ESTES PARK – Mike Zumbaugh, chief financial officer of Visit Estes Park for nearly three years, has been named interim CEO of the tourism promotion organization.
Zumbaugh will replace Kara Franker, who will leave her post at the helm of Visit Estes Park, the local marketing district of the tourism-dependent town at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, on Sept. 6 to become president and CEO of a similar organization in the Florida Keys. Zumbaugh’s first day as CEO will be Sept. 9.
The Visit Estes Park board made the decision at its meeting on Thursday.
“The board felt that Mike has a really good handle on the business plan and will provide stability and continuity after Kara’s departure,” Heidi Barfels, VEP’s chief marketing officer, told BizWest on Tuesday.
In a letter to staff and city officials last week, Franker said Sean Jurgens, the board’s chairman, “has asked me if I would chair the annual joint board meeting to review the VEP operating plan with all governing bodies before I leave. I will gladly do so and will contact representatives from both the city and county to see if that is possible.” Jurgens’ board will also initiate a search for a permanent successor to Franker.
Barfels said the board will hire a national search firm to bring in five or six candidates for a final round of interviews. A final decision is expected in about three months, but almost certainly before the busy holiday season.
When Zumbaugh was hired as CFO in September 2021, he brought 30 years of experience in tourism finance and operations. He held a similar role at Chattanooga Tourism Co. in Tennessee and was vice president of finance and administration at tourism organizations in Irving, Texas, and Lansing, Michigan. He served on the board of Destinations International’s Certified Destination Management Executive program.
He holds associate and bachelor’s degrees from Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Franker will lead Visit Florida Keys and Key West. The Monroe County Tourist Development Council voted to offer Franker the position on July 30, and she decided to resign from her post in Estes Park after successful contract negotiations with the Florida council.
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