City Announces New Director of the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau

After an extensive search, the city of Santa Fe has named Jim Luttjohann, a destination marketing professional from Ventura, California, as the Director of the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

“I’m looking forward to working on creative ways to build our tourism industry in partnership with the amazing businesses we have in Santa Fe, “ said Luttjohann, who was Executive Director of the Ventura, California Convention and Visitors’ Bureau since 2004.

The hiring committee included representatives from businesses across Santa Fe’s tourism economy including galleries, restaurants, hotels and the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce. They volunteered many hours to be a part of the rigorous selection process in order to find the best candidate for the job.

“This is a demanding job and the committee felt that Mr. Luttjohann is the right person to manage all aspects of the position including bringing in visitors and revenue, while balancing community needs and traditions,” said Robert Romero, city manager.

Luttjohann is a graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and has been a part-time Santa Fean for many years and a regular visitor since his youth. He looks forward to making beautiful Santa Fe his fulltime home.  Under his direction, the Ventura Bureau expanded its operations to include founding the city’s film office, developed cooperative and award-winning marketing programs for arts and cultural tourism, guided multi-year strategic planning processes, and rebranding that led to long-term stable funding for Ventura’s destination marketing. He also fostered niche marketing programs for foodie tourism and outdoor adventure tourism. Luttjohann’s salary will be $99,000 per year.