Kerri Verbeke Kapich
Board of Directors
Chief Operating Officer
San Diego Tourism Authority
Kerri Verbeke Kapich is the Chief Operating Officer for the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA), one of the nation’s leading destination marketing organizations. The SDTA represents over 900 hospitality organizations and serves as the San Diego region’s tourism marketing engine.
Kapich is a frequent speaker at community meetings, industry conferences as well as a guest lecturer at the San Diego State University School of Hospitality and for LEAD San Diego. In 2001, she was named as one of the “Top 100 Marketers” in the nation by Advertising Age magazine and is the recipient of numerous marketing, advertising and tourism awards including San Diego County Hotel-Motel Association Gold Key “Allied Person of the Year” Award, San Diego Daily Transcript “Women of Influence” Recognition, San Diego Magazine “Woman of the Year” Honoree, San Diego Business Journal Women Who Mean Business Finalist and Multi-Cultural Conventions Services Network “Women In Tourism & Hospitality” Honors.
In 1997, Kapich joined the San Diego Tourism Authority. In her role as COO, she is responsible for strategic planning, brand stewardship, community engagement and revenue development. She is the driving force behind major initiatives such as the National Geographic “World’s Smart Cities” San Diego documentary and San Diego Tourism Stewardship Plan. Kapich is the immediate past chair of the LEAD San Diego Board of Directors and serves on the Downtown San Diego Partnership Advisory Board, Forever Balboa Park Board of Directors, CalTravel Executive Board Committee, Visit California Marketing Advisory Board, U.S. Travel Association Communications Committee, and iHeartMedia Community Advisory Board. Past board positions include the Cal Poly SLO Experience Industry Management Advisory Board, SAN Regional Advisory Board, California Restaurant Association San Diego Chapter, Junior League of San Diego, U.S. Destinations Council, and the Advertising Club of San Diego. She is a graduate of the LEAD Influence San Diego class of 2017.
A San Diego native, Kapich was featured as one of the “50 People to Watch” by San Diego Magazine. She is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara.
