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Nicole Stacey

Nicole Stacey

  • Vice President of Destination Development, Visit Pensacola

Biography

Born and raised on the beaches of Northwest Florida, Nicole Stacey has an innate love for the Sunshine State, its pristine beaches, and the thrill of travel. Cultivating over 15 years of marketing and communications expertise, Stacey has over 20 years in the tourism and hospitality industry. 

As Visit Pensacola's vice president of destination development, Stacey leads the marketing and sales departments. She is responsible for identifying market opportunities, developing short- and long-term marketing and sales plans and strategies, directing all communications and public relations functions, and ensuring community-wide destination development investments increase and travel-related strategies are connected and aligned.  

Throughout her career, she has spearheaded numerous successful initiatives, marking significant achievements in the industry. Notable highlights include transforming Visit Pensacola's public relations efforts with out-of-market activations at prestigious events like the Country Music Awards in Nashville, Chicago Air and Water Show, several in-market television productions, and media-related opportunities in New York, Canada, and London. 

Stacey has played a pivotal role in several multi-rebranding campaigns, including the development of Visit Pensacola's latest brand, "The Way to Beach." Additionally, she has been an integral part of the evolved Tourism Works for Pensacola campaign—an initiative to communicate tourism's invaluable impact in Escambia County.

Actively engaging with professional and travel industry associations and dedicated to the Pensacola community, Stacey serves as a Board Member for Destinations Florida and contributes to the Destinations International PR Task Force. Additionally, she is a part of the NWFL Beaches Coalition Brand Team. She has assumed several leadership roles over her tenure, such as chairing the 2023 Leadership Pensacola Class, being past president of the University of West Florida Alumni Association, Fiesta Pensacola Board of Governors, Florida Public Relations Assoc past president and state board member, and the Foo Foo Festival curator to name a few. 

Recognized as a rising star by InWeekly in 2013 and honored with the 2022 Florida Public Relations Association Communicator of the Year award, Stacey was recently named the 2023 Emerging Leader for the Greater Pensacola Chamber PACE Awards. She takes pride in representing her community worldwide and showcasing Pensacola as a premier travel destination. 

She is the proud graduate of a master's degree in strategic communications and leadership and a B.A. in public relations and marketing from the University of West Florida. Go Argos! 

In her spare time, Stacey finds joy in her role as "Auntie Coco," cherishing moments spent with family and friends, indulging in her community like a local should and booking her next plane ticket to fulfill her love and passion for travel and experiencing new places and cultures around the world.