The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce
The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday the selection of Tiffany Benien as the new director of Visit Salina.
Benien, who has served as the sports and special events manager for Visit Salina since June 1995, will succeed Sylvia Rice, who led the organization for 34 years prior to her death in April 2024. The Chamber operates Visit Salina as a convention and visitors bureau using transient guest tax dollars allocated by the City of Salina.
In a statement, Chamber President Renee Duxler cited Benien’s deep experience in tourism and destination marketing, as well as her strong relationships throughout the community, region, and state, as key factors in her selection.
“Tiffany has such a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding tourism and destination marketing, as well as critical relationships that continue to make Visit Salina a premier convention and visitors bureau throughout the state,” Duxler said. “She also has the passion and drive to continue to elevate how Salina promotes itself, which will be crucial as we move forward with our community marketing initiative.”
Throughout 2024, the Chamber worked to renegotiate its transient guest tax agreement with the City of Salina, ultimately securing a reallocation of a percentage of those funds to support the new community marketing initiative. During this period, Duxler served as acting director of Visit Salina following Rice’s passing. The new agreement and budget were approved by the Salina City Commission earlier this year, prompting the official search for a new director.
A native of the Salina area, Benien graduated from Bennington High School and later earned a Bachelor of Arts in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from Kansas Wesleyan University. As a student-athlete, she played both volleyball and softball for the KWU Coyotes, which helped fuel her passion for sports, marketing, and her hometown.
In her role with Visit Salina, Benien has welcomed thousands of visitors, sports fans, and event organizers to the city. She holds designations as a Certified Sports Events Executive (CSEE) and Kansas Destination Specialist (KDS). She also serves on the Travel Industry Association of Kansas (TIAK) Executive Board of Directors, is a member and past president of SportsKS, and is active in both SportsETA and the Kansas I-70 Association.
“I’m excited and honored to take on the role of Visit Salina director,” Benien said. “The Chamber and the Salina community offer so much, including countless community-minded people who make this a great place to visit. Whether you’re interested in sports, the arts, history, food, unique attractions, or comfortable places to stay, Salina has something for everyone. I’m thrilled to be part of this amazing community and look forward to collaborating with others to share the wonderful things that make Salina an exceptional place.”