Destination Dayton® has selected five event planners–who collectively brought events generating nearly $1.4 million in direct spending estimated economic impact to Dayton/Montgomery County last year–as its 2025 Community Ambassador Award Winners.
They will be recognized and presented with official leather flight jackets at the annual Destination Dayton Community Ambassador Celebration & Awards Breakfast, taking place Nov. 13 at the newly renovated Dayton Convention Center. Registration and buffet breakfast begins at 7:45 a.m., with the program beginning at 8 a.m.
"These five event planners join a prestigious group of more than 150 individuals who have been recognized since the award’s inception in 1992," said Destination Dayton President & CEO Jacquelyn Powell. "Presenting them with an official leather flight jacket from Dayton, the birthplace of aviation, is a way of underscoring our community’s aviation legacy, present and future, as well as thanking them for bringing their events to Montgomery County."
The five Community Ambassadors who will be recognized for their role in bringing their organizations’ events to Dayton/Montgomery County during 2024 are:
Emcees for the awards breakfast will be Powell, along with Scott DeBolt, senior associate director of athletics/director of University of Dayton Arena, and Destination Dayton board chair. Guest speakers will include Congressman Mike Turner; Montgomery County Commission President Judy Dodge; City of Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims, Jr.; and Montgomery County Convention Facilities Authority Executive Director & CEO Pam Plageman.
The event will also celebrate and honor Powell, who is retiring as Destination Dayton president & CEO at the end of the year, after 32 years of exceptional leadership and dedicated service to her hometown.
Powell has led Montgomery County’s destination marketing organization with passion, vision and unwavering commitment. During her tenure, she has helped to elevate Dayton and Montgomery County as a vibrant destination for leisure, business, and group travel. Under her leadership, Destination Dayton achieved transformational milestones, forged strong community partnerships and delivered measurable economic impact through innovative tourism and hospitality initiatives.
"It has been the honor of my life to serve the community I love,” Powell said. “When I reflect on the last 32 years, I feel immense gratitude—for the people I’ve worked alongside, the partners who believed in our vision and the visitors who came to discover everything Dayton and Montgomery County have to offer. Together, we've built something truly special—a resilient, creative and thriving destination brand that reflects the heart of our region. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished, and I’m equally excited for what lies ahead for Destination Dayton and the community.”
For more than three decades, her strategic insight and industry expertise helped attract major events, boost visitor spending and strengthen Dayton’s identity as a tourism and business destination. In 2023 alone, tourism in Montgomery County generated $2.6 billion in total economic impact, including $1.6 billion in direct visitor spending—a 4 percent increase from the previous year. The sector supported more than 22,750 jobs and fueled $709 million in labor income. (Source: Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company, latest data available)
The Community Ambassador Celebration & Awards Breakfast will also highlight the reimagined Dayton Convention Center, which recently completed a $45 million renovation–a full-scale transformation that not only refreshed the look and feel of the building, but also redefined what’s possible in its many spaces.
In addition, one of Destination Dayton’s five Dayton promotional wrapped semi-tractor trailers will be on display in front of the Dayton Convention Center during the event. This “Dayton Promotional Traveling Billboard” is part of a partnership between Destination Dayton and MTS (Martin Transportation Systems) Trucking Company.
Destination Dayton thanks the many sponsors who helped make the Awards Breakfast possible: Presenting Host Sponsor Dayton Convention Center, Proudly Managed by Legends Global; Gold Sponsors Senator Willis E. Blackshear Jr., Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Dayton Dragons, Dayton International Airport, Dayton Woman‘s Club, Exhibit Concepts, Five Rivers MetroParks, Greater Dayton RTA, Heidelberg Distributing Company, Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway, Markey’s, Marriott at the University of Dayton, Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners, and Congressman Mike Turner; and Silver Sponsors Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, The Brightside Music & Event Venue, Dayton Development Coalition and The MDB Group at Morgan Stanley.
As Dayton and Montgomery County’s destination marketing organization, Destination Dayton collaboratively leads and advocates for the development of the region’s visitor economy, which contributes to a thriving community, a diverse tax base and lifestyle amenities for everyone to enjoy. For more information about Destination Dayton and the services it offers, visit DestinationDayton.org.