The Agency of Commerce and Community Development today announced that Philip Tortora has been named communications director for the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing. In this role, he will be responsible for leading tourism media and trade relations. The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing's key objective is to increase awareness of the Vermont brand with the goal of increasing visitation to the state.
Tortora was most recently the audience analyst at the Burlington Free Press, where he worked since 2010 as the lead digital and social media editor for the newspaper. He also reported for the Free Press, and served as a news correspondent for USA Today. Both the Free Press and USA Today are owned by the Gannett Company.
Prior to his arrival in Vermont, Tortora worked from 2001-2009 as the website editor for the East Valley and Scottsdale Tribune newspapers in the Greater Phoenix area. He is a broadcasting graduate from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
“We are thrilled to have Philip join our team at VDTM. His skills and experience will allow us to significantly expand our social media reach,” said Vermont Dept. of Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Megan Smith. “Telling the story of Vermont is what entices our visitors so this position is crucial to our success in the marketplace.”