Tracy Kimberlin, Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau president, announces retirement

Andrew Sullender, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read

After 35 years at the helm, Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau President Tracy Kimberlin is retiring at the end of this year.

Having just turned 70, Kimberlin told the News-Leader it was time to "hand the reins over" and allow his successor to "take it to the next level."

The Convention & Visitors Bureau is a nonprofit organization tasked with improving the local economy through growth in overnight travel to Springfield. Since 1985, Kimberlin has shepherded the organization from a budget of $435,000 and five employees to a leading tourism bureau with a budget over $4 million annually.

"The city was totally different," Kimberlin said of Springfield in the '70s. "There was just about 3,000 rooms in Springfield. We have over 6,000 now. Bass Pro was not in existence. And so, obviously, things have changed considerably. It has been a good ride."

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Looking to the future, Kimberlin said the future of Springfield's tourism industry is "bright."

"Where else can you find a Bass Pro Wonders of Wildlife complex? It exists nowhere else in the world. And we're very fortunate that that attraction is located here, and it's not going to stop growing. It's going to continue to grow. And we will see other things grow in Springfield."

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Kimberlin said he had wanted to stay on with the bureau to ensure Springfield's tourism industry recovered from the pandemic. Tourism in Springfield and across the globe cratered in 2020 — in May 2020 tourism only generated $38,000, compared to more than $350,000 a year prior.

But following a major advertising campaign over the last year, the industry has recovered in Springfield and more, he said.

"We went from 2020 where the hotel stats were the worst on record to 2021 when we had a record year."

Kimberlin will stay on as president and CEO of the Bureau until the end of 2022. The organization's board of directors planning to conduct a nationwide search for his replacement.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield tourism head Tracy Kimberlin announces retirement