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Mark Eckman, Executive Director

Duties

Mark leads the UNstoppable CBCVB team with responsibilities involving strategic planning, financial management, staff supervision, as well as local and regional partnership development. Not to mention, he educates area stakeholders on how much visitors contribute to local businesses and local government with more than $300 million in travel expenditures spent annually in Pottawattamie County.

Biography

Mark was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and eventually moved to the Okoboji, Iowa area. There he graduated with his high school diploma and was first introduced to working in the travel industry. Through that, he learned about the impact of tourism by working at businesses entirely dependent on travelers such as restaurants and local accommodations.

He received a bachelor’s degree in journalism/public relations with a minor in business from the University of Iowa. In his first post-college position, he led the Villages of Van Buren, Inc. which promoted rural Van Buren County as a travel destination. The organization launched Bike Van Buren and the Van Buren County Scenic Drive which continue to occur more than 30 years later. After three and a half years, he became the group travel manager for the Iowa Tourism Office. His position and responsibilities evolved over the next 16 years and involved ag tourism, international travel promotion, advertising creation/placement, partnership development, and event planning. Next, Mark returned to southeast Iowa to lead the Ottumwa Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for four and a half years and during that time landed the opportunity for Ottumwa to host the Iowa Tourism Conference for the first time. On December 1, 2014, he assumed the role of CBCVB executive director. During his tenure, the Council Bluffs CVB has been recognized for its website and social media efforts and was named outstanding community of the year by Iowa Tourism.

In his free time, Mark likes to travel to see friends and relatives, including his sister’s family in the Twin Cities and his brother’s son and daughter in North Carolina. As an Iowa grad, he is a big Hawkeye fan and gets to a home football game once a year. His favorite professional football team is the San Francisco 49ers, but he also roots for the Vikings, Chiefs, and Bears. Concerts and theater are other favorite past times along with reading biographies.

Ashley English, Associate Director of Content

Duties

As associate director of content, Ashley creates and manages the wonderful content you consume on UNleashCB.com and the Council Bluffs Convention & Visitor Bureau’s social media pages. She promotes Council Bluffs and shares things to do in the city and Pottawattamie County through web and social media copy, blogs, photos, and videos.

Biography

Born and raised on the West Coast, Ashley graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in political science from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. After graduating, Ashley worked as a political campaign assistant for a state assembly candidate and a media/retail assistant for a water sport and photography shop before becoming a social media and account coordinator for a private school in Orange County, California. In 2018, Ashley and her husband, Nicholas, started a new adventure in the Midwest in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro, leading her to her role with the Council Bluffs Convention & Visitors Bureau. She’s now obsessed with fall and the first snowfall of winter — entirely new phenomenons for a child of Southern California.

When not promoting the great city of Council Bluffs, Ashley spends her time exploring the metro, reading and writing, playing guitar poorly, and “pawrenting” a neurotic border collie and a grumpy collie mix.

Alicia Frieze, Director of Sales

Duties

Alicia is enthusiastic about bringing UNforgettable meetings, conferences, and tournaments to Council Bluffs. Bringing new events to CB improves our city's tax revenue from visitors, helps residents and local small business owners, and helps further develop CB.

Biography

Alicia Frieze was born and raised right here in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and then continued her education with Stratford Career Institute’s Distant Learning Program in the interest of interior design.

At the exciting age of 16 years old, she started working for the Best Western Crossroads of the Bluffs. Immediately, she fell in love with working in the fast-paced ever-changing industry, so much so that she spent the next 18 years growing her career in hospitality — a career that led her to work with the CBCVB.

When she isn't being an UNbeliveable advocate for CB, she’s killing it at that mom and wife game! She married her high school sweetheart. Together they have two beautiful teenage daughters and two Great Danes! Her family loves to spend their free time outdoors, specifically camping at their “happy place,” a campground in Little Sioux, Iowa.

She is passionate about helping others and volunteers for many CB organizations. Including, but not limited to, TeamMates, Celebrate CB, and Operation 22 Til Freedom. Want to know more about Alicia? Give her a call. She loves going out for coffee!