Barrish serves as Greater Richmond Tourism Association president

Interim Dean for the School of Business and Engineering David Barrish was recently appointed president of the Greater Richmond Tourism Association, a group that serves the tourism communities in the City of Richmond and surrounding counties as an organization for networking, education and information sharing. He has served actively with the Association for five years and spent the last year as president-elect. Barrish, and what he refers to as an excellent, energetic and professional group of cabinet members, focuses on making Richmond a top tier destination.

“It is good for the region to bring out of market dollars because they multiply once they’re here,” explains Barrish. “All tourism monies stay in the region. Anyone that benefits from tourism understands that out of market dollars are great for the local economy.”

Barrish moved to the Richmond region in the 80’s to raise his family in a history-rich environment with strong family and community values. He says of his experiences:

“Working at Reynolds is permitting me to give back to the community by preparing graduates. But the GRTA is just another facet of how I could give back to our community. We love our community and we love to share it with those that are visiting and, through our work, we are able to spread the word about what a phenomenal place Richmond is. I like to believe that economically, socially and culturally, Richmond is benefiting through my work. I think it’s a chance to help visitors understand the rich American story from multiple perspectives.”

The Association is a nonprofit, nongovernmental and nonpolitical organization – and a very low cost opportunity for members to network. Members meet regularly to share information about destinations, attractions and the city’s history.

“You get a better, refreshed understanding of the community,” says Barrish.