Maree Forbes Gaughan, PhD

Before taking on the new role of Director of Development and Marketing for National Scenic Byway Foundation, Dr. Forbes has spent a lifetime involved with Scenic Byways and nearly 30 years involved in destination management and marketing, with an emphasis on scenic drives and routes. After developing copy for all National Scenic Byways on the US Department of Commerce See America website and featuring Scenic Byways in USA Today, she sent thousands of overseas travelers from England, Germany, France, Ireland, India and China on Scenic Byways throughout the US, as the managing director of American Driving Vacations for nine years.

More recently, she serves as Professor of Destination Management and Marketing for the Temple University Master’s in Travel and Tourism program, is creating a new Scenic Byway as the core of a National Heritage Area and has created a thriving tourism program for a small historic town from scratch, using great social media, blogs and a series of auto trails, with next to no budget. She is conversant with the economic impact of Scenic Byways, methods to create economic development in areas where it is hardest to come by, and strategic planning to move organizations forward into the future. Dr. Forbes holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Art and Architectural History from University of Wisconsin, a Doctorate in Environmental Planning from Union University and a Certificate in Digital Marketing from University of Illinois.