John Tanzella
President/CEO
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305
October 12, 2011
To Whom It May Concern:
As President/CEO of the International
Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, I have maintained a strong working
relationship with the Rainbow Alliance of Fort Lauderdale. Since Keith
Blackburn joined the board of the Rainbow Alliance, he has consistently
supported our association and Greater Fort Lauderdale as an LGBT travel
destination.
The IGLTA team has worked alongside
Keith as he has promoted gay travel to Greater Fort Lauderdale at diverse
events around the globe, such as Out Games in Montreal, ITB Berlin, Gay Days in
Orlando, and our 27th Annual Global Convention in Antwerp, Belgium. Keith’s
engagement with our May 2011 convention in Fort Lauderdale – through email
promotions, planning meetings, and securing Crystal Waters as a gala performer
– contributed to our largest attendance to date.
I understand the need for change, and with
the closure of the Rainbow Alliance we look forward to an ongoing partnership
with Keith through the Greater Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Chamber of
Commerce. Rather than solely focusing on tourism, this new organization will
reach out to all LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses in Broward County. Because
of its affiliation with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and
growing relationships with other regional gay chambers, I believe we will all
benefit from the GFLGLCC.
Sincerely,
John Tanzella
IGLTA President/CEO
