Having served as director of meetings and conventions for Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater for more than a dozen years, Suzanne Scully Hackman, CDME, has become a face of the Florida destination. But the born-and-raised Floridian isn’t all business, all the time. Newly married and with two rescue dogs as fur babies, she spends her free time working out, cultivating her butterfly garden and cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Get to know more about her.
1. My favorite movie is “Dirty Dancing.”
2. I never leave the house without my phone.
3. If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be potatoes—I’m an Irish girl!
4. Growing up, I was sure I would be in sales.
5. I know every word to the song “American Girl” by Tom Petty.
6. The best gift I’ve ever given was being able to give my mom 10 more years to live by giving her a kidney in 2008.
7. My nickname in high school was Zanny.
8. If you find me in the kitchen, I’m typically whipping up lasagna.
9. At an industry conference or event, you can typically find me networking.
10. I felt most proud in my career when I accomplished my CDME designation.
11. The hardest part about working in the industry is the travel schedule and being away from family.
12. I believe the single most important quality in a leader is being able to give autonomy to your team and not micromanage them.
13. Sheryl Sandberg is a leader I truly admire.
14. My go-to in-flight beverage choice is water.
15. The destination at the top of my travel bucket list is Australia.
16. My favorite part of my job is selling our amazing destination and seeing the growth.
17. The last book I read was “Those Girls” by Chevy Stevens.
18. I think the biggest challenge to hosting a meeting or conference is being able to showcase all our destination has to offer.
19. My least favorite part about social media is information overload. It’s hard to keep up with all the platforms.
20. In 10 years, I’m betting that the hospitality industry will still be about making connections and building relationships.
21. My first job was scooping ice cream for Bresler’s 33 Flavors at the mall when I was 14.
22. The last item of clothing I bought was Hudson Jeans.
23. The celebrity I’d most like to spend a day with is Ellen DeGeneres.
24. If I could move anywhere in the world, I’d live in I already live there!
25. My dream event to attend is Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
