Moving on: Jack Wert announces retirement as Collier County's tourism director

Collier County's longtime tourism director has decided to move on.

Jack Wert, who has served in the role for nearly 20 years, said during a Tourist Development Council meeting Monday it's time to "begin thinking about retirement."

He then told the advisory board he'll give up the high-profile post at the end of September. 

"I started in 2002. I said I would stay five years, and boy, has it been fun ever since," Wert said. 

He's convinced that "the timing is right" for his departure, he said, with the right leadership and team in place to carry the torch for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The decision, he said, came after a lot of "soul searching and reflection."

Wert, 78, has held the lead role since the launch of a county-run tourism office. Previously, he served as the CEO of Seminole County's Visitor and Convention Bureau in Central Florida for more than a decade.

While he'll no longer head up the county's tourism office or bureau, he plans to stay in town. 

"I'm not going anywhere," he said. "I'm going to be right here in Naples. This is the place that I truly love. You can get anywhere in the world from here, so why not stay in Florida's Paradise Coast?" 

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While the decision to retire didn't come easy, Wert said he's confident the timing of his exit is right because there's a solid succession plan in place, which has never been the case.

Eight months ago, a deputy director — Paul Beirnes — came on board, who hit the ground running, showing his potential to move into the tourism office's top spot.

With more than 30 years of destination marketing experience, Beirnes has held leadership roles with such well-known organizations as Hilton Worldwide and Disney.

Since joining Collier County's tourism office, Beirnes has overseen sales functions and helped Wert with day-to-day operations.

"You're in capable hands with Paul," Wert said.

He reassured the council that the tourism bureau is going to "continue to excel as we have."

Wert won't coast into retirement. He said he has important work yet to do, from fighting for a few more positions to lobbying for more freedom to get his crew traveling again.

"You don't do sales sitting on the phones and talking to people via Zoom," he said. "You've got to get out." 

The county still has COVID-related restrictions in place that don't allow his staff to travel out of state, making it difficult to compete with other destinations in Florida and elsewhere that don't have those limitations, Wert said.

He thanked the members of the Tourist Development Council for their hard work, dedication and friendship over many years, saying he couldn't ask for a better advisory group to support the bureau's mission. 

Collier County Commissioner Andy Solis, who serves as the advisory board's chairman, praised Wert for all of his "great work."

He recalled the many hurdles Wert and his team have overcome, from hurricanes, recessions and oil spills to bouts of toxic red tide — and now a global pandemic. 

Solis thanked Wert for his "great leadership," consistently shown by the county's visitor metrics. Putting it into sports lingo, the commissioner said the bureau chief's record is 4-0 against tough odds.

Even through a pandemic, Solis said, with Wert at the tourism bureau's helm the county has shined, "leading the pack" in Florida when it comes to recovery.

It appears the commissioner's head is already turning on how to keep Wert working for the county, even if it's just as a volunteer.

"I've got a couple of other advisory committees that might need somebody with your talent," he told Wert.

Tourist Development Council member Kathleen Brock said she couldn't think of a better way for Wert to go out with a winning marketing campaign that's "such a home run."

The campaign, using the tagline, "Only Paradise Will Do," has helped lead the local tourism industry out of the depths of a COVID-driven disaster that brought travel to a virtual halt. 

"That was fantastic," Brock said of the campaign.

Longtime council member Clark Hill, general manager of the Hilton Naples, said Wert "started the whole thing" as the county's first tourism director.

He told Wert he'd be missed and described what he's achieved as nothing short of incredible.

"There have been some pretty profound successes since you've been at the helm there," Hill said.

Whenever the county saw tourism dip, he said Wert found an answer to put it back on track.

Hill commended Wert for his professionalism, saying it's once again showing with the support he's shown his team and the steps he's taken to ensure the county's tourism department is left in "great shape."

"You've had a wonderful career, and I'm sure will continue to do so," Hill said. "But you should be very proud of what you've accomplished because I am. I'm very impressed and proud of what you've done for us."

Susan Becker, another longtime council member, said she served on the committee that chose Wert for the job of building the county's tourism industry years ago. 

"It was nothing before Jack came," she said. "He's made us what we are today.