ATLANTA, Ga. – The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau has promoted Heather Kirksey to vice president of public relations, corporate events, and membership.
In this new role, Kirksey will lead ACVB’s membership and events team and the public relations department. She will oversee member relations and the production of the organization’s corporate events, including its annual meeting, Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and quarterly member networking events.
“Membership is critical to the success of ACVB. Our member companies are on the frontline, serving our visitors and ensuring they have an excellent experience during their time in our city,” says William Pate, president and CEO of ACVB. “Heather has done an excellent job managing our public relations department, and I know it will be a seamless transition to add membership to her responsibilities.”
Kirksey joined the organization in 2014 as a public relations manager and has served as ACVB’s director of public relations since 2016. She is involved in several professional organizations, including the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Georgia chapter where she serves on the board of directors. She is a member of Destinations International’s Public Relations and Communications Task Force and sits on the U.S. Travel Association’s Communications Advisory Committee.
Previously, Kirksey served as chair of the marketing and communications committee for the 2020 NCAA Men’s Final Four, was on the communications committee for Super Bowl LIII in 2019, and was a member of the marketing and communications committee for the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship. She was recognized by PRSA Georgia in 2023 as the chapter’s Luminary Star award recipient and was named to the chapter’s inaugural Forty under 40 class in 2019.
Before joining ACVB, Kirksey worked at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and supported the healthcare system’s sports medicine, orthopedic, transplant, and foundation programs by managing external media relations efforts. Before life in public relations, she was an award-winning journalist who spent a decade in sports broadcasting in various markets throughout the Southeast.
