SACRAMENTO — Visit California will soon have a new President and CEO: Julie Coker.
Coker is currently President and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions. She was in Toronto and Montreal recently on an NYC sales mission.
Coker will remain with NYC through Aug. 31, officially joining Visit California on Oct. 1. Visit California’s longtime leader, Caroline Beteta, announced her retirement earlier this year.
Says Coker: “California is the world’s most iconic travel destination, and leading Visit California at this moment is an opportunity I approach with deep respect, genuine excitement and a clear sense of purpose. The foundation Caroline Beteta and the California tourism industry have built over three decades is extraordinary, and the future is bright with so many global events shining the spotlight on the Golden State in the next three years. I look forward to working alongside the Visit California team, the board, and partners across the state to make the most of this moment.”
Coker brings more than three decades of experience across hospitality and destination marketing to her new role. She got her start in the travel industry as a corporate management trainee at Hyatt, spending 21 years with the company and rising to GM of the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia. Before joining New York City Tourism + Conventions, she served for four years as President and CEO at the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and four years as President and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority.
“After a rigorous and wide-ranging global search, Visit California is proud to welcome Julie Coker as our next president & CEO,” says Ken Potrock, chair of the Visit California. Board of Directors and president of Major Events Integration at The Walt Disney Company. “Julie is a proven leader who has delivered exceptional results in some of the most competitive and complex destination markets in the country. We are confident she is the right visionary to build on Caroline’s extraordinary legacy and reinforce California’s position as one of the world’s most compelling destinations.”
Coker is also on the executive board of the U.S. Travel Association and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.
California’s travel economy surpassed US$158 billion in visitor spending in 2025, and the industry delivered a 98.3% approval rating in last year’s statewide marketing renewal referendum.
“I am thrilled to see Julie carry this critical work forward,” says Beteta. “She has built and led world-class organizations, knows California’s tourism industry from the inside, and brings the kind of experience, relationships and vision this moment demands. What California’s travel industry has built together – the brand, the partnerships, the trust of more than 18,000 investors – is ready for its next chapter. I leave this organization with great pride and even greater confidence.”
Geoff Freeman, president & CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, calls Coker “one of the most accomplished destination marketing executives in the country, and Visit California is fortunate to have her at this critical moment for the industry.”
NYC Tourism + Conventions’ search committee has begun the process of identifying and selecting, in accordance with the NYC Tourism bylaws, the organization’s next President and CEO.
Lead image caption: Julie Coker
