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News
Dean Gattas completes term as head of ConVis board PSFA Dean Joyce Gattas has just concluded her one-year term as chair of the Board of Directors for the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau (ConVis). The organization marked its 50 year anniversary of marketing San Diego as a visitor’s mecca. "The competitive edge just doesn't happen because we have great weather and beaches and terrific arts and culture -- although it makes our job much easier," she told the San Diego Daily Transcript. "It takes continual diligence to appeal to repeat visitors and to attract new visitors. ConVis must always be concerned about new product, and repositioning existing product." The challenge for Gattas was to maintain that diligence amid significant reductions in the city's allocation to ConVis in the past two years. Last fall the board approved her recommendations to update the bylaws to encourage more board participation in bureau governance, and to make sure board membership reflected community stakeholders. As chair of ConVis she oversaw a 39-member board of directors for a bureau that is the official destination marketing organization for San Diego. "It has been a rewarding experience for me to address the challenges of maintaining San Diego's position as a premier destination for leisure travelers and group meetings in a highly competitive market," Gattas said. "It has also been gratifying this year to be able to include the Colleges' Hospitality and Tourism Management program (see below) in many of the ConVis events and activities." Gattas’ contributions to the community and the University led to her recognition as one of the “Ten Coolest Women in San Diego” this spring by the Girl Scouts of San Diego. She was honored at their annual meeting for “raising the bar of excellence in our community through your extraordinary service and achievement.”
SDSU co-sponsors international furniture conference
SDSU co-sponsored the 9th annual Furniture Society Conference held on campus in June. The event attracted members from across North America and around the world, including furniture makers, educators, gallery personnel, enthusiasts, students and writers. Conference activities included panel discussions, lectures, artists’ presentations, workshops and demonstrations. In addition, exhibitions of members’ work were held in local galleries and museums. The lack of a European influence on California culture and the presence of the Pacific Rim and proximity to Mexico early on created a “menudo,” or mixed stew, of ingredients and ideas that has influenced furniture design in contemporary California. Artists and designers have not felt bound by the traditions of East Coast sensibilities and have thus created a tradition of design exploration. This led to the conference title: "The Other Side: A Tradition of Alternatives.” “They (Furniture Society members) have never seen such a diverse body of work,” notes SDSU Professor Wendy Maruyama, an internationally recognized furniture designer and nine-year board member of the society. “They heard rumors that we were pretty crazy out here. They saw the diversity of the work, the quality of the craftsmanship, and the artist's personal statement in each piece.”
Hospitality program takes off
SDSU’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program is living up to its tag line: “Going Places.” Check out their newsletter.
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