Debby Jacobs Felker, 34, works in Las Vegas as vice president of sales at Destinations by Design. As a 2019 40 Under 40 honoree, Felker discusses her passion for the events industry.
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What I do: I’m a leader, a sales chaser, a relationship maker, an influencer, and a devoted advocate for our dynamic company. I work in a world of brilliant imagination and inspiration so, in order to effectively lead our teams, I must always be aware of our deliverables and prepared for the unexpected.
How I got here: I started my events career as an intern at a company who was one of DBD’s clients. Serendipitously, they were the company who referred me to DBD. Since 2004, I’ve held eight different positions within DBD before I was ultimately promoted to my current role of vice president of sales in 2014.
Greatest career accomplishment: I helped develop industry insights to fully illustrate the opportunities that came with transitioning our company from being privately owned to 100-percent employee owned through a stock option plan. As one of the leaders for the initiative, I was responsible for presenting a comprehensive plan that demonstrated both the strengths of our company and the potential of our growth.
Impressive stats: I am happy to have worked with DBD’s 110 full-time team members to facilitate more than 1,000 events & programs in 2018. That’s almost three events a day!
What I am working on now: Our Employee Stock Option Plan has all of my focus and my excitement. We all get to own a piece of this amazing company and sharing this opportunity with all of my passionate co-workers has been indescribably exciting. The ESOP is a true testament of the long-term investment in the future of Destinations by Design.
What I do outside of work: My sons, Noah (7) and Jake (4), are my world, so I spend my free-time watching them snowboard or play baseball. I am also an avid reader. I am also a member of Nevada Woman’s Philanthropy and the Las Vegas Hospitality Association.
