Sharon Johnson, Business Director at Columbus Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau

Next July will mark nine years as business director of the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau for Sharon Johnson, but she has worked in tourism either directly or indirectly for many more years than that.

“When I was about 15 or 16 years old, I started working at a local fast-food establishment. My first job was in my hometown of Tunica at the Sonic Drive-In,” Johnson said. “At the time, I didn’t consider it a tourism-related job, but looking back, it was my first experience dealing with the public in a hospitality setting. Preparing and presenting meals is, after all, at the heart of hospitality.

Then, Johnson worked as a front desk clerk at a hotel in Starkville while she was a student at Mississippi State University.

“Hotels are indispensable tourism partners that provide firsthand knowledge of the daily activities and operations of a hotel/motel as it relates to tourism,” she said. “The experience was hands-on education, right on the front lines.”

Johnson’s professional tourism career began with the Tunica County Tourism Commission in 2013, where she served as the financial assistant for four years. She said her time in the position taught her the importance of finance in operating a publicly funded organization.

“Planning successful tourism activities and events requires identifying, securing and sustaining appropriate and reliable sources of funding,” Johnson said.

After relocating to Columbus in 2017, she joined the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau, where her primary responsibility has been handling the business and financial affairs of the bureau.

“For most of my professional career, I have worked behind the scenes—the part of tourism that most individuals may not see, yet is essential to the success of tourism operations, programs and events,” Johnson said.

Johnson recently completed the MSU Extension Service’s Excellence in Tourism Certification Program to gain new skills, a decision that she said has benefited her both professionally and personally.

“Applying the knowledge shared by instructors has served as a guide when handling day-to-day situations,” she said. “One word to personally describe what the program has given me is confidence. I have further developed the skills to work more directly with peers, local officials, tourism partners and other professionals. I have embraced my ability to lead in an approach that feels authentic to me.

“Overall, the program has helped me recognize attributes in my current role that have been especially rewarding—networking, embracing my leadership style, strategically thinking and expanding my comfort zone,” Johnson said.