Meet The Staff

Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Born in Milwaukee, WI and growing up in the resort community of Wisconsin Dells, Darien has been involved in the hospitality and tourism industry for over 40 years.

A graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management, Darien has worked for Holiday Inn Corporation, Marriott Hotels, and Tharaldson Lodging. It was with Tharaldson Lodging, as an Area Director responsible for 13 hotels in 8 different markets, that Darien began working closely with destination marketing organizations. Darien eventually left Tharaldson Lodging to become the Executive Director for the Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau in 1998.

In April of 2000, Darien joined the Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureau. During his 13 years as the Executive Director, Marathon County rose from 17th to 9th out of 72 counties in Wisconsin for Economic Impact from traveler spending. Darien expanded the role of the CVB by creating a Sports Authority function that was responsible for developing new sporting events. Darien joined the Lake Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau in November 2013. Under Darien’s leadership, the two organizations were merged into Visit Lake Geneva in 2016.

Darien joined Visit Big Bear in 2017 as President & CEO to promote the resort community of Big Bear Lake, CA. In addition to growing tourism receipts by 83% in three years, Darien directed the purchase and renovation of a 5,000 sq. ft. building for a new Visitor Center and offices.

Darien and his wife, Karen, moved to Pensacola in April of 2020 when he accepted the position of President & CEO for Visit Pensacola.

Born and raised on the beaches of Northwest Florida, Nicole has an innate love for the Sunshine State, its pristine beaches, and the thrill of travel. Cultivating over 15 years of marketing and communications expertise, Stacey has over 20 years in the tourism and hospitality industry.

As Visit Pensacola's Vice President of Destination Development, Stacey leads the marketing and sales departments. She is responsible for identifying market opportunities, developing short- and long-term marketing and sales plans and strategies, directing all communications and public relations functions, and ensuring community-wide destination development investments increase and travel-related strategies are connected and aligned.

Throughout her career, she has spearheaded numerous successful initiatives, marking significant achievements in the industry. Notable highlights include transforming Visit Pensacola's public relations efforts with out-of-market activations at prestigious events like the Country Music Awards in Nashville, Chicago Air and Water Show, several in-market television productions, and media-related opportunities in New York, Canada, and London, UK.

Stacey has played a pivotal role in several multi-rebranding campaigns, including the development of Visit Pensacola's latest brand, "The Way to Beach." Additionally, she has been an integral part of the evolved Tourism Works for Pensacola campaign—an initiative to communicate tourism's invaluable impact in Escambia County.

Actively engaging with professional and travel industry associations and dedicated to the Pensacola community, Stacey serves as a Board Member for Destinations Florida and contributes to the Destinations International PR Task Force. Additionally, she is a part of the NWFL Beaches Coalition Brand Team. She has assumed several leadership roles over her tenure, such as Chairing the 2023 Leadership Pensacola Class, being Past President of the University of West Florida Alumni Association, Fiesta Pensacola Board of Governors, Florida Public Relations Assoc past president and state board member, and the Foo Foo Festival Curator to name a few.

Recognized as a rising star by InWeekly in 2013 and honored with the 2022 Florida Public Relations Association Communicator of the Year award. Stacey was recently named the 2023 Emerging Leader for the Greater Pensacola Chamber PACE Awards. She takes pride in representing her community worldwide and showcasing Pensacola as a premier travel destination.

The proud graduate of her master's degree in strategic communications and leadership and a B.A. in public relations and marketing from the University of West Florida – Go Argos!

In her spare time, Nicole finds joy in her role as "Auntie Coco," cherishing moments spent with family and friends, indulging in her community like a local should and booking her next plane ticket to fulfill her love and passion for travel and experiencing new places and cultures around the world.

Ashley joined Visit Pensacola in 2023 as the Administration Assistant. She is responsible for coordinating calendars between Darien, Staff and the Board, various office projects, and all things related to board meetings. Bottomline, Ashley will ensure the office runs smoothly and cohesively.

She has spent the last seven years in New York City, most recently as the Executive Assistant to the owners of Team Epiphany, a marketing and creative agency. Her strengths include project support, process improvement, relationship development, and strategic communication.

A Pensacola native, Ashley is a graduate of The University of West Florida with a bachelor's degree in Organizational Communication and a minor in Hospitality.

While she is not in the office, she finds joy in various hobbies such as reading, attending theatre performances, engaging in sports, and relishing the great outdoors.

Hannah Pinson joined the Visit Pensacola team in 2023 as the Website Associate. She is responsible for creating and maintaining website content, writing email newsletters, creating/editing blog posts, and more.

Prior to Visit Pensacola, Pinson worked as an IT recruiter. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and a minor in Marketing Applications from the University of West Florida. She has experience in software development, digital marketing, public relations, and content creation.

Outside of work, Hannah enjoys creating videos and taking photos. She also loves to shop, go to Disney World, hang out with family, and play with her cats. Growing up in the Florida panhandle, she has a great appreciation for the beach and will never pass up an opportunity to catch a good sunset or go for a swim in the Gulf.

Larry Orvis currently serves as the facilities manager for Visit Pensacola. He is responsible for building maintenance, beautification, and office management. Orvis joined the team in 1998 as a tourism ambassador and served for two years before moving into his current role.

Prior to Visit Pensacola, Larry was a member of the U.S. Army for 28 years working in logistics. He retired to Pensacola in 1992 because he enjoys all of the activities. Outside of work, he enjoys reading.