005) and Georgia Travel Association (2004) and has served on the board of the Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association. Jones is also a past chair (2008) of the Tourism Development Alliance of Georgia.
Jones expects to begin his new role during the third quarter of this FY (by March 31).
A selection committee is being formed to identify Jones' successor as Athens CVB Director. The job posting,while active, will be posted on the CVB's jobs page.