After 15 years of heading Chattanooga's tourism-promotion agency, Bob Doak said Friday he plans to retire by the end of the year.
Doak, a 57-year-old former manager of both the Chattanooga Choo Choo and the Chattanooga Golf & Country Club, has been president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau for the past 15 years. Last year, Doak was recognized as the Tennessee Tourism Professional of the Year at the Governor's Conference on Hospitality & Tourism.
"I'm still healthy, but I want to spend more time with my wife and my church and enjoying life," Doak said Friday. "I will remain in Chattanooga where I hope to continue to be a cheerleader for our city."
Tom Cupo, the director of The Chattanoogan hotel and chairman of the executive committee of the tourism bureau, said Doak will continue working at the bureau through next February "to assist in the leadership transfer" and to help whomever is picked as his successor by the bureau's board.
Cupo praised Doak for helping more than double Chattanooga's tourism industry over the past two decades to top $1 billion and to become the state's fourth biggest tourism market, behind only Nashville, Memphis and Gatlinburg.
Doak, who previously was the volunteer chairman for the bureau for two years before taking the top staff position, told the bureau's executive board of his desire to retire last month. Cupo said the agency soon will begin its search for a new president.
Top Tennessee tourism markets
Davidson County (Nashville) - $6 billion Shelby County (Memphis) - $3.3 billion Sevier County (Gatlinburg) - $2.2 billion Hamilton County (Chattanooga) - $1.06 billion Knox County (Knoxville) - $1.056 billion Source: Total tourism spending in 2016, U.S. Travel Association
With Doak's departure, both of Chattanooga's biggest business associations - the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau - will be looking for a new staff leader. Bill Kilbride, who has headed the Chamber for the past three years, also plans to retire at the end of the year.
Doak, who is paid more than $200,000 a year to head the tourism agency, led the bureau as Chattanooga's tourism industry grew its outdoor, convention and business appeal. According to a new study by the U.S. Travel Association, Chattanooga attracted 3.5 million visitors during 2016, helping support 8,700 tourism-related jobs and pumping $87 million of tax collections into state and local coffers.
"I have had the opportunity to work with an excellent team, tourism partners, supportive mayors and county, city and civic leaders in making tourism a vital component in elevating Chattanooga as a place to visit, work and live," Doak said in the announcement of his retirement.
During Doak's tenure, the bureau grew its budget with the support from Hamilton County of its motel tax revenues. In 2018, the hotel room tax is projected to provide $8.2 million to the bureau to supplement what the agency gets from its members, service fees and some support from the state Department of Tourist Development.
Despite a call from Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd to trim such taxpayer support for the tourism bureau, the county maintained the use of the county's motel room tax for supporting the Convention and Visitors Bureau as the marketing and advertising agency for Chattanooga.
Boyd questioned the level of travel and entertainment spending by the bureau and Doak's decision to move the bureau's office to the top floor of the 18-story SunTrust Bank building.
At the request of state Rep. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, the Tennessee Comptroller's Office also conducted a state audit of the agency this spring. The audit has yet to be released.
Cupo said the bureau "must spend money to make and generate money" and the growth of the county's tourism spending and hotel revenues in all but a few of the past 30 years shows the success of the bureau's marketing efforts.
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, who defended the motel tax room support for the tourism bureau this year, said the Convention and Visitors Bureau has provided focus, direction and leadership to make tourism and hospitality a centerpiece of the local economy.
"We are fortunate to have great natural resources and the vision of those involved in selling Chattanooga and Hamilton County," Coppinger said in a statement. "With the leadership of Bob Doak, the CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau) has invested in telling and selling our message and generated over a $1 billion dollar return on the investment."
Claude Ramsey, the former Hamilton County mayor who helped direct the motel tax funds to the Convention and Visitors Bureau a decade ago, said "the 2007 decision was made to strengthen our ability to make Chattanooga and Hamilton County a year-round destination for conventions, sporting events and for our home-grown tourist attractions.
"I know the numbers support the decision that was made by the Hamilton County Commission," Ramsey said.
Former Chattanooga Mayor Jon Kinsey, who employed Doak before he became president of the tourism bureau, said Doak's "leadership has placed Chattanooga on the map as a place to come, visit and enjoy the experience."
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6340.