Stephanie Molina

| Creative Force |
Stephanie Molina
Director of Marketing,
Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau

Beaumont, Texas
Age: 33

Louisiana native Stephanie Molina moved to Beaumont, Texas, during junior high school, fell in love with the Cajun-Texan vibe of the border community and never left. Armed with a degree in business administration from local Lamar University, Molina started with the CVB as a public information officer in 2001, three days after graduation. During the past 10 years, she’s grown with the CVB, helping see Beaumont through a rebranding effort as well as a recovery from two major natural disasters—hurricanes Katrina and Ike. Molina has been the driving creative force behind many of the CVB’s prestigious awards, including numerous ADDY awards from the American Advertising Federation, which recognized the organization’s website, collateral materials and campaigns. Other awards have included the 2010 Travel Standard of Excellence WebAward from the Web Marketing Association and several from the Texas Association of CVBs Idea Fair. Her creative side comes from being an artist, a pursuit she follows along with raising daughters Myah, 8, and Gabriella, 4, with husband Shawn. —R. Hodges

What’s your advice for someone just starting out in the industry?
“Listen and learn as much as you can, but don’t let the fact that you’re new hold you back. One of the greatest things in tourism and travel is the fact that with the right attitude and drive, you can advance quickly. There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity for go-getters in this industry. Ask questions, read as many industry publications as you can and make industry friends all over the world.”