Visit St. Paul hires new CEO

Visit Saint Paul hired Terry Mattson as president and CEO of the convention and visitors bureau and the RiverCentre Authority, the organization said Wednesday.

Mattson will start his new job Feb. 3. He previously spent 28 years as the head of Visit Duluth, where he led a staff of 12 people and oversaw a budget of nearly $3 million. He's credited with helping to grow tourism demand by creating, planning and executing events, including Tall Ships Duluth, which drew 200,000 people in 2013.

"We received a tremendous amount of interest in this position from across the country," Pat Harris, the chair of Visit Saint Paul's search committee, said in a statement. "In the end, Terry's experience in the CVB world and his connections in the industry throughout the state made him the most desirable candidate."

Mattson replaces Karolyn Kirchgesler, who left last July to lead the convention and visitors bureau in San Jose, Calif.

Reported by:  Minneapolis | St. Paul Business Journal