Raelyn Dessart is the Associate Director of Membership & Engagement – Destinations & Industry Partners at the Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA). With over eight years of experience in sports tourism, destination development, and stakeholder engagement, Raelyn has a proven record of building partnerships and fostering community collaboration within the sports events industry.

Before joining Sports ETA, she served as Senior Sales & Events Supervisor at Visit Central Florida Sports, helping recruit and manage more than 300 annual events that generated over $215 million in economic impact. She launched the Sweetest Sports Experience Program and co-led the Visit Central Florida Partner Summit, initiatives that strengthened relationships among hoteliers, rights holders, and community partners. During her tenure, Visit Central Florida Sports was recognized as Sports ETA’s 2025 Sports Tourism Organization of the Year.

Raelyn is part of Destinations International’s 30 Under 30 Class of 2025, co-founded the Women in Sports Tourism (WiST) Collective, and holds STS and RRCA Certified Race Director credentials. A former collegiate softball player, she remains passionate about mentorship, youth development, and growing the next generation of sports tourism leaders.

Raelyn’s faith grounds her both personally and professionally. She enjoys staying active through hiking, Pilates, and golf, supporting local coffee shops wherever she travels, and channeling her creativity into home projects—often joking that she plays Joanna to her husband’s Chip.