Mark Tester
Executive Director

Mark Tester is the Orange County Convention Center’s (OCCC) Executive Director. He is responsible for the overall operations, planning, marketing and all activities at the OCCC, while ensuring its positive economic impact for the community. Tester previously held the position of Austin Convention Center Director, an enterprise department of the City of Austin, Texas. Tester held his prior role since January 2008 and led all aspects of the Austin Convention Center and Palmer Events Center. In addition to managing the Austin Convention Center Department, Tester was on the Executive Committee of Visit Austin and was the President of Austin Convention Enterprises – the board that oversees the City financed 800-room Hilton Austin. Prior to Austin, Tester spent 13 years working in the Chicago convention community holding senior positions at both the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (now Choose Chicago) and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the owner and manager at that time of McCormick Place – the western hemisphere’s largest convention facility. Tester grew up in the convention industry. His father operated destination marketing organizations and later, convention and trade shows. Tester earned a B.A. in Communication from Purdue University.

David Ingram
General Manager

David Ingram is the General Manager of the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). Mr. Ingram previously served as the OCCC’s Acting Executive Director and prior to that role, Assistant Director.Prior to this appointment, Mr. Ingram also served as the OCCC Event Operations Division Manager. Mr. Ingram began his career at the OCCC in 2003 and previously held the positions of event manager and event set-up supervisor prior to leading the Event Operations Division at the OCCC. Mr. Ingram previously worked for the Walt Disney World Co. and the Gaylord Palms Resort. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida and holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and cinematography.

Yulita Osuba
Deputy Director

Yulita has over 30 years in the hospitality industry and been in management at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) for more than sixteen years. She is a natural leader and seasoned professional in the industry, having served in senior sales management positions at the Daytona Beach Convention Center and the Tampa Convention Center. Yulita oversees the following divisions within the OCCC: Sales, Marketing, Event Management & Exhibitor Services, information technology and Security.

Prior to joining the Orange County Convention Center, Yulita was the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Tampa Convention Center. In this role, she managed the sales team, supervised the event services team, and implemented marketing plans that targeted short- and long-term business.

Yulita is a Certified Meeting Professional and Certified Hospitality Sales Executive. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. She is a board member of the International Association for Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). She served as President for the Convention Sales Professionals International (CSPI) and served on the board for The International Center for Exhibitor and Event Marketing (ICEEM).

Terry Devitt
Deputy Director | Facility Operations

Terry began his career with the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in 1997 in the Event Utilities section, where he did installation of temporary electrical event power and leading a crew of 10. Recently appointed as a Deputy Director, Terry manages the facility operations and development of the OCCC. In 1998, Terry was promoted to an assistant event coordinator, working with clients to secure details for their upcoming events. In 1999, he became an event coordinator where he was responsible for the coordination of the most complex, technically demanding events held at the OCCC. In 2006, he was promoted to Supervisor of Event Set up, where he managed more than 70 full time and on call staff to facilitate client needs prior to, and during events to ensure that client inventory expectations and service levels were met. Terry was then named director of event management and exhibitor services in 2007 and provided leadership to the event managers and exhibit service teams. He was appointed as the Manager of Facility Operation for the entire OCCC complex in 2012. Terry is a graduate of Florida State University and has also received a certificate from IAAM Venue Management School and he also holds a Certified meeting Professional (CMP) Designation.

Ray Walls
Deputy Director | Fiscal and Operational Support/Strategic Planning

Ray has been recently appointed as the Deputy Director overseeing Fiscal and Operational Support/Strategic Planning for the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). Previously, he served as the Center’s Chief Financial Officer. He joined the Convention Center after spending 14 years in Orange County’s Office of Management and Budget where he served as the Assistant Manager, helping to coordinate the development of the county’s annual budget of more than $4 billion and leading various special projects. Prior to that, he worked in Orange County Fire Rescue’s Fiscal & Operational Support division where he got his start with the county as an intern while completing his bachelor’s degree in Finance from UCF. Ray is a proud Knight who also earned his MBA at UCF.

Eric Blanc, Sr., CMP
Senior Director of Sales

Eric Blanc, Sr., CMP is the Orange County Convention Center’s (OCCC) Senior Director of Sales. With more than 25 years of experience in event management and convention center sales, Blanc oversees the strategic planning and selling of the OCCC. Blanc was the Director of Sales, Marketing, and Convention Services at the Tampa Convention Center, where he spent 15 years of his career. He held various positions during his time there including Event Services Supervisor and Senior Events Coordinator. Blanc’s background spans across various top organizations in the industry including The Freeman Companies and GES Expositions, where he was a National Sales Manager for both companies. Blanc graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s of science degree in Business - Marketing and holds a certificate from the IAAM Public Assembly Facility Management School at Oglebay.

Michelle Neely
Acting Event Services Manager

Michelle Neely was recently appointed as the Acting Event Services Manager here at the OCCC.

Her daily responsibilities include managing three sections. The Event Management, Event Set Up and Exhibit Services sections have a $5M operating budget and about 130 staff members on three shifts. Every event held at the OCCC is serviced by these departments.

Michelle is the liaison for all OCCC capital planning projects. Her chief responsibility is to blend client event activity for more than 200 shows annually with all active OCCC CIP projects. Michelle has worked hand in hand with the Orange County Public Works team for the past two years during the construction of the new bridge between the OCCC and the Hyatt Regency Orlando. Michelle has initiated negotiations with clients; partners and local stakeholders to manage construction impact on OCCC contracted business. Michelle also serves as back up for David Ingram, Assistant Director.

Michelle began her career at the OCCC in January 2001 as an event manager. She was promoted to Senior Event Manager, Senior Sales Manager and in 2012 she accepted the position of Supervisor of Event Management.

Michelle attended Bishop Moore High School here in Orlando. She graduated from the University of Florida in 1994.

Nadia Vanderhoof
Chief Marketing Officer

Nadia Vanderhoof is the Chief Marketing Officer for the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). Vanderhoof is an accomplished public relations and marketing leader who focuses on elevating the OCCC in the convention and trade show industry and local community. Since May 2019, Vanderhoof has successfully carried out the OCCC’s mission of economic development by protecting the reputation of the OCCC and its clients who held safe conventions at the Center of Hospitality through the pandemic while increasing engagement and goodwill with stakeholders, partners and the local community.

Vanderhoof has an extensive background in public relations, marketing and brand innovation. Her career has been enriched with a diverse range of skills and extensive knowledge of the Central Florida region in her prior role as the Assistant Manager of Communications and Digital Marketing for Orange County Government.

Vanderhoof previously led a team to win numerous state and national industry awards for citizen outreach, community engagement and crisis communications from the Orlando Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association, the Public Relations Society of America – Sunshine District, the National Association of Counties, PR Daily - Ragan Communications, the Center for Digital Government and the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

In 2021, the OCCC Marketing and Communications team won a Radiance Award for Executive Communications, in addition to receiving a Radiance Award in the Videos category for their Meeting Safely Today for a Stronger Tomorrow video campaign. Additionally, Vanderhoof was named the PRSA Sunshine District’s 2021 Trailblazer. 

Vanderhoof joined Orange County Government in November 2011 and has served the community during a number of weather-related emergency activations including Hurricanes Matthew and Irma. The most challenging communications crisis Vanderhoof faced was assisting with regional communications in the aftermath of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy for Orange County.

For more than a decade and prior to joining Orange County, Vanderhoof was a multimedia business reporter for the E.W. Scripps Co. in South Florida and a writer for the Tampa Tribune, now the Tampa Bay Times. Vanderhoof graduated from Lakeland-based Florida Southern College with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and received her master’s degree in strategic communications from Seton Hall University in New Jersey. Vanderhoof lives with her husband and two children in Windermere.

Isiah White, Jr.
Security Manager

Isiah White, Jr. joined the OCCC in August 2020 as the Center’s Security Manager. He has more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement with 11 years at the rank of captain. White has served as a security consultant since 2009 for the National Basketball Association which has afforded him many opportunities to evaluate physical security at venues around North America to ensure compliance with NBA standards. White holds a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia College.

Hector Clemente
Facility Operations Manager

Hector Clemente is the Facility Operations Manager for the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). As Facility Operations Manager, Mr. Clemente IS responsible for managing the daily facility maintenance and operations of one of the largest convention centers in the United States.

Mr. Clemente holds a Masters of Business Administration in Aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies with a minor in Economics from Florida State University. Mr. Clemente has over 20 years of assistant manager and supervisory practical experience in building maintenance and operations, with Orange County Government. He also brings 20 years of military experience, which included the responsibility for base operations and security as the Headquarters Commandant of the U.S. Southern Command, Quarry Heights, Republic of Panama. He graduated from numerous military schools, which includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Advance and Basic Engineer Officer Schools.

Since 2015, his initiative and increased leadership roles with the Convention Center Facility Operations Division have been instrumental towards the Convention Center’s facility maintenance and readiness. In the last five years, he has served as the Convention Center Assistant Manager for Facility Operations and Building Systems, implemented the Maximo Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) and has made a significant impact in improving the maintenance and appearance of the Convention Center.

Crystal Mudd
Capital Planning Manager

As Capital Planning Manager, Ms. Mudd is responsible for the development and implementation of the OCCC's Capital Improvement Projects (CIP). She has over 13 years of career experience in the construction and project management industry, with a portfolio that includes CIP and renovation projects within active environments such as Epcot, Orlando International Airport, St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, and the OCCC. Mudd holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Technology with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida.