As the Pure Michigan campaign nears its 20th anniversary in just over a year, the team behind the brand is announcing new leadership to steer it into the future. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) on Thurs announced that Kelly Wolgamott has been named vice president of Pure Michigan. Wolgamott has served as interim vice president since January. Additionally, Carrie Jones Grace will join the MEDC as the senior vice president of Travel, Media and Industry Relations, coming to the MEDC most recently from the city of Detroit.
Wolgamott joined MEDC and Travel Michigan in 2011 and served as Director of Travel Marketing for more than 12 years. Prior to joining MEDC, Wolgamott served in marketing and public relations roles with General Motors and advertising agency Leo Burnett Worldwide.
As vice president of Pure Michigan, she will lead the state’s tourism marketing, branding and public relations efforts, including overseeing the award-winning Pure Michigan campaign and management of the Travel Michigan team at MEDC.
“Kelly’s talents, personal commitment, wealth of industry knowledge and marketing expertise position her to advance Michigan’s efforts to promote our state as the top four-season destination for travelers across the country and around the world,” said MEDC CEO, Quentin L. Messer, Jr. “Carrie’s addition to the MEDC team is part of an intentional effort to ensure that the Travel Michigan team and the Travel Commission are integrated into all aspects of the broader MEDC, as MEDC executes the ‘Make It In Michigan’ economic development strategy focused on attracting and developing People, cultivating and revitalizing Places and competing for and winning Projects. The tourism and hospitality industry is important across all three pillars. Carrie’s new role will enable MEDC to deliver even greater stakeholder engagement and position our state for continuing success over the next twenty years.”
As senior vice president of Travel, Media and Industry Relations, Jones Grace will oversee the Travel Michigan team, along with the Michigan Film Office and MEDC Communications team. For more than five years, Jones Grace has worked for the city of Detroit, most recently serving as deputy chief of staff for Mayor Mike Duggan where she oversaw daily operations of the Mayor’s Office, including citywide initiatives such as Project Clean Slate and the Detroit Promise Scholarship Program.
Prior to joining the city, Jones Grace was the executive director of the Michigan Venture Capital Association, where she worked with 115 member organizations focused on marketing Michigan’s growing role as a center of innovation and entrepreneurship. She also previously served as the Michigan film commissioner and director, ensuring Michigan’s creative industry supported the state economy by encouraging high wages, high-tech jobs and talent retention.
“Kelly’s stewardship of the Pure Michigan brand for more than a decade has helped it grow into a key pillar in Michigan’s efforts to grow our economy and attract new visitors and residents to Michigan,” said Hilary Doe, Michigan’s chief growth & marketing officer. “We’re excited to also bring additional firepower to the table by welcoming Carrie to the team to bolster our ability to support industry partners with more consistent stakeholder engagement in the legislature, media and across state government. Together, we’ll continue demonstrating how the travel industry and talent attraction go hand-in-hand to grow our population and build a brighter future for our state.”
As the state pursues economic and population growth, travel and tourism has never been more important. Data demonstrates the industry continues delivering broad economic impacts, with research conducted by Longwoods International showing that in 2023 the Pure Michigan campaign significantly lifted Michigan’s reputation in primary out-of-state markets as a place to live, work, and study. Further, people visiting Michigan who are aware of the Pure Michigan campaign are even more likely to rate Michigan highly as a place to invest their time, careers, and futures.
“As we usher in the 20th year of the iconic Pure Michigan campaign with Kelly’s leadership, this success will be amplified even further by adding Carrie’s expertise to the MEDC, which will be a great support to our industry in these dynamic times,” said Amy Cox, chair of the Michigan Travel Commission. “These roles will offer a tremendous benefit to the travel and tourism ecosystem throughout Michigan – and Michigan’s broader economy – as we continue welcoming visitors from around the world to experience and discover the magic of Pure Michigan. It all starts with a visit.”
For travelers to Michigan who are aware of Pure Michigan campaign advertisements:
• 58% strongly agree that Michigan is a "good place to live" compared to 26% of those who are unaware of Pure Michigan advertisements and have not traveled to Michigan in the past two years
• 66% strongly agree Michigan is a "good place to attend college/trade school" compared to 27% of ad-unaware and nonvisitors
• 52% and 49% (respectively) strongly agree it is a “good place to start a career or business” compared to 24% and 23% who are ad-unaware and nonvisitors
• 73% strongly agreed Michigan is a “place with exciting outdoor activities to enjoy” compared to just 33% who were ad-unaware and nonvisitors
Tourism is a key driver of economic growth in Michigan, with 125 million visitors spending $27.3 billion in communities and destinations across the state in 2022, resulting in a total economic impact of $48.5 billion, according to an independent study by Tourism Economics. In 2023, the Pure Michigan campaign was directly responsible for 1.5 million visitor trips, resulting in $2.5 billion in visitor spending which generated $156 million in state tax revenue, according to research conducted by SMARInsights.
For additional information on the MEDC and its initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, visit www.michigan.org.
