Leadership lessons from Discover Albany CEO Jill Delaney

For decades, destination organizations were often viewed primarily as marketing agencies.

Today's best organizations have become something much bigger.

They're economic development partners.

Community conveners.

Advocates.

Trusted advisors.

And increasingly, they're helping shape the future of the places they represent.

That evolution was at the heart of my recent conversation with Jill Delaney, President & CEO of Discover Albany.

While we certainly talked about Albany—its history, festivals, museums, and natural beauty—the conversation quickly became something much larger.

It became a masterclass in leadership.

Great destinations are built through relationships

One of the most interesting moments came when Jill described the biggest challenge she faces every day.

It isn't advertising budgets.

It isn't visitor numbers.

It isn't competition.

It's partnerships.

Albany represents an entire county, serves as New York's state capital, and works alongside hundreds of organizations with different priorities and perspectives. Success means ensuring the right people are part of every conversation while moving everyone toward shared goals.

That's increasingly true for destination organizations everywhere.

The most successful CEOs today spend as much time building relationships as they do reviewing marketing campaigns.

Advocacy isn't optional anymore

Jill offered one of my favorite insights of the conversation when discussing government relations.

Many professionals assume advocacy belongs only to CEOs or government affairs staff.

She disagrees.

Her advice to young professionals was refreshingly practical:

• Believe you belong in the room.
• Remember you're advocating for your community—not yourself.
• Be passionate about the mission you're representing.

Those three ideas apply whether you're speaking with elected officials, business owners, residents, or frontline employees.

Tourism has matured into an industry that affects housing, workforce development, transportation, cultural preservation, quality of life, and economic resilience.

If tourism influences all of those conversations, tourism leaders deserve to participate in them.

Every visitor interaction matters

Jill also spoke passionately about frontline hospitality workers.

She wishes more people understood just how much influence they have over every visitor experience.

A greeting at a hotel.

A helpful recommendation.

A patient conversation with a confused traveler.

Those moments don't just shape one vacation.

They influence online reviews, repeat visitation, destination reputation, and community pride.

Her perspective reinforces something we often discuss at Learn Tourism:

Behavior changes destinations.

When frontline employees understand why their work matters—not simply what to do—they create experiences visitors remember.

The best leaders never stop learning

Another part of the conversation that stood out was Jill's enthusiasm for lifelong learning.

After recently completing her Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) designation, she admitted something many experienced leaders eventually discover:

Learning becomes even more rewarding later in your career.

Rather than feeling finished, she wants to continue expanding her knowledge, particularly around destination sales, so she can become an even stronger leader.

That mindset is what separates good leaders from great ones.

The best leaders remain students.

Tourism's future belongs to collaborators

Toward the end of our conversation, Jill shared Discover Albany's ambitious plans for its 50th anniversary, including a new brand, website, visitor guide, and celebration of five decades of destination leadership.

But what impressed me most wasn't the rebrand.

It was how she spoke about her team.

She credited their collaboration, trust, and willingness to work across departments.

That's another reminder that destination success is rarely about one charismatic leader.

It's about creating an organization where people genuinely enjoy working together toward a common purpose.

Final Thoughts

One comment from Jill stayed with me long after we stopped recording.

She described tourism as serving both visitors and residents.

When destination organizations help create places people love to visit, they're also helping create places people love to call home.

That's a vision worth advocating for.

And it's exactly why tourism deserves a seat at the table.

If you'd like to hear the full conversation with Jill Delaney, listen to this episode of Business Class, where we explore leadership, advocacy, lifelong learning, and the evolving role of destination organizations in building stronger communities.