Julie Coker Graham was appointed president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. Before the appointment, she served as the senior vice president of Convention Sales.
“Julie Coker Graham is a talented, experienced and respected professional and her hard work and dedication to Philadelphia during her tenure at the PHLCVB has been pivotal to the city?s continued recognition as a first-choice destination for all visitors,? said Nick DeBenedictis, PHLCVB chairman. ?I have great confidence that she is the right leader to build upon the successes of Jack Ferguson and maintain the PHLCVB?s reputation as one of the most recognizable destination marketing organizations in the country.??
Prior to joining PHLCVB, she served as general manager at Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing, where she oversaw all operational aspects of the 350-room hotel, the only hotel in the city located on Philadelphia’s revitalized waterfront area.
A Hyatt employee since 1989, Coker Graham held several positions at the company including assistant front office manager, front office manager, hotel assistant manager and assistant executive housekeeper at Hyatt Regency O’Hare.
A past secretary and board member of the Illinois Hospitality and Lodging Association (IHLA) and past board member of the Oak Brook, Illinois Economic Development Committee, she also served as chairman of the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s Women in Lodging Networking Group (WIL).
Coker Graham received a bachelor of science in Hospitality Management and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI.