Convention Sales Manager
Josie O’Donnell has been with Visit Fort Wayne since August 2010, but has been involved in the hospitality industry for over 15 years, after graduating from Indiana University in 1985. Josie first served as the Assistant Director of the Fort Wayne Convention Bureau in 1987, which at that time was under the umbrella of the Chamber of Commerce.
Josie then moved to Chicago and spent 10 years in Sales with Radisson Hotels National Sales and most recently with the Denver, Colorado Convention Bureau as Regional Sales Manager.
Josie met her husband, Jim, in Chicago where they had their two daughters; Katie and Tatom. A promotion for Jim sent them to a Dallas, Texas suburb where Josie enjoyed the stay-at-home mom role and helping Jim with his start-up company.
Fortunately, time brought them back to Fort Wayne, where Josie was born and raised and eventually she found her way back to Visit Fort Wayne as well.
Josie now works in our Convention Sales Department, handling the Sports, Religious and Hobby markets.
Once a Homestead High School cheerleader and state gymnast, Josie now cheers on her two teenage daughters in their athletics and grade point averages. She loves being a soccer mom, and going dancing with her husband, Jim.
Josie sites one of the thrills of her life as, “A two-hour Indiana Air National Guard “orientation ride” in an F4 where I pulled 5 G’s!”