Have a question about visiting Council Bluffs, a correction for our website, or just want to say hello? We'd love to hear from you. Our general contact details are below along with a general form.
Know who you want to reach? Use the staff contact details on the right. Talk to you soon!
Council Bluffs Convention & Visitors Bureau
509 23rd Ave.
Council Bluffs, IA 51501
844.271.6909 (toll-free)
712.256.2577 (local)
info@unleashcb.com
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.
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!
Duties
As the visitor services coordinator, Beth works closely with volunteers that staff the visitors center to ensure visitors have an UNforgettable experience in Council Bluffs. Along with her role as the visitor service coordinator, Beth will be working with our hotels, venues, and event clients as a sales coordinator assisting with any needs they may have in coming to Council Bluffs.Biography
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska and a recent graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Beth loves the Midwest. Beth graduated in August of this year with a degree in Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management and a minor in Leadership & Communication. During her final months of school, Beth had the opportunity to work with the metro area for the Omaha Metropolitan Tourism Awards. During her time with the awards, she saw the amazing impact tourism has on the community and wanted visitors to be able to experience the kindness and hospitality that the metro area has to offer.
Beth loves working with people that are passionate about something. In spending some time with the Omaha Visitors Center, she saw how people in their own communities have personal experiences of what their cities can offer. In working with volunteers, she gets to see what makes Council Bluffs so incredible, and she looks forward to seeing how the Visitors Center can show off this UNdeniably great place!
When she isn’t promoting the UNbelievable experiences Council Bluffs has to offer, Beth loves spending times with friends through playing music (in her band) or having a game night. She loves The Office and has seen it over 10 times!
If you ever want to get to know Beth better or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Duties
As content coordinator, Emma creates and manages the exciting 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
Emma was proudly born and raised here in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She spent the majority of her childhood exploring the breathtaking Loess Hills with her family. She graduated from Lewis Central High School and continued her education at Iowa State University where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary design.
During her time in Ames, Emma managed a photo scanning and printing business that was located in the Main Street Cultural District. Here she found that she was very passionate about photographs, specifically the stories and people behind them. As the content coordinator, Emma is here to share the story of Council Bluffs by highlighting the city’s UNbelievable destinations, and UNforgettable people.
When she isn’t promoting the great city of Council Bluffs, you can find Emma creating art in her studio, gardening with her husband, or cuddled up listening to podcasts with her two mischievous cats.
