As Vice President of Destination Stewardship, Vanessa leads Visit Tucson’s destination development, sustainability, and community engagement, along with leading the membership and visitor services departments. In 2023, she launched Visit Tucson’s sustainability initiative by participating in the GDS-Index sustainability benchmarking and earning a Green Business Certification through Local First Arizona.

Prior to joining Visit Tucson, Vanessa served eight years as the Executive Director of the non-profit Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, where she worked with elected officials, community leaders, and nonprofit partners in the shared pursuit of preserving southern Arizona’s rich natural and cultural heritage. In that role she also co-authored the nomination for the City of Tucson to be designated as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, the first in the U.S.

Vanessa earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Latin American Studies and Master of Science in Planning from the University of Arizona and maintains credentials as a Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME).