Today, Metro announced that Scott Cruickshank will serve as the new executive director of the Oregon Convention Center, marking the end of an exhaustive national search and extensive community stakeholder evaluation process.
Currently the general manager of the Grand Heritage Hotel Group, Cruickshank is responsible for the management of the Governor Hotel and Avalon Hotel and Spa in Portland, Oregon. He holds over thirty years of experience serving in various management positions throughout the tourism, meeting and hospitality industries in Oregon.
“Scott quickly emerged as a leading candidate throughout the selection process because of his vast management experience at renowned properties across the region,” said general manager of visitor venues Teri Dresler. “Combined with his expertise in convention sales and destination marketing, he is the top choice to lead the Oregon Convention Center now and into the future,” she added.
Cruickshank previously served as director of operations for Martin Hospitality, a management company overseeing popular properties in Cannon Beach, Oregon, including the Stephanie Inn, Surfsand Resort, Wayfarer Restaurant and Lounge, and The Lumberyard Rotisserie and Grill. Prior to that, he was general manager of The Resort at the Mountain in Welches, Oregon, and general manager of Stuart Anderson’s Restaurants in various locations.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications Management from the University of Portland and is certified by the American Hotel and Lodging Association. He has served on the Travel Portland Board of Directors and Clackamas County Tourism Development Council, chaired the Villages of Mt. Hood Tourism Marketing Alliance, Tri-County Lodging Association and Oregon Lodging Associations, and currently serves on the Mt. Hood Community College Advisory Council. In 2005 he was named Oregon Lodging Association’s Lodging Operator of the Year.
Cruickshank begins at the Oregon Convention Center on April 23.
The Oregon Convention Center is the largest convention center in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and is a leader in practicing sustainability in operations and business practices. It was designated LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Existing Building) in 2004 and, in 2008, it was recertified LEED-EB Silver. Totaling one million square feet of space, it hosts an average of 650 events and over 700,000 visitors annually. The OCC is owned and operated by Metro and managed through Metro’s Exposition Recreation Commission. Visit www.oregoncc.org for more information.
