Cole Selected to Lead County's Tourism Division

COLE SELECTED TO LEAD COUNTY’S TOURISM DIVISION

Citrus County Administrator Steve Howard today announced J. Auvis Cole as the county’s new Director
of Tourism. Cole will assume his new duties on Monday, February 19, 2024.

Auvis Cole comes to the county by way of South Carolina and brings over 15 years of executive-
level experience in the tourism industry to the post, including Executive Director of the Union
County (S.C.) Tourism Commission, Senior Vice President of Sales and Sports Development for the
Rock Hill (S.C.) Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Director of Sales and Service for Visit Fort
Wayne (Ind.).

“Auvis Cole brings vast and valuable experience to Citrus County,” said Howard. “Including a keen
awareness of the role tourism plays in the big picture of Economic Development.”
Cole said of his appointment. “I'm extremely excited to be a part of not only a progressive county,
but a dynamic tourism destination with both an amazing brand and multiple opportunities for future
growth." He also highlighted his familial ties to the region; several family members currently live
in the area.
Cole graduated from Ohio’s Central State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and
earned an M.B.A in International Business and Marketing from Wright State University in Dayton,
Ohio.
A recognized leader in the hospitality industry, Cole successfully completed South Carolina’s
Economic Development Institute and is a Riley Institute Fellow in the Diversity Leadership
Initiative program at Furman University. He is also a Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports
ETA) Certified Sports Event Executive.