Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced the appointment of Chicago Architecture Center President and CEO Lynn Osmond to be the next CEO of official city DMO Choose Chicago.

The tourism agency has experienced hard times - including steep tax-revenue shrinkage, leading to staff layoffs and pay cuts - since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic near the end of 2019.

The City agency announced in March 2021 that by "mutual agreement" it would not be renewing the 5-year contract of then-CEO David Whitaker due to expire in July 2021. Whitaker agreed to remain as CEO until July 2021, and was then replaced by Interim CEO CFO James Meyer.

Tourism officials say that because of her close existing relationship with Choose Chicago and the city's tourism community, Ms. Osmond will be able to hit the ground running as CEO of the DMO.

Currently along with COVID-19, a high violent-crime rate and the city's unwelcoming winter weather are leading to difficulty to filling hotel rooms in Chicago - resulting in the lowest occupancy rate of any major US city in February 2022, with some hotels at single-digit occupancy - so it seems Ms. Osmond has her work cut out for her.

Is a recovery in 2022 doable? Stay tuned for updates.