Visit Anaheim has appointed Mike Waterman president and chief executive of the tourism organization, effective April 29.
Waterman succeeds Jay Burress as head of the Anaheim group, a nonprofit responsible for booking events and promoting tourism for the city’s collection of restaurants, hotels and other businesses. Burress resigned in November 2023.
Waterman previously worked at Visit Orlando as chief sales officer for almost five years and was CEO of Visit Houston before that. He also worked at Marriott International for around 20 years ending his time as vice president of sales for the Western region overseeing 100 properties.
“Mike brings extensive experience and a long history of leadership, innovation and success in the hospitality and tourism industry, making him the ideal candidate to guide our organization into the future,” Chairman Fred Brown said in a statement.
Visit Anaheim has confirmed 148 events total in Anaheim this year, which will generate an estimated $15 million in tourism occupancy tax (TOT) revenue for the city.
