Kathleen Jackson Bertrand Kathleen Bertrand maintains a dual career as senior vice president of community and governmental affairs for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, and jazz vocalist. A native Atlantan, and a graduate of Spelman College, Kathleen is in her 28th year of employment with the ACVB, she has initiated numerous programs that have impacted its members as well as Atlanta’s designation as THE top city for African – visitors. In 1983 she joined the staff of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau(ACVB), first as Membership Account Executive, later as Advertising & Membership Manager, and since 1990 as Vice President of Membership & Community Affairs. In February, 2007, Bertrand assumed the title of Senior Vice President Community & Government Affairs, signifying a growing interest and involvement of ACVB in community and government issues that impact the hospitality industry. Bertrand has been instrumental in the ACVB’s development of its diversity marketing programs, which have led to Atlanta being named at the number one city for African-American tourism Featured in numerous national newspapers and magazines, she has been recognized by the as one of Atlanta Business Chronicle Top Hospitality Industry Leaders”, by the Atlanta Business League as “Atlanta’s one of Top 100 Black Women of Influence” and by Black Meetings & “Atlanta’s as one of the Influential African-Americans in the Tourism Magazine “Most Meetings/Tourism Industry.” She is the 2007 recipient of the APEX Award for Distinguished Service by as well as the 2007 Black Meetings and Tourism Magazine, Award” presented for her Atlanta community work. Her board affiliations “Mecca include Grady Hospitality Academy Industry Advisory Board, the MACOC Education Committee, the Advisory Board for North Atlanta High School Hospitality Program, the Tourism and Hospitality Advisory Committee of Atlanta Technical College, the Black Women’s Film Network, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. In 2007, she founded HIP Hospitality Industry Professionals an – – organization dedicated to growth of diverse leadership within the broad-based hospitality industry through education, professional development, mentoring, and networking. In addition to those duties, most recently she serves as executive producer and founder for the BronzeLens Film Festival, created in 2009 to bring attention to Atlanta as a destination for film and film production by people of color. In three short years, BronzeLens Film Festival and its programming have received national attention in publications such as Ebony Magazine, the New York Times, and the LA Times.
Kathleen Jackson Bertrand Kathleen Bertrand maintains a dual career as senior vice president of community and governmental affairs for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, and jazz vocalist. A native Atlantan, and a graduate of Spelman College, Kathleen is in her 28th year of employment with the ACVB, she has initiated numerous programs that have impacted its members as well as Atlanta’s designation as THE top city for African visitors. In 1983 she joined the staff of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau(ACVB), first as Membership Account Executive, later as Advertising & Membership Manager, and since 1990 as Vice President of Membership & Community Affairs. In February, 2007, Bertrand assumed the title of Senior Vice President – Community & Government Affairs, signifying a growing interest and involvement of ACVB in community and government issues that impact the hospitality industry. Bertrand has been instrumental in the ACVB’s development of its diversity marketing programs, which have led to Atlanta being named at the number one city for African-American tourism Featured in numerous national newspapers and magazines, she has been recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of “Atlanta’s Top Hospitality Industry Leaders”, by the Atlanta Business League as one of “Atlanta’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence” and by Black Meetings & Tourism Magazine as one of the “Most Influential African-Americans in the Meetings/Tourism Industry.” She is the 2007 recipient of the APEX Award for Distinguished Service by Black Meetings and Tourism Magazine, as well as the 2007 “Mecca Award” presented for her Atlanta community work. Her board affiliations include Grady Hospitality Academy Industry Advisory Board, the MACOC Education Committee, the Advisory Board for North Atlanta High School Hospitality Program, the Tourism and Hospitality Advisory Committee of Atlanta Technical College, the Black Women’s Film Network, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. In 2007, she founded HIP – Hospitality Industry Professionals – an organization dedicated to growth of diverse leadership within the broad-based hospitality industry through education, professional development, mentoring, and networking. In addition to those duties, most recently she serves as executive producer and founder for the BronzeLens Film Festival, created in 2009 to bring attention to Atlanta as a destination for film and film production by people of color. In three short years, BronzeLens Film Festival and its programming have received national attention in publications such as Ebony Magazine, the New York Times, and the LA Times.