New president headed for OKC Convention and Visitors Bureau

Michael Carrier
OKCBusiness Staff
6/26/2007

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber announced today the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau has hired a new president.
Coming from Shreveport, La., where he has been the general manager of the Shreveport Convention Center, Michael Carrier has more than two decades of hospitality industry experience. He has also been the president of the Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau along with the executive director of the Columbia (S.C.) Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Greater Greenville (S.C.) Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Mike Carrier brings to Oklahoma City the right mix of experience to lead our convention and visitor efforts,” the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s President and CEO Roy Williams said in a statement. “Oklahoma City has seen such tremendous growth in our visitor product and industry in the last 10 years. Mike is a seasoned leader that will help us continue that forward momentum.”

Carrier’s first day on the job will be July 16.

Carrier will take over for Interim Executive Director Barb Denny, who is the Chamber’s vice president of finance and operations.


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I have to say they've been doing a great job considering they had no president for a while.

Except for the fact that Ms. Denny unfairly fired a friend of ours.

I don't know anything about this man, and I do hope the best for him, but I would think that hiring someone from a larger city then Okc would be better.

When I think conventions , I don't thik of Shreveport, La. , Knoxville, Tn, or Columbia, SC.

Good luck Mike.

I thought that as well, but I don't think people go to smaller cites often. You move up in the world, that's how it works. Hopefully we got the guy that's been moving up for good reason.

Columbia to Knoxville to Shreveport, I don't see him moving up, until now to Okc.

hopefully he has a BIG CITY vision, as that is what is required to succeed in Oklahoma City.

I hope the council and leaders hold him in probation for a few years, if he doesn't deliver then - he gets the boot from our big city.

hopefully he has a BIG CITY vision, as that is what is required to succeed in Oklahoma City.

I hope the council and leaders hold him in probation for a few years, if he doesn't deliver then - he gets the boot from our big city. :boxing2:

I would think that Okc could lure someone from a bigger city. More money is a good way to start not to mention all of the possibilities that Okc has to offer with downtown and our city government.

Like I said before though, I hope the best for this guy.

We had the same concerns with Mark Kranenberg and I think he's done a great job.