Tourism Diversity Matters Announces Interim CEO

Tourism Diversity Matters, a nonprofit organization founded to address systemic inequities within the travel and tourism industry, today announced that Hattie Hill has been appointed as interim CEO. The organization fired its previous executive director, Greg DeShields, amid sweeping allegations of discriminatory behavior toward young women of color.

An author, entrepreneur and consultant, Hill joins TDM with more than three decades of experience developing comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion strategies for corporations, nonprofits and foundations. Her experience spans 80 countries and dozens of collaborations with Fortune 500 companies. Hill also has led several prominent organizations as interim CEO, including the Women’s Foodservice Forum, the T.D. JAKES Foundation, and most recently, the Texas Women’s Foundation.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Hattie to the TDM team,” said Adam Burke, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, and board chair of TDM. “She has firmly established herself as one of the most respected, trusted voices in DEI, exemplifies mission-driven leadership, and has consistently demonstrated the ability to help organizations achieve strategic clarity and operational excellence. We look forward to the next phase of TDM’s evolution under her expert leadership.”

Executive change was too long in coming

Discontent within the organization came to a head in February when an open letter addressing the hypocrisy of TDM was made public. Authored by six women, the letter alleged that both TDM, as well as DeShields' previous employer, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, had enabled workplace bullying by him toward young women for more than a decade.

TDM’s founder and CEO Mike Gamble, president and CEO of Searchwide Global, a job-placement firm, also chose to step down at the time, and has been replaced by Hill.

Reimagining the future of Tourism Diversity Matters

Hill will take over the day-to-day CEO responsibilities including operations, programming, marketing, stakeholder relations and business development. In addition, she will partner with TDM’s chair, board and team members to establish a strong foundation for the organization’s governance framework and growth strategies, as well as the search for a permanent CEO.

“Not only do I believe in the organization’s mission, but I have also seen the direct impact Tourism Diversity Matters can have in helping organizations meet the business demands of the moment by creating a more equitable and inclusive culture to achieve even greater success,” said Hill. “I see my time in this role as an important step toward reimagining the organization’s future so that it can effectively serve the travel and tourism community for decades to come.”