Julie Saupe has been with Visit Anchorage for the past 22 years, the last 17 of those as President & CEO. Visit Anchorage works to create value for Anchorage’s residents through the visitor economy. Before joining the team at Visit Anchorage, Saupe held executive, marketing and membership positions with the Mat-Su CVB, Alaska Visitors Association and the Alaska Chamber of Commerce. She feels fortunate to have stumbled into her tourism career as a high school sophomore when she was hired to provide walking tours of downtown Fairbanks for their Convention & Visitors Bureau. She holds Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Economics and Business (with marketing emphasis) from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Saupe was named one of Alaska’s Top 40 Under 40, serves on several local, regional and national boards, including the DMA West Foundation and Destination International’s Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) board. She and her husband Steve live near downtown and have always had at least one dog and one cat in their household.