Andy Thomas Joins The Board Of The San Diego Film Foundation

Tonya Mantooth, CEO and Artistic Director of the San Diego International Film Festival www.sdfilmfest.com announces the addition of tourism professional Andy Thomas, Senior VP, Business Development at Evans Hotels to the Board of the San Diego Film Foundation.

According to Mantooth, "We are excited to see the transformation the Festival has undergone with its programming, reach into the community and economic impact on the city. Our emphasis moving forward is to be one of the catalysts for San Diego's economic recovery. Festival tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in tourism and as an international film festival in such a desirable location we are uniquely positioned to significantly grow our out of town audience. As our organization continues to broaden its reach, we are thrilled to have such a leader in the tourism community and active patron of the arts as Andy Thomas join our Board."

Mr. Thomas is an alumnus of the University of Denver for Hotel Management as well as Regis College. He is a board member for San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation, a member of the Board of Trustees for the La Jolla Playhouse, a member of the Agilysys Customer Advisory Board, Board member and Director of Marketing for the Rob Benzon Foundation, a member of CA Travel. In the past, he has held advisory rolls for Travelocity.com, Hotels.com, San Diego Tourism Authority Marketing Committee, and San Diego Business Association Tourism Development Group and a past recipient of the Gold Key Award for "Sales Person of the Year".

Thomas shared "I have been involved with the San Diego International Film Festival for 10 years and long admired their work. Storytelling and art play a vital role in our community - and supporting organizations that tell important stories is a passion for me. Having a thriving arts community not only engages us as people - it strengthens our city as a mecca for cultural tourism. I look forward to helping the San Diego International Film Festival continue to grow their footprint in our city to share stories that engage our community in conversation, and draw visitors to our city."