Celestino Ruffini, Galena/Jo Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Director of Sales and Marketing
Galena, Illinois
Age: 29

Resume: “I meet with and have conferences with many, many people under the age of 40,” says Celestino Ruffini, “and one of the greatest things that we all draw inspiration from is that the travel and tourism industry is accepting of us as young people to provide and bring new ideas to the table.” Ruffini thought he was going to study meteorology at Purdue, but he’s glad he made a swap for tourism. He later pursued a Master’s degree in hospitality and tourism management, and he’s landed at the Galena/Jo Daviess County CVB, where he employs his technology and marketing expertise to his group sales position.

Career Highlight: Responsible for the CVB’s social media, Ruffini feels honored to have been recognized by the Rural Learning Center in Howard, S.D., for effective use of social media in promoting a rural destination. “It’s really neat to see accolades come in from places you’ve never heard of,” he says.

Industry Mentors: Jon Teaford, Brian Burcham

Professional Affiliations: DMAI, Illinois Council of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, Galena Young Professionals

Twitter/Blog: @VisitGalena, @caruffini, celestinoruffini.com

Dream Speaker: Gene Keady, longtime Purdue basketball coach

Last Place You Vacationed: Central Wisconsin, but I’m most looking forward to my honeymoon with my wonderful fiancée [Emily Cain] in September in Cancun.

Industry Buzzword You Despise: Lead generation

Professional Pet Peeve: Lack of self-initiative when it comes to staying educated on technology and changes in the industry

First Job: At the Children’s Museum of Illinois in Decatur, Ill.

—Rob Hodges

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