ORANJESTAD, Aruba
-- An era comes to an end with the retirement on Nov. 7 of Marcial
(Charly) Ibarra, North American director of the Aruba Tourism
Authority (ATA), after more than 20 years of service.
Ibarra held his
North American post for the last 15 years, in charge of all
marketing efforts for the region. His prior post with ATA, which
spanned seven years, was that of regional director, Southeast,
overseeing 26 states in all.
Edison Briesen,
minister of tourism and transportation, called Ibarra's
contributions to Aruba "immeasurable. As a native Aruban, his
commitment to the island has been extraordinary."
Ibarra amassed
numerous awards and honors during his tenure, including a bronze
Addy Award in 2002 for excellence in radio promotions for his
"Charly from Aruba" spots heard across the U.S.
Following his
departure, Theresita Chai will act as the interim director of the
ATA, North America. Chai can be reached at [email protected].
To contact
reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].