Geoff Freeman has been named the next CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. He succeeds Roger Dow, who is stepping down from the position this summer after 17 years, as expected.
Freeman, who was U.S. Travel's COO until 2013, rejoins the association on Sept. 1 after nearly a decade as CEO of the American Gaming Association and in his current position as CEO of the Consumer Brands Association.
"There are few industries more essential to the nation's economy, more connected to consumers and more critical to bringing Americans together than the travel industry," Freeman said in a statement. "I believe U.S. Travel's talented team can continue to raise the bar, and I'm excited to roll up my sleeves and get started."
In his previous stint at U.S. Travel, Freeman helped establish the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 and create Brand USA. Other accomplishments included leading the industry effort behind the creation of TSA PreCheck and establishing the Meetings Mean Business Coalition.
As CEO of the American Gaming Association from 2013 to 2018, Freeman led an industry-wide campaign to legalize sports betting and expanded the organization's membership to include tribal gaming entities, U.S. Travel said.
Christine Duffy, national chair of U.S. Travel and president of Carnival Cruise Line, said Freeman is "highly regarded in Washington and well known across our industry for his strategic work to conceive campaigns and programs that opened new pathways for growth in the travel economy. Now, returning to lead the association, Geoff will continue bringing a fresh and strategic approach to advancing the mission of U.S. Travel in its next era."