Sports ETA 2024 Award Winner, Rutherford County CVB, presents a case study on their award-winning program. Rutherford County CVB partnered with Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association to host Spring Fling at 15 sites throughout the county. Spring Fling is an Olympic-style event where the state's top high school athletes compete for championships in tennis, baseball, softball, soccer, and track & field. Over 43,000 people attended in 2023, with an economic impact of $4.8 million. We'll hear from our winners on challenges and successes, as well as program elements.
Barbara Wolke, Vice President, Rutherford County CVB
Barbara has made significant contributions to the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) since joining in 2003 as its first director of group sales. Now the senior vice president, she has a rich background in sales and hospitality, with over 40 years of experience, including key roles at Holiday Inn in Murfreesboro and Brentwood.
A Middle Tennessee native and Rutherford County resident for over 40 years, Barbara brings more than four decades of experience in sales and hospitality. She holds designations as a Certified Hospitality Sales Professional (CHSP) from the American Hotel & Motel Association, a Travel Marketing Professional (TMP) from the Southeast Tourism Society, and a Certified Tennessee Tourism Professional (CTTP) from the Tennessee Tourism Roundtable.
Barbara is an active member of several industry organizations, including the Tennessee Society of Association Executives, American Bus Association, Sports Events and Tourism Association, and Rutherford County and Tennessee Hospitality Associations. She also serves as Tennessee's state chair for the Southeast Tourism Society's Congressional Summit on Travel and Tourism.
Under Barbara’s leadership, the Rutherford County CVB has earned numerous awards, including:
1. The 2024 Sports ETA Partnership of the Year Award for Spring Fling with the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA).
2. The 2024 Sports Destination Management Champions of Economic Impact Award for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showplace.
3. The 2023 Sports Destination Management Champions of Economic Impact Awards for TSSAA Spring Fling and the TSSAA Boys’ & Girls’ Basketball State Championships.
4. The 2022 Sports Destination Management Innovations in Sports Tourism Award for the National Homeschool Soccer Championship.
In addition, Barbara has led the Rutherford County CVB to win the ConventionSouth Readers’ Choice Award ten times for Best Meeting Sites in the South.
Barbara’s individual accolades include the 2023 Tennessee Stars of the Industry Women in Hospitality and Tourism Award. She has been appointed by Tennessee’s Commissioner of Tourist Development to the Tennessee Tourism Committee and actively serves on several boards, including the Rutherford County Wayfinding Signage Program, MTSU’s Hospitality and Tourism Program advisory board, and Play TN Sports. She is also a graduate of Leadership Rutherford Class of 2015.
Donna Klempnow, Director of Sales, Rutherford County CVB
Donna Klempnow joined the Rutherford County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) in 2014. A proud Murfreesboro native, she pursued her education at Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee Knoxville. As a long-time industry player, Donna has excelled in roles such as director of sales and regional sales director for prominent brands, including Choice Hotels, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Bonvoy Hotels, and Hilton Hotels & Resorts. Prior to her current role, she served as the national director of sales for Hilton Hotels & Resorts.
Donna is actively engaged with several industry organizations, including the American Bus Association, National Tour Association, American Hotel and Motel Association, American Society of Association Executives, National Business Travel Association, Southeast Tourism Society, National Tour and Travel Professionals, and the Rutherford County Hospitality Association. She plays a vital role in the Southeast Tourism Society’s Congressional Summit on Travel and Tourism for Tennessee. In recognition of her achievements, she was named a Meeting Planner to Watch by ConventionSouth in 2022 and is also a graduate of the Leadership Rutherford Class of 2016.
Donna's expertise and enthusiasm have a tremendous impact on the Rutherford County CVB, making her a key contributor to the team that has elevated Rutherford County to an impressive #7 ranking in the state for tourism expenditures among 95 counties.