Kimberlin to retire from CVB

Tracy Kimberlin is retiring from the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc. after 35 years as its leader.

Kimberlin plans to step down as president and CEO of the tourism organization at year's end, according to a news release.

"You have to love what you do to stay in a position for 35 years. That also makes it hard to leave," he said in a statement provided to Springfield Business Journal. "But it is time to turn the reigns over, and I look forward to watching my successor take the CVB to the next level."

Kimberlin, 70, said he plans to "continue working in some capacity somewhere," but he currently does not have a role lined up for life after the CVB.

The CVB's leader since 1987, Kimberlin has directed the organization during a period of growth. The CVB this year has a budget of more than $4 million, compared with $435,000 in 1988, his first full year on the job, and the organization currently employs 17 full-time and two part-time employees, according to the release.

After graduating from Missouri State University, he started in the tourism industry as general manager of the Sheraton Inn and Conference Center, according to past reporting. Kimberlin was a member of SBJ's 2016 class of Men of the Year.

The CVB Board of Directors has selected a committee that will work with a yet-to-be-determined recruiting company to conduct a nationwide search for Kimberlin's successor. More information about the hiring process will be released at a later date, and no applications or inquiries will be accepted until a selection process is announced, according to the release.