Choose Chicago President/CEO Lynn Osmond to step down after only 2 years

The board of municipal DMO Choose Chicago has announced in a media release that President/CEO Lynn Osmond will be stepping down as of 31 January 2024 in order to focus on a family health matter.

Ms. Osmond joined Choose Chicago in March 2021 after the agency by "mutual agreement" did not renew the contract of former CEO David Whitaker. At that time, during the COVID pandemic, Choose Chicago was experiencing hard times because of tax-revenue shrinkage which led to staff layoffs.

For now, board member Rich Gamble - formerly publisher and general manager of Chicago Magazine and COO of Brookfield Zoo - will serve as interim CEO of Choose Chicago until a permanent replacement for Ms. Osmond can be recruited.

Ms. Osmond's resignation comes at a bad time for Choose Chicago as this summer the city will be hosting a NASCAR street race in July and the Democratic National Convention in August.

The Democratic National Convention, scheduled for August 19-22 at the United Center, is expected to bring 50,000 visitors, 20,000 members of the media, and 5,500 delegates to Chicago.

Choose Chicago, the city's official tourism organization - which was launched in 2012 under then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel and receives most of its funding from city sources and the State of Illinois - had a budget of $29 million in 2023.