Lisa Mayo, Visit Tuolumne County’s president and CEO and the winner of last year’s prestigious F. Norman Clark Tourism Champion of the Year award from the California Travel Association, got her first taste of the tourism industry when she was just 15 years old. She worked at the Fallon House Ice Cream Parlor at Columbia State Historic Park in the Sierra Nevada foothills. “It sounds crazy, but we would have lines of people out the door in the summertime, and many of those people were international travelers,” recalls Mayo.
“I remember at the time being a little awestruck by how these people got here, how they found little Columbia on their travels, and what made them come here.”
Mayo’s family moved to Tuolumne County from San Jose when she was 8, and after graduating from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo with a bachelor’s degree in recreation administration, Mayo returned to her home county and began working for area wineries and golf courses. It was then that she met her mentor, who was on the board for the neighboring Calaveras County Visitors Bureau. “She pegged me for the job when that director left and asked me to interview,” says Mayo. “I really didn’t know exactly what I was getting into.”
Nonetheless, Mayo got the job, and she dove into tourism in Calaveras County, working alongside many area partners, including former Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau (now Visit Tuolumne County) Executive Director Nanci Sikes, who eventually offered Mayo a position in her home county. “Now, I’ve been doing this for almost 25 years, which is hard to believe,” Mayo says. “It’s the friendships and the people—peers, stakeholders, and visitors—that really make this work amazing.”
In her off hours, you can find Mayo, her husband, and their dogs exploring the Sierra Nevada on foot or via all-terrain vehicle, or enjoying a day in Yosemite National Park, both among Tuolumne County’s most well-known attractions. Her personal favorite hidden gem? Sonora Pass along state Route 108 in the High Sierra. It’s one of the steepest passes in the state. “There are some incredible vistas,” Mayo says. “You can take in many waterfalls if you’re looking for them.”
When it comes to planning events, Mayo loves blending in regional flair. For the 2024 American Loggers Council Annual Meeting held at Chicken Ranch Casino Resort in Jamestown, she facilitated a partnership between the council and Dying Breed Brewing in nearby Oakdale, which featured a beer called West Coast Logger with a red-and-black, plaid label, perfect for the group’s theme. Her team also is rolling out an online program that allows planners to send attendees gift cards for area businesses to use during free time, encouraging groups to spend money locally. “I think it will be helpful across the board,” she notes. “And it will help to show the impact groups have when they are in our destination.”
