Barry Biggar officially assumes new role Monday, August 4th
Fairfax County, VA - Today, Visit Fairfax welcomes their new CEO, Barry Biggar. Biggar comes to Visit Fairfax, the county's official tourism agency, by way of Bryan-College Station, Texas Convention & Visitors Bureau. As President & CEO of the Bryan-College Station CVB, Biggar spent five years developing successful initiatives and growing the organization.
"Fairfax County is an amazing place, combining the very best of the past and the great promise and prosperity of the future. The attributes for visitors and residents alike are incredible," says Barry Biggar, Visit Fairfax's new chief. "To be part of an organization such as FXVA that will play a critical role in the future of Fairfax County and contribute to its success is an opportunity I am humbled to be a part of and am thrilled to have been given."
As an energetic and positive force, Biggar's personality is a natural fit for a career in tourism, which is part of the reason he was appointed in March of 2003 as President & CEO of the Bryan-College Station CVB. His enthusiasm, combined with intellect and a hard work ethic, are the other traits that carried him from Calgary, Canada's hospitality sector to many leadership and managerial positions within the tourism industry. Biggar has fulfilled roles as The Calgary Bureau's Manager responsible for all of Europe, Asia and Asia Pacific, Director of Sales for Leisure and Business Travel, and later Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He then came to the United States via the Lexington, Kentucky CVB as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Biggar has been a member of Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) since 1991, during which, he has served on the Board, chaired the Education Committee, served on many other committees and currently serves as Chair of DMAI's Destination Marketing Accreditation Program. At every stop-Calgary, Kentucky, Texas-he's enthusiastically jumped at the chance to become involved, and has served on many organizations' boards and task forces at local, regional, statewide and national levels. Seeking to do the same here, Biggar has already been researching and contacting the metro-area's movers and shakers.
Having attended the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Biggar also earned a diploma from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Hotel and Restaurant Management. He has been married to his lovely wife Sharon for 17 years and they have two wonderful children, Daniel age 13 and Cynthia age 10.
Visit Fairfax is the official tourism agency for Fairfax County, Virginia. It is a non-profit organization in charge of the county's tourism promotion and is directed by many of the county's top tourism and hospitality leaders. For more information, please visit www.fxva.com.
*A high-resolution photo of Mr. Biggar will be available upon request