Marcus Hinz
Director
Oceanside, Oregon
Marcus Hinz brings a passion for the outdoors and creative, systems thinking to his role as executive director. Originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, Marcus moved to Oregon in 1996 to attend Portland State University, where he earned a graduate degree in public administration and completed 65 hours of graduate level conflict resolution training. Soon after graduating, he accepted the position of director of continuing and community education at Tillamook Bay Community College.
During his tenure there, he launched the Watershed Activities To Estuary Recreation (WATER) program to educate locals and visitors about Tillamook County’s abundance of waterways and scenic beauty. The successful program garnered the 2005 Gene Leo Memorial Award at the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
Today, as executive director of OCVA, Marcus is responsible for meeting the objectives outlined in the Regional Tourism Plan. He continues to build OCVA’s host of business and marketing services for tourism operations, helping people more effectively participate in the tourism economy and align their efforts with state and regional tourism priorities. Marcus is known for his ability to bring people from diverse backgrounds together to meet common goals. This is best exemplified by the annual People’s Coast Summit, which convenes stakeholders from the entire 363-mile long Coast.
Marcus currently lives in Oceanside. When not working, you’ll likely spot him wandering through Oregon’s forests, paddling our coastal estuaries or just staring into a fire at the beach.
Arica Sears
Deputy Director
Tierra Del Mar, Oregon
Raised in the small community of Tierra Del Mar just north of Pacific City, Arica Sears is a sixth generation Oregonian. She went to college at the University of Oregon, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a focus on rural communities making decisions around natural resources. She has completed research in the Peruvian Amazon, worked on by catch issues on the coast of Ecuador, and worked in the tourism realm in Mallorca, Spain.
“This position is responsible for convening dialogs, sometimes around contentious issues, and it’s important we as an agency don’t walk into them blind,” says OCVA Executive Director Marcus Hinz. As OCVA’s Deputy Director, Arica’s main concerns include the Strategic Investment Fund, People’s Coast Summit, Strategic Advisory Group, Public Art Trail, stakeholder communications and generally helping communicate the value of tourism to visitors, stakeholders and media.
Arica lives in Tierra del Mar with her chocolate lab Huckleberry. When she’s not working up and down the coast she enjoys running with her pup, going out for breakfast, and traveling internationally.
Katera Woodbridge
Sales and Marketing Coordinator
Coming soon…
Jesse Dolin
Central Coast Destination Coordinator
Yachats, Oregon
Jesse Dolin is the Destination Developer for the Central Coast region, where his family has lived for multiple generations. He formerly served as the Economic Development Catalyst for the City of Florence, where he worked to bring economic opportunities to the Florence community. He is looking forward to expanding upon that work and building upon those relationships in his new role at OCVA, while at the same time working on initiatives that preserve and conserve the natural environment.
An avid outdoorsman and fisherman, Jesse is excited to support projects that connect people with nature and the paradise that is the Oregon Coast. When not working, Jesse can be found fishing, crabbing, clamming, or foraging for something to add to the dinner table and share with friends.
Dave Lacey
South Coast Destination Coordinator
Gold Beach, Oregon
Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, Dave Lacey is a seaman at heart. A fisherman, kayaker, snorkeler and amatuer naturalist, Dave has lived in Gold Beach, Oregon since 1995, where he’s done everything from commercial fishing to carpentry. In 2012, he founded South Coast Tours as a way to share his love of the outdoors with others. The company employs four guides who lead people on kayaking, fishing and stand-up paddle board trips and teach surfing lessons.
Dave joined OCVA in 2016 as destination coordinator. He assists businesses and organizations located between Reedsport to Brookings creating world-class visitor experiences. Dave is supporting the development of many new recreational trails systems such as the new mountain bike trail system in Coos County and creating marketing tools for the Coast fat biking industry. He is the visionary behind the proposed Coquille River Water Trail. And he’s creating fun events as a way to attract people to explore new outdoor recreation opportunities along the Coast.
Destination development requires a strong ability to cultivate relationships — something Dave does with ease. “Dave is supernaturally likeable,” says Marcus Hinz, OCVA executive director. “He’s sincere, dependable and follows through.”
Dave currently lives in Gold Beach with his wife and two kids where he coaches soccer and fly fishes as much as possible when he’s not sneaking away to his favorite surfing spot.
Zak Shelhamer
Director of Marketing and Sales
Yachats, Oregon
An accomplished photographer and cinematographer, Shelhamer comes to OCVA with exceptionally well-honed chops in influencer development, branding and media marketing in the outdoor adventure world. As a commercial and documentary filmmaker, he’s made more than 400 videos of kayaking, mountain biking, climbing, mountaineering, base jumping and other extreme sports, which have drawn more than 200 million views. Forbes called him “#1 Instagram photographer to follow,” and the Huffington Post named him “Best Adventure Traveler.”
“Bringing Zak on board is a huge win for the Oregon Coast tourism industry and our partners,” says OCVA Executive Director Marcus Hinz. “He’s a good listener and understands our marketing isn’t as straightforward as marketing a widget. After all, our coastal cities and villages aren’t ‘products;’ they are communities.
Zak currently lives in Yachats with his wife Whitney and their two pups. When he’s not working he can be found surfing, fishing, or finding a new adventure.
Scott Humpert
President
Central
Lincoln City VCB
2019 / 2019
Gary Hayes
Vice President
At-Large
Publishing – Explorer
2019
Connie Soper
Secretary
At-Large
Recreation & O.C.T.
2018 / 2019
Drew Roslund
Treasurer
Central
Overleaf Lodge, Yachats
2019 / 2019
Nathan Kahler
Director
South
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
2021
Janice Langlinais
Director
South
Coos Bay & North Bend VCB
2018
Jeremy Strober
Director
North
Heartfelt Hospitality Management
2018
Justin Aufdermauer
Director
North
Tillamook Chamber of Commerce
2021
Priscilla Macy
Director
At-Large
Oregon Outfitters and Guides Association
2021