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Meet the Staff

Administration

Kashion Smith

Executive Director
Kashion headshot - caucasian woman with short light brown hair and blue eyes wearing a long sleeve dark blue shirt

An Amarillo native, I was raised with a heart for hospitality and a passion for the Texas Panhandle. I started my tourism career as the general manager of a hotel located in the historic district of Taos, NM. Upon moving back to Amarillo with my family, I spent more than 10 years in hotels before joining the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Council staff in 2013. In 2015 I took on the role of Director of Tourism followed by earning my Texas Destination Marketer (TDM) certificate in 2018. In the fall of 2018, I was appointed Deputy Director of the Amarillo CVC, going on the following year to earn a Certified Tourism Executive (CTE) certification. In October of 2020 the CVC separated from a long-term management agreement with the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, became a standalone organization, the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau. Leading the organization through this challenging time, the CVB staff’s accomplishments stood out, and I was named Executive Director in January of 2021. Over the years I have served on many industry and community committees and boards. Currently, I serve on many boards and committees, including the Texas Travel Alliance board and am co-chair of their legislative committee.

Alexis Gunter

Executive Assistant
Caucasian women with strawberry blond hair and a red and white striped shirt

Howdy there! I'm Alexis Gunter, your friendly Executive Assistant over at the Amarillo Convention & Visitors Bureau. Hailing from Magnolia, TX, I landed at WTAMU in 2016 and decided to make Amarillo my second home. Since joining the team in December 2023, I've fallen in love with the humble and welcoming vibe of this community. I can't wait to dive deeper into all the awesome culture Amarillo, TX has to offer – and, of course, make sure everything's running smoothly as the Executive Assistant at the Amarillo CVB.

Braley Beck

Director of Finance
Braley headshot - caucasian women with light brown hair and green eyes wearing glasses and a green dress

Hello, my name is Braley Beck. I was born and raised here in Amarillo and while I’ve dabbled living in a few other places, Amarillo has always been my home. I started working as a part-time service counselor at the Amarillo Visitor Information Center in December 2013 where my love for Amarillo grew. I am now the Director of Finance at the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau. I love meeting and visiting with our guests from all over the world and want to help make your trip wonderful.

Servicing

Stephanie Andrews

Director of Client Services
stephanie headshot - caucasian woman with short blond short and blue eyes where a long sleeve black shirt that has a short turtleneck

Hi! My name is Stephanie Andrews. I was born in Baton Rouge, LA, and moved to Texas when I was young. I joined the Amarillo CVB team in April of 2013 and brought with me 18 years of hotel experience Southern hospitality. My role is to assist you and your group in making your Amarillo experiences a positive, productive one.

Luz Aguilar

Visitor Services Coordinator
hispanic woman with long dark hair wearing a snake print blazer

Hey y’all! I am Luz Aguilar, the Visitor Services Coordinator. Raised in a small town at the border of Texas and Oklahoma, I take pride in delivering exceptional hospitality to our guests, ensuring they depart with a truly memorable experience and a Texas-sized smile.

Sales

Amy Tarr

Sales Director
Amy headshot - caucasian woman with medium length blonde hair and light brown eyes wearing a black shirt with a white floral print

Hello, my name is Amy Tarr and I am the Director of Sales for the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau. I have 25 years of hospitality experience, my career started in restaurants and moved into the hotel industry while I was in College. I have worked in all aspects of hotels, from Catering to Operations and Sales. My journey in Hospitality has truly been one of learning from experiences, so this opportunity to serve Amarillo is a pleasure. Please reach out to me if you have any group or event plans to travel to the Amarillo area, I would love to assist in making your experience a memorable one.

Marketing

Hope Stokes

Director of Marketing
Hope headshot - Caucasian woman with curly, light brown hair and brown eyes wearing brown and wearing glasses

Hey there! Let me tell you a little about myself. My name is Hope Stokes and I joined the Amarillo Convention & Visitors Bureau fresh out of high school as an intern in 2013. With help from my colleagues, I worked my way up the ladder through the years and was promoted to Director of Marketing in 2018. I have been very fortunate to be able to travel and learn from other destinations around the world and I can confidently say, there's no place like Amarillo. I was born and raised here and I'm always looking for the opportunity to share my passion for Amarillo with others. I'm happy to assist you with any marketing and/or PR efforts you may need to help bring your group, family, or whoever to Amarillo for a visit. Hope to see you soon!

Jackie Phommahaxay

Marketing Manager
Jackie Headshot - Laotian woman with dark brown hair and sparse blonde highlights wearing a light olive green blazer and black shirt

Howdy, I’m Jackie Phommahaxay! I was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, and while I had my own adventures outside of Amarillo, this will always be home to me. I’m a big traveler and foodie and love expressing myself through creating. I enjoy getting to channel those passions into my role at the Amarillo CVB.

Film

Sherman Bass

Film Commissioner
Sherman Headshot - Caucasian male with light gray hair and short beard playfully holding red untied tie open in a royal blue suit coat and light blue shirt

I bring three decades of experience to the ACVB. I've worked in venue management for much of that time, with my most recent role being the general manager of the Amarillo Civic Center Complex for thirteen years. I'm no stranger to the ACVB; I've devoted over twenty years of service to the ACVB board and its committees. While film has always been a part of the ACVB, I'm excited to serve as its first film commissioner and take our office to the next level. My favorite things about Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle are the friendly people, wide-open prairies, beautiful canyons, and magnificent sunrises and sunsets – all of which make this region a perfect place for your next film or video project!

2023 Organizational Chart for the ACVB staff

Stories

Distinctly Amarillo