Lafourche Parish tourism board CEO to leave post, interim named
Scott Yoshonis | The Courier The tourism board for Lafourche Parish will soon have a
| The Courier
The tourism board for Lafourche Parish will soon have a new leader.
Timothy Bush, who has served as president and CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism since March 2015, will leave his role on Oct. 15. Bush will be relocating to Spartanburg, S.C. to join OneSpartanburg, Inc., South Carolina’s first consolidated business, economic and tourism development organization as Chief Tourism Development Officer.
“I am truly humbled to have had the opportunity to serve the Lafourche Parish community, tourism partners and stakeholders over the last five-plus years,” Bush said in a press release Thursday. “It has been a tremendous honor to promote tourism to one of Louisiana’s truly unique and distinctive destinations. I am so appreciative to our incredible board of directors and for the faith they put in me daily to lead this organization.”
Cody Gray, the tourism office’s current director of sales and marketing, will begin serving as interim president and CEO of the organization effective Oct. 16.
Tourism grew in Lafourche under Bush’s leadership. In 2017, the Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou brand was launched, defining Lafourche Parish as an unapologetically Cajun community known for its food, culture, festivals and outdoor adventure. 2018 brought the launch of the Cajun Bayou Food Trail, garnering regional and national media attention for the parish as it showcased the culinary culture built around Cajun food. Both efforts helped increase leisure visitation during Bush’s tenure. He also oversaw the renovation of the parish’s Visitor Center and Office complex to better showcase the brand and promote an understanding of what Lafourche Parish can offer visitors.
“During the last five years, Timothy’s vision and leadership in promoting tourism for Lafourche Parish has far exceeded our expectations. His innovative strategies elevated public awareness and advanced tourism throughout the parish,” said LCBT Board Vice Chair Marguerite Knight Erwin. “He was directly responsible for the successful rebranding to Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and recognized for numerous awards and achievements throughout his tenure here. He will be greatly missed, but we celebrate his advancement within the industry, and know that our local organization will forever be grateful for his time spent with us.”