With over 25 years of experience, Melissa Cherry is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the travel and tourism industry with proficiencies in strategic planning, brand development, marketing and communications, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Melissa is committed to advancing innovation across the travel and tourism industry to help evolve equitable and inclusive marketing and destination branding practices.

Melissa is the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Miles Partnership, leading the organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consulting practice to serve current and future clients, in addition to guiding the company’s internal DEI policies and best practices.  

From 2016 to 2021, she served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Destinations International and was responsible for the development and execution of the overall marketing and communications, information technology, meetings and education strategies. She also led and developed the association’s first equity, diversity and inclusion strategic roadmap released in 2020.   

Prior to joining Destinations International, Melissa was Senior Vice President for Marketing & Cultural Tourism at Choose Chicago. During her four-year tenure, she led Choose Chicago’s domestic and international marketing strategies, and launched the first-ever Cultural Tourism Strategy to increase visitation to and awareness of Chicago’s cultural entities, events and neighborhoods. Previous experience in the industry includes prior positions at the Chicago History Museum, and the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. 

Driven by her passion for actionable change in implementing DEI practices across the travel and hospitality industry, Melissa serves on the Event Industry Council’s Equity Task Force, the Tourism Diversity Matters Board of Directors, and as co-chair of the Research Subcommittee for Destinations International’s Social Inclusion Committee. She also holds Certified Diversity Executive (CDE)® credential from the Institute for Diversity Certification.