SCOTCH PLAINS, New Jersey (Oct. 22)—Puerto Rican tourism expert Terestella González Denton has been recognized as an outstanding Caribbean leader by the Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx). González Denton has revolutionized tourism by highlighting the value of people and their cultures when strengthening the Caribbean tourism product, and adds the 2013 Caribbean Media Exchange Leadership Award to the list of accolades she has amassed in her impactful service to the U.S. territory and the wider Caribbean region.
Organizers of the CMEx fundraiser, set for the 40/40 Club in New York City on Sunday, Dec. 8, announced that González Denton will be among a select group of honorees being recognized for their commitment to sustainable tourism development and the promotion of the Caribbean region. A diligent, strong-minded, hands-on and dependable professional with a strong academic background and comprehensive work experience, González Denton, currently president of the Caribbean Round consulting firm, served with distinction as executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company from 2005 to 2008 and continues to positively impact the region’s bread and butter industry. She has always played an unselfish role in helping to bring the region together in spite of its language barriers. Her work with the media, local communities and young people is also inspiring.
González Denton, a professor at the management department of the University of Sacred Heart in Puerto Rico, was named by Travel Weekly as one of the “Top 33 Most Influential Executives in the International Travel and Tourism Industry” in 2007. Caribbean Business and Vocero named her “Person of the Year” and “Woman of the Year,” respectively, that same year.
CMEx will use its New York fundraiser to help stage its 21st event in the Caribbean in 2014. Its mission is to support and develop the ability of the media, government, the travel and tourism industry and communities to consider the importance of tourism in sustainable development, while lending a hand to the communities involved by sharing relevant expertise and financial and in-kind assistance.