Speakers

Tony Lyle is the Executive Director of Visit Galveston. Formerly the Chief Marketing Officer for Visit Lake Tahoe, Tony has over 30 years of experience in the tourism industry. Beyond his professional achievements, Tony holds a Bachelor of Education with Honors in Outdoor and Science Education from Liverpool John Moores University in England.

Christine Bryant is the chief executive officer of Vision Galveston, the community building nonprofit working to connect the wishes of Galveston residents to the resources that make things happen. Christine is a tireless advocate for the island and its residents and its workforce, with decades of experience in the nonprofit, public, and public/private sectors, and is an expert in economic development, public affairs, and community building. She is a Certified Economic Developer from the International Economic Development Council. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in communications from Missouri State University and is a graduate of the prestigious University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute.

Stacey alongside her husband, John, own a Christian gift store, Amy Lane, on the Strand at 21st. Their shop includes a prayer room where people can leave prayer requests and we pray over them daily. Amy Lane features many local artists and artisans ranging from authors to painters to photographers to jewelry and candle makers and more.

Charday VanOrstrand is the Executive Director of Operations at Galveston Island Brewing. She started with the team in 2014 as a bartender, and quickly showcased her knack for marketing and brand growth that landed her a promotion in 2015. Since then, she has helped the company grow from Galveston distribution to distribution across the Greater Houston area, a brewery expansion of over 4,400 square feet and bringing home gold medals at the 2024 World Beer Cup.

Charday played a pivotal role in fostering a vibrant community around the brewery. She's organized events, community partnerships, and educational sessions, inviting enthusiasts to delve deeper into the world of craft beer. Her approachability and passion for sharing knowledge endeared her to patrons and solidified Galveston Island Brewing as a cornerstone of the local beer scene. Charday has spoken on regional and statewide industry panels on tourism.

Charday's tenure at Galveston Island Brewing represents not only a career but a testament to the transformative power of dedication and creativity in crafting exceptional brews and cultivating a thriving community of beer lovers.

Brian V. Matson has been a part of the travel and tourism industry since 2003 and was the longtime Marketing Director at the Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau, where he pioneered several digital and social media promotional programs that included various forms of content development and distribution. Brian received the Explore Minnesota Travel Marketing Excellence Award and the North Dakota Governor’s Award for Tourism Marketing for his efforts. He’s a well-recognized speaker at state, regional, and national conferences and is known for his entertaining presentation style that makes his talking points stick with attendees. He’s a great asset to the development of any business or organization’s marketing initiatives due to his vast experience working directly with destinations, resorts, attractions, non-profits, and small businesses throughout the country.

Tim has led the sustainability and ESG efforts of some of the most iconic and recognizable sports teams, venues, events, and brands in the world, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, and the NCAA Men's Final Four. Tim co-founded the Sustainable Sport Index, the sports industry’s first benchmark of sustainability. For over ten years, he led sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the 225-acre, five-venue Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus, including facilitating LEED certifications. Tim is past adjunct faculty at Georgia State University and Arizona State University. He has held leadership roles in several industry associations including USGBC and IAVM and is a member of several boards. Tim resides in Atlanta.

Mackenzie Finklea is on the public relations team at Visit Galveston. As the Public Affairs Manager, she frequently works on Park Board initiatives that advocate for balanced and thriving tourism in Galveston. In her spare time, you can find her at a museum or volunteering around town, including as a board member for the GHF events committee and the City of Galveston Arts & Historical Preservation advisory board.

Samuel Collins, III is a 7th generation Texan with roots back to 1837. He owns SLC Investment Services and has been providing financial consulting services in Galveston County for 24 years. In 2015 he was named Galveston County’s Citizen of the Year by the Galveston County Daily Newspaper for his work in the preservation community on the local, state and national levels. Collins graduated from Texas A&M University in 1994 with a BBA in Accounting and has been a lifelong resident of Galveston County.

Antoinette Perry Lynch is the Cultural Arts Coordinator for the City of Galveston and staff liaison to the Cultural Arts Committee. She is the Antoinette Perry Frueauff Estate Ambassador to the American Theatre Wing in New York and President of the Rocky Mountain Western Heritage Center in Colorado. For the last 2 decades Antoinette has served on the Yaga’s Children’s Fund, Grand 1894 Opera House, Galveston Theatre & Arts Partnership and Galveston Naval Museum boards. She worked for the Park Board, Visit Galveston team before being contracted to coordinate the National Endowment for the Arts grant for the Cultural Arts Master Plan for the City of Galveston. She is currently working on the implementation of the city’s Cultural Arts Master Plan including the creation of an Arts and Culture umbrella organization and collaborating with Old Central Cultural Center on the application for a second Cultural Arts District designation in Galveston.

Kimberly Danesi is the CEO of the Galveston Park Board. Kimberly was appointed as CEO by the board in December 2023, but she has worked for the Park Board for over seven years and been an island resident for more than two decades. A proud graduate of Texas A&M Galveston, Kimberly has a diverse background in human resources and business operations management. She loves the outdoors, walking her precious rescue dog Dino along our beautiful shores, volunteering with Galveston’s Own Farmers Market, teaching yoga at Bent on Healthy Living, and ingraining herself in the community.

As the Chief Creative Officer of Galveston Historical Foundation, I oversee the branding, marketing, social media, web content and development, and conceptual ideas for one of the largest historic non-profits in the United States.Outside of my work with GHF, I am the owner of Archive Communication & Design. My personal agency offers consulting, design, and development services. I am also the co-founder of the TWELVE Project. TWELVE uses photography to highlight the diversity of people, sceneries, and architecture in cities, as well as our diverse viewpoints on life.

Elizabeth Walla is the Environmental Coordinator for the Park Board of Trustees of the City of Galveston. With a passion for environmental conservation and sustainability, Elizabeth oversees initiatives aimed at preserving Galveston's natural beauty and enhancing its ecological resilience.

Nicole is the Parks Special Events Manager at the Park Board of Trustees of The City of Galveston. In her role, she oversees the facility rentals for all events held at the parks, facilitates educational programming, sits on the review committee for the concessionaire program, and acts as the liaison between operations and the tourism development department for all six park board-managed parks.