Sep 11, 2026
Being Proactive vs Reactive: Building a Funding Future for New York Destinations
We are excited to announce that Kelly Rankin, Senior Project Manager and Director of Team Engagement at Civita and Jill Delaney, President and CEO of Discover Albany, will speak Friday morning at the 2026 New York State Tourism Excellence Summit on September 18 in Corning, New York.
Every year, many destination organizations work to maintain their budget instead of building one. Across the country, destinations are changing that. In this session, Civitas gives a national look at the funding tools destinations are actually using right now, from tourism improvement districts to sales tax increment financing to wine marketing districts. Then Jill Delaney of Discover Albany will join Kelly on stage for a candid conversation about New York's furthest-along effort of forming a tourism improvement district: what did not work the first time, what is different now, and what it will take to get there what still has to happen for Albany to get a district in place.
Why You Should Attend This Session:
- Tourism Promotion Agencies, County tourism offices, chamber-based programs, and freestanding DMOs all belong in this room. If you spend any part of your year working to preserve your funding, this session is for you.
Key Takeaways:
- A clear, practical map of how destinations across the country are funding their work, including tourism improvement districts, sales tax increment financing, and capital improvement districts, through a public-private partnership.
- An honest look at how one New York destination is working to establish a dedicated funding source it does not have to secure year to year, including what derailed the first attempt and what is being done differently this time.
Kelly Rankin is Civita's Senior Project Manager and Director of Team Engagement. Since 2018, she has guided destinations across the country through the formation, renewal, and modification of tourism funding districts, with a specialty in breaking new ground in states adopting these tools for the first time. Kelly led the formation of six simultaneous Tourism Improvement Districts in Richmond, Virginia, all firsts for the state, and helped establish the Montgomery, Alabama TID, the second in Alabama. In California, she formed the Livermore Valley Wine District, the state's second wine improvement district. Her work also spans Colorado, where she formed three TIDs, along with Massachusetts and Washington. As Director of Team Engagement, Kelly also mentors and supports staff across the firm. She holds a degree in Communications and Advertising from California State University, Fresno.
Jill Delaney is the President and CEO of Discover Albany, which serves Albany County as its official Destination Management Organization, promoting the area’s incredible businesses and attractions. Discover Albany also operates the Discover Albany Visitors Center and the Albany International Airport Information Center and serves as Albany County’s Official Film and Sports Commissions. Jill previously served as the President and CEO of the New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA). She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Destinations International, is the Mayoral Appointee to the Albany Convention Center Authority Board, the Legislative Chair of the NYS Destination Marketing Organization, President of the Capital-Saratoga Tourism Region, a director of Hudson Valley Tourism Board, and was appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul to the NYS Museum Visioning Task Force.