Chris Romer

President & CEO

Email Me
970.477.4016
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Chris oversees general administration of the Vail Valley Partnership’s daily operations and works with local & regional stakeholders to advocate on behalf of the Vail Valley as a tourism destination and community. He is also responsible for the annual strategic plan for the organization and represents the Vail Valley on a variety of local and regional volunteer boards. Click here to watch a short video.

Chris can often be found at special events & concerts or enjoying the many recreational opportunities in the Vail Valley.

Chris’ Community Involvement:

Member, US Chamber Committee of 100
Regent, US Chamber Institute for Organizational Management
Faculty, US Chamber Institute for Organizational Management
Elected Trustee, Colorado Mountain College
Steering Committee Chair, Colorado Competitive Council
Chair, Tourism Industry Association of Colorado
Chair and Faculty, Western Association of Chamber Executives Academy program
Past Chair, Western Association of Chamber Executives
Co-Founder, Mountain Chamber Alliance
Board member, Vail Valley Foundation
Board member, Eagle Valley Community Foundation
Governor Appointee, Tourism Industry COVID Recovery Task Force
Board member (past chair), Colorado Association of Destination Marketing Organizations
Board member (past chair), Colorado Chamber of Commerce Executives
Economic Development Board, Northwest Colorado Council of Governments
Past Board Chair, Colorado Workforce Consortium
Fellow, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Educational Attainment Division
Chair, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Destination Cities Council
Chair, Colorado Tourism Office Regional Branding Committee
Advisory Council, Colorado Mountain College
Governor Appointee, Colorado Brand Council
Vail Economic Advisory Council

Maren Cerimele

Director of Membership

Email Me
970.477.4001
Connect with me on LinkedIn

As the Director of Membership, Maren focuses her efforts on VVP’s Chamber of Commerce role in the Vail Valley. On a daily basis, she works with members of the Chamber to ensure that they are aware, and take advantage, of their membership benefits including; member savings, educational programming, marketing & media benefits, as well as networking and educational events. In addition, Maren works to help retain and recruit members, both for-profits and not-for-profits, to raise the visibility of their organization and reach more potential customers. Click here to watch a short video.

Maren moved to Colorado in 2007 and has been very active in the community since making the Vail Valley her home. Originally from Pennsylvania, she has more than 15 years of experience in event production, development, and community engagement. In her spare time, Maren enjoys spending time outdoors enjoying Colorful Colorado with her husband and daughter.

Maren’s Community Involvement:
Board of Advisors, Better Business Bureau Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming
Board of Directors, Mountain Recreation Foundation
Board of Directors & Treasurer, The Learning Tree
Member, Vail Sustainable Destination Steering Committee
Member, Eagle Valley Outdoor Stewardship Coalition
Community Volunteer
Member, Town of Eagle Economic Vitality Committee (2020 – 2022)
Board of Directors, Minturn Community Fund (2011-2018)
Eagle County Gives Executive Committee (2015-2017)
Board of Directors, Children’s Garden of Learning (2017-2020)

Erik Williams

Director of Community Development

Email Me
970.477.4000
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Erik Williams is the Director of Community Development for the Vail Valley Partnership.  He works daily to bring community members and businesses together through Vail Valley Works and other community initiatives.

Erik is also involved in visioning and implementation of larger community needs including workforce solutions. He works with local schools and businesses in career based initiatives including Career X, job shadowing and CareerWise Apprenticeships. Erik has a passion for this place and the people lucky enough to spend time here. He loves that his job puts him in a position to serve others.

With a diverse television background and 17+ years in the valley, Erik is often used as a host/emcee for local events and can frequently be found on a local stage hamming it up for the audience.

Erik is married with three incredible children and one sled dogs. When he’s not at work he can often be found “searching for adventure” with his family in this beautiful place.

Erik’s Community Involvement:
Talk Radio Host, The Mid-Day Mile, 104.7 The Mile FM (2012-present)
Man of the Cliff co-founder, host and organizer (2009-present)
Eagle County School District spelling bee pronouncer and host (2006-present)
Eagle Valley Library District Books in Bloom host (2012-present)
United Way of Eagle River Valley (2012 – present)
EagleVail Property Owners Association board of governors (2012-2013)
Beaver Creek Religious Foundation board member (2002-2008)
Vail Valley Medical Center volunteer chaplain  (2000-2012)

Emcee/host for several Vail Valley events including:
Vail Valley Foundation’s Dance TV, Steadman Hawkins benefits, Habitat for Humanity’s Carpenters Ball, Evergreen Ball, First Descents Ball, Black Diamond Ball, Project Funway, Project Realway, Starting Hearts, Education Foundation of Eagle County, Steadman Phillipon Research Institute, Vail Jazz Foundation, Vail Film Festival, Bravo Vail Foundation, Vail Veterans Program, CanDo MS Foundation, Minturn Skijoring event, Ski Club Vail Moguls Championship, Red Canyon High School guest teacher, Vail Christian Academy fundraisers, Pink Vail and more.

Anna Robinson

Program Manager

Email Me
970.477.4027
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Anna Robinson is the Program Manager at Vail Valley Partnership. In this role, Anna is responsible for designing and optimizing many of the benefits available to our members such as: Vail Valley Works Professional Development, One Valley Healthcare, Merchant Ski Pass, and Leads Group networking programs. A project manager at heart, Anna enjoys listening to the needs of our members, designing solutions, and identifying the most effective way to deliver them back to the community.

Anna is a native of Atlanta but moved west in 2007. She spent 12 years in the event and festival industry, planning a wide range of events (from weddings to rodeos!) before joining the VVP team. In her free time, Anna enjoys getting outside for hiking, snowshoeing, camping and bike rides. She is also an avid reader who loves to cook and travel. Anna lives in Eagle with her husband and two rambunctious boys.

Anna’s Community Involvement:

Town of Eagle Quality of Life Stakeholder Committee (2024 – present)
W.A.C.E. Emerging Leaders Council (2022 – Present)
Town of Eagle Marketing & Events Advisory Committee (2021 – Present)
Board of Directors & Treasurer, Learning Tree of Eagle (2020 – 2022)
Member, Eagle Comprehensive Plan Update Committee (2018 – 2021)
Volunteer Speaker, Western Slope Rodeo Royalty Clinic (2015 – 2019)

Kim Brussow

Director of Sales

Email Me
970.477.4002
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Kim Brussow is the Director of Sales at Vail Valley Partnership, bringing over 30 years of experience in the meetings marketplace, travel and hotel industry. She is responsible for collaborating with the Vail Valley stakeholders on best ways to market & develop the brand. In her strategic leadership role, she is responsible for maintaining constant contact with Vail Valley lodging partners and meeting/event planners, while also building relationships with new prospective clients. This includes presenting informative options to lodging partners for tradeshow coop opportunities and coordinating destination site tour logistics and village wide programs for the lodging partners, venues, DMC’s & other members.

In addition to her group sales efforts, she plays an integral part in supporting all local community events and marketing efforts for Vail Valley Partnership. When not at work, Kim can be found spending her time at the beach and enjoying scuba diving excursions across the globe!

Lauren Mendez

Marketing Manager

Email Me
970.477.4007
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Lauren Mendez is the Marketing Manager for the Vail Valley Partnership. She is responsible for Vail Valley Partnership’s and Visit Vail Valley’s websites, newsletters, social media, and advertising. Lauren comes to the Partnership with design and marketing experience from her roles with Bookworm of Edwards, Vail Valley Charitable Fund and Dartmouth College.

Lauren was born and raised in Colorado. She graduated from Dominican University of California in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design. Lauren moved back to the Vail Valley after getting her Master of Business Administration from the University of Vermont with a focus in Sustainable Innovation. She believes that business should be a source of good in the world and aims to assist small companies and non-profits.

In her free time, Lauren enjoys hiking, biking and camping, but on a rainy day you can find her inside with a good book. Lauren lives in Glenwood Springs with her husband, Tony, and her corgi pup, Miss Maisy.

Lauren’s Community Involvement:
Co-founder and leader of the Community Consciousness: Diving into DEI Series
Eagle County Gives Member
Vail Valley Charitable Fund Graphic Designer and Volunteer

Christy Beidel

Workforce Manager

Email Me
970.477.4029

Christy Beidel is VVP’s Workforce Manager. One piece of that is being the Customer Success Manager for the CareerWise Apprenticeship program. Christy ensures a successful apprentice experience for both the students and the business partners. She is responsible for student recruitment, on-boarding new business partners, and acting as a liaison between the school district, business partners and student apprentices.

Christy is originally from Missouri and has lived in the Vail Valley since 2004. In her 13 years of experience as a high school science teacher, with 9 of those years here in Eagle County, she has served as a teacher mentor, helped develop district wide K-12 Common Core Standards for science, coordinated the Link Crew Program for both high schools, and coached softball and swimming.

Christy enjoys traveling around the world with her family. In her spare time you will find her skiing the slopes, hiking the hills, or swimming the seas. She lives in EagleVail with her husband Kent, 2 daughters Sophia and Madison, and French Bulldog Ginger.

Christy’s Community Involvement:
Member, EagleVail Community Garden Committee
Volunteer, Mountain Horse Rescue
President, EagleVail Community Garden (2015-2017)
Snowboard Outreach Society School and Site Coordinator  (2002-2007)
CPR/First Aid Certified Red Cross Instructor (2002-2010)

Kay Schneider

Lodging Liaison & Lodging Quality Assurance Manager

Email Me
970.477.4024

Kay is the Lodging Quality Assurance Manager and oversees all aspects of the program. The mission of the LQA program of the Vail Valley Partnership is to ensure guest expectations are met or exceeded by providing local businesses with programs and tools that assist in improving lodging quality standards. The LQA is a unique, community-wide initiative implemented to rejuvenate resort accommodations and continually improve the quality and value offered by the Eagle River Valley’s lodging properties. The program has proven successful as an aid for property managers and owners in maintaining and upgrading rental properties.

Kay also serves as the Lodging Liaison to the Vail Local Marketing District, working to ensure consistent communication between the VLMD and the lodging community.

Kay studied Education at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and received her certificate in ASL Interpretation. Originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota, Kay moved to the Vail Valley in 1995 and has worked across the valley, nourishing relationships across many fields. She has over 20 years of experience in hospitality and event planning in the Valley, with her latest positions being Director of Owner Relations and Housekeeping Director at Manor Vail Lodge and Event Manager at Sonnenalp Club in Singletree.

When not working, Kay enjoys outdoor activities in the valley with her partner, Justin, and new puppy, Roo. They also enjoy traveling to the Caribbean and Central and South America to scuba dive.

Kay’s Community Involvement:
Volunteer, Head Coach, Girls on the Run
Volunteer, Small Champions
Volunteer, Round Up River Ranch
Volunteer, Blind Skier program
Volunteer, Salvation Army

Shanna Sweeney

Events & Office Manager

Email Me
Call 970.477.4004

Shanna Sweeney rounds out our team as the Events & Office Manager. She facilitates the day-to-day operations of our team, in addition to being the main contact for VVP events including After Hours Mixers and The Inside Edge educational events. Shanna also manages our member savings program and merchant pass program. She is what we refer to as our “all-purpose utility knife,” ready to help with anything!

Growing up here, she has always worked in the hospitality world and loves guest service! Here are a few of the accolades she has achieved. The CHLA recognized her as a “Star of the Industry.” She was awarded Employee of the Year for The Park Hyatt Beaver Creek. And Southern Wine and Glazers honored Shanna as Colorado’s Bartender of the Month (out of 500,000 nominees).

Shanna is a mom, a Girl Scout Troup Leader, rodeo volunteer, and all-round fun facilitator.

She loves traveling to warmer weather with waterfront views! In her free time, you will find her enjoying time with her daughter or floating the Colorado River.

AnneMarie Malone

Accounting Manager

Email Me
Call 970.477.4012

AnneMarie’s Community Involvement:
Treasurer, Board of Directors, Minturn Community Fund
President, Minturn Community Garden
Crew Chef Helper, Volunteers Outdoor Colorado
Volunteer, Salvation Army