The Galveston Park Board of Trustees has welcomed a new executive director to the organization, which is charged with leading the island’s tourism development and beach management efforts. Kelly Robinson de Schaun, a Texas native, comes to the Park Board with more than 15 years of experience working in the Caribbean tourism industry.

“It is a thrill for me to come back to Texas and to have the opportunity to direct one of the state’s premier tourism destinations,” de Schaun said.  “As a representative for one of the principle economic engines of the area, it is my hope to be able to align the interests of the city, citizens and businesses to ensure the continued development and prosperity of Galveston Island.”

Since 2008, de Schaun has served as the executive director of La Romana Bayahibe Association on the Dominican Republic, representing the 4,000-room resort destination and its marketing, infrastructure and workforce development projects.

Prior to 2008, de Shaun served as corporate director for environmental and community affairs for Grupo Punta Cana for eight years, managing the refurbishment of the beach on which sits the only “Leading Hotel of the World” property in the Dominican Republic. She has also held positions in ecotourism development for Punta Cana Beach Resort and the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism.

In 2011, de Schaun was recognized the Dominican Ministry of Tourism for her proactive efforts in destination planning and by the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants of the Dominican Republic as “Hotel Association Executive of the Year.”

A native of Kerrville, de Schaun is a graduate of the Conrad Hilton School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. She also earned a master’s degree in community and regional planning from the University of Texas.