Speakers

Kay Ivey, 54th Governor of the State of Alabama

Governor Kay Ivey, who became the 54th Governor of Alabama in 2017, is committed to raising the quality of life for all Alabamians. A native of Camden in Wilcox County, she embarked on a career of public service to benefit her fellow Alabamians. During her time as governor, Alabama has seen record high employment and its lowest jobless rate. Her focus on economic development has attracted over $32 billion in capital investment and 65,000 new jobs. She is committed to offering economic development opportunities to rural Alabama and the metro regions alike. With the same level of passion, she is leading Alabama toward a more prosperous future through infrastructure investments and an improved education system.

Lee Sentell, Director, Alabama Tourism Department

Lee has overseen tourism revenue growth in the state from $6 billion in 2003 to almost $ 23.5 billion in 2023. This is his fifth term in the Alabama Governor’s Cabinet.

Under his leadership, the department has pioneered yearly campaigns spotlighting such diverse themes as small towns, the arts, barbecue, natural wonders and the Alabama Bicentennial celebration, winning the national industry’s coveted Mercury award six times in 12 years. Most recently, their U.S. Civil Rights Trail campaign received the International Travel and Tourism Award for best regional promotion at the World Travel Market in London, becoming the first U.S. state tourism agency to be honored.

Previously, he was the first director of marketing at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville and recruited the first 100,000 students to Space Camp. The journalism graduate from Auburn University was city editor at The Decatur Daily before becoming founding director of the Decatur Tourism Bureau.

In related projects, Sentell assisted Monroeville novelist Harper Lee in the launch of her second novel, reopened the closed Alabama Music Hall of Fame, and sponsored the London premiere of the motion picture “Selma.” The Alabama tourism office is working with the National Park Service to nominate a number of civil rights landmarks as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Sentell has served as a board member at the Alabama Historical Commission, Alabama Humanities Foundation, Alabama State Council on the Arts, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Rosa Parks Museum and the space museum in Huntsville.

A native of Ashland, he launched his book The Official U.S. Civil Rights Trail: What Happened Here Changed the World on June 23, 2021 at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta.

Liz Bittner, Travel South USA

Liz Bittner currently serves as President & Chief Executive Officer for Travel South USA, a 12-state regional marketing alliance owned by the state tourism offices of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

At the helm of the oldest, largest, and most respected regional alliance in the United States, Liz has successfully built a program of work that has been acknowledged as outstanding by the Board of Directors and industry alike.  Liz manages offices and well-developed programs in Australia/New Zealand, Benelux, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, and Italy.  She is a premier partner with Brand USA which serves to ensure tourism as a vital and dynamic element in the region’s economic development. Recently she has been awarded the 2019 US Travel Industry’s Mercury Award for Best International Marketing, Communicator Award presented by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, a Telly Award in Digital Broadcasts and an Allie Award for Event Planning. In 2018, Travel South USA received the Most Improved Overseas Destination Marketing Organization by the National Tourism Awards in China. Her background includes serving as Executive Vice President of Group Leaders of America, Inc and Cendant Corporation, now Wyndham Worldwide, world’s largest franchisor of lodging brands, rental car companies, and transaction processing services.
She is a member of the U.S. Travel Industry Board of Directors and Beautiful Places of South Carolina. She also acts as the business manager for the U.S. Civil Rights Trail Marketing Alliance, LLC.  She has been named a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Steve Beshear, Alabama Tour Supplier of Year and Visit North Carolina’s Winner Circle award.
Liz is a frequent speaker at Governor’s conferences on tourism across the nation and is a guest lecturer for Georgia State University’s Day School of Hospitality and University of Georgia International Events classes.
Liz is a graduate of Ohio University with a degree in Organizational Communications/Marketing.  She resides in Atlanta with her husband, John, and is happy to brag on her adult children.

Abbie Stockard, Miss America 2025

Abbie Stockard, Miss America 2025, is a 22-year-old dancer, choreographer, and proud Alabama native. A senior at Auburn University, she is a member of the Tiger Paws Dance Team and a dedicated student in Auburn’s College of Nursing. With plans to pursue a career as a pediatric nurse, Abbie will fully fund her education using the $89,000 in scholarships she earned through the Miss America Opportunity.

Abbie’s commitment to service extends beyond health advocacy. She has worked with state and national leaders to advance impactful legislation and plans to continue using her platform to amplify awareness for CF while demonstrating the powerful influence of women in leadership. A dedicated Mission Partner and Best Buddies Champion, Abbie has also raised funds for the American Heart Association (AHA) and was recognized with the prestigious AHA Go Red for Women Leadership Award during the Miss America Competition.

As a member of Auburn University’s Tiger Paws Dance Team, Abbie has experienced the transformative power of an active and balanced lifestyle. This passion inspired her personal initiative, High Five for Kids, which promotes the importance of establishing healthy habits early in life. Guided by five key pillars of health, the program teaches children that wellness is not a set of rules but an exciting and attainable way of life. Through High Five for Kids, Abbie encourages children, including those with chronic illnesses like CF, to embrace their potential and make positive choices that will serve them for a lifetime.

Inspired by her best friend, Maddie, Abbie is a passionate advocate for Cystic Fibrosis (CF). She was honored as the “2024 Hero of Hope” by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and named an Official National Ambassador for the organization. Her advocacy efforts have raised over $200,000 for CF research, including leading Alabama’s largest CF fundraiser and collaborating with researchers nationwide to accelerate progress toward a cure.

Abbie exemplifies the organization’s mission of service, scholarship, and leadership. She strives to empower ambitious young women, leaving a legacy of advocacy and purpose while continuing her relentless fight for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

Beth Ziesenis, Author. Speaker. Nerd

Since her first Motorola RAZR flip phone, Beth has made a verb out of the word “nerd.” She’s here to help you filter through thousands of apps, gadgets, widgets and doodads to find the perfect free and bargain technology tools for work and home. Although the only real trophy she ever won was for making perfect French fries at McDonald’s in high school, Beth Z has been featured on Best Speaker lists by several organizations who write best speaker lists. She has written a whole shelf of books on apps and has spoken to more than 100 thousand audience members just like you. And if you’re puzzling over why she goes by “Beth Z”… it’s because she only finds about three people a year who can pronounce her last name.

Grey Brennan, Deputy Director, Alabama Tourism Department

Grey Brennan joined the Alabama Tourism Department in 2001. He serves as the department’s Deputy Director and head of the marketing department. Under Brennan’s leadership, Alabama’s international marketing program has grown from just one country to multiple international markets. In addition, Alabama had the #1 growth rate in the nation for international visitors between 2008 and 2018. Brennan established a program to showcase the state’s step-on guides at select tourism trade shows to continuously grow the domestic group tour market. Brennon holds both Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Alabama in marketing and communications. Prior to joining the Alabama Tourism Department, Brennan worked in the broadcasting industry in the state.