The Denton Chamber of Commerce has named Mike Pistana to the position of Vice President, Denton Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. This announcement concludes a three-month search to replace Kim Phillips, who served in the role for 16 years and left to lead the Texas Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus in early 2019. Dana Lodge, Director of Sales, has served as Interim Director of the CVB during the Chamber’s President and Vice President searches.
The search team, comprised of CVB Advisory Board members and Chamber of Commerce Board members, voted unanimously on Pistana’s appointment, said Erica Pangburn, President of the Chamber of Commerce. “We have a very strong and talented CVB team. We are excited about the fresh perspective that Mike will bring to an already established and well-known brand like Discover Denton.”
Pistana comes to Denton from Las Vegas, Nevada, where he brings over 20 years of professional experience in leading sales and marketing efforts for some of the world’s leading hospitality and resort brands. Most recently he served as the Vice President of Sales Operations for MGM Resorts International. Prior to that role Pistana held leadership roles with MGM Resorts as the Vice President of Luxury, Business and Retail Travel Sales, Vice President of Sales at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino and Executive Director of Leisure Sales at Bellagio.
Pistana also has previous ties to Denton as he was a student athlete at the University of North Texas and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management, while also lettering in Basketball. “Denton is in the midst of a growth boom and preparing itself to become a serious meeting and tourism destination. It is truly exciting for me to be given the opportunity to come back to the community where I began my hospitality career and become an integral part of their growth and success plan. I welcome the challenge to step into this leadership role where I can utilize my background and experience in convention, leisure, SMERF, sports and tour group sales to collaborate with local hospitality and business partners and develop strategies that the CVB team will execute and market for the promotion of the city of Denton as a whole,” said Pistana.