Executive Director of the Jackson and Madison County Tennessee Convention and Visitors Bureau/Visit Jackson TN

Story by Lyda Kay Ferree, The Southern Lifestyles Lady. Photography by Kristina Only.

With more than 8 years in the non-profit industry in progressively responsible strategic positions, preceded by almost 22 years in the tourism and hospitality fields in significant positions, Nunnery has served as the leader for the Jackson, Tennessee Convention and Visitors Bureau/Visit Jackson TN for the past 12 years.

Nunnery is serving on Governor Lee’s Tennessee Tourism Taskforce and is a member of the Marketing and Knowledge Driven committee. Nunnery is a board member of the statewide Hospitality Tennessee and a founding member of the PLAY TN sports initiative.

Additionally, she is a graduate of the WestStar Regional Leadership Program and is a Certified Tennessee Tourism Professional (CTTP), Certified Festival and Events Planner (FEP) and Tourism Marketing Professional (TRMP).

Nunnery continues to speak at numerous public events including regional leadership programs, civic organizations, and conferences. Locally, she serves on the Carl Perkins Center for Child Abuse Central Board, Jackson’s AMP at the Market, Tennessee Center for Applied Technology Retail, Hospitality, Tourism Advisory Board, Jackson Downtown Development Corporation, Andrew Jackson Marathon, Jackson International Food and Arts Festival, City of Jackson Public Arts Commission, Veterans Day Parade and Christmas in the City.

Originally from Lancaster (Sugar Grove), Ohio, Nunnery is a graduate of Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky. Nunnery married and relocated to Tennessee in 1999 and now resides with her husband, Chad, and two daughters, Jillian and Jenna, in West Tennessee.

VIP: When were you named Executive Director of the Jackson/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau?

Lori Nunnery: I was named Executive Director of the CVB in December 2009. Prior to the tourism role I had the pleasure of working with Jackson Downtown Development Corporation.

VIP: Describe a typical day at the CVB, or does such a day exist in your business? Does your business require a lot of travel?

LN: Fortunately, there isn’t a typical day in tourism. That’s the wonderful thing about this business. We can be helping a group explore the community or presenting our findings and data to the legislative bodies, or we can be working with partners across the state to move the needle on tourism.

VIP: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the tourism industry as a whole, specifically in Jackson/West Tennessee?

LN: The impact was felt across the state. Jackson fared much better than larger cities like Nashville and Memphis because of our size, hotel properties and also the Sportsplex. Although we felt the impact it wasn’t as devastating as it was for others. Our city and community is strongly rebounding. Year to date hotel revenue has increased by 46 percent over last year and increased 17 percent over 2019. Looking back at 2019, it was a banner year for the industry.

“Tourism offers many exciting career opportunities for students.”

— Lori Nunnery, Executive Director, Jackson and Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau/Visit Jackson TN

VIP: What is new in the Tennessee tourism industry? Are you seeing new trends in tourism as a whole and specifically in our state?

LN: In Tennessee, legislation continues to be favorable toward tourism and funding on a state level is very promising for Tennessee’s future.

Commissioner Mark Ezell, Commissioner of Tourism, is leading the charge to communicate the importance of tourism to the Tennessee economy. He is the right man at the right time and served as the leader of the Economic Recovery Group during the pandemic.

As for new trends in tourism, outdoor travel has exploded! Our state parks and system are having record visitation. Exploring the outdoors was one of the few things that was not curtailed during COVID. In Jackson, we have a need for family-friendly camping product development.

Music tourism is and will continue to be a significant driver for Tennessee and Jackson. The Tennessee Legends of Music Museum at The Carnegie is a significant component of our music assets, and we are thrilled to have Becky Fly, who is a welcome addition to its leadership. We must continue to develop and share our music story.

VIP: Talk about upcoming new tourism projects in Jackson/Madison County and West Tennessee and anticipated timelines.

LN: Our primary project is Great Wolf Lodge, a 400-room hotel and water resort park that includes a family entertainment center. We have worked on this project for three years. It is slated to break ground in the summer of 2022. It will be located on Ridgecrest Road Extended in the Tiger Jones industrial area across from the Sportsplex.

The Middle Fork Bottoms Recreational Area is an 850-acre floodplain restoration project along the Middle Fork Forked Deer River in Jackson, Madison County, TN. The property is owned by the State of Tennessee and under the jurisdiction of the West Tennessee River Basin Authority.

“Jackson Hidden Tracks” features our music scene rooted in blues, gospel and country. Look for our upcoming launch of our Jackson and West Tennessee playlist. Artists also will be featured throughout the campaign seeking to attract those music tourists.

Workforce issues are impacting every industry. I am thankful for the work being done by the Tennessee Center for Applied Technology to introduce students to Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Technology. Tourism offers many exciting career opportunities for students.

Another emphasis of our efforts is to market the West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex. The baseball and softball complex continues to see growth and tourism’s goal is to continue to build on their recent success with marketing support to attract more teams.

VIP: What are your favorite travel destinations and why?

LN: It is difficult to narrow down my list. I love exploring each new place. My husband and I graduated from Murray State in Murray, Kentucky, so it is our getaway. It is a joy to explore and travel. You learn something from each place you visit.

VIP: Tell our VIP readers about your family and your hobbies.

LN: I have two daughters—Jillian, 19, and a sophomore at Murray State; and Jenna, a junior at South Gibson High School. My husband is the Senior Environmental Health & Safety Manager at Nortek Global.
My hobbies include enjoying my family, traveling and a secret passion for researching data.

What to Know

Jackson and Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau/Visit Jackson TN
197 Auditorium Drive, Jackson, TN 38301
731-425-8333
www.visitjacksontn.com
www.JacksonHiddenTracks.com
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @VisitJacksonTN