Visit Morgan Hill leader departs for Morro Bay
- Visit Morgan Hill Executive Director Krista Rupp is leaving after six years to head Visit Morro Bay, returning to her hometown and tourism roots. - Since March 2020, Rupp built Morgan Hill’s tourism office as its only staffer, created its brand, renewed district funding and launched signature events. - Morro Bay was already searching for a new tourism chief after its director’s March departure. (morganhilltimes.com)
Krista Rupp is leaving as executive director of Visit Morgan Hill to take the top job at Visit Morro Bay, her hometown tourism agency. (morganhilltimes.com) Rupp had led Visit Morgan Hill since March 2020, when the city’s tourism program was still a concept. City officials said she built it into a fully operating organization while serving as its sole staff member. (morganhilltimes.com) During that stretch, she created Morgan Hill’s first destination strategic plan and the city’s tourism brand. She also led the renewal of the Tourism Business Improvement District, the lodging-funded system that pays for destination marketing. (morganhilltimes.com) (visitmorganhill.org) Her work reached beyond ad campaigns. City officials credited Rupp with helping support Merry Morgan Hill, Foodie Month and other downtown events, and with bringing travel writers, influencers and tour operators into the city. (morganhilltimes.com) Morgan Hill also used tourism to raise its profile in sports. The city said Rupp helped establish Morgan Hill as the training home of the Bay Area Panthers and shared in the attention from the team’s 2023 championship season. (morganhilltimes.com) The move comes as Morro Bay has been managing its own tourism transition. Visit Morro Bay’s board minutes show former executive director Michael Wambolt said his last day would be March 27, 2026, after taking a new job in Cody, Wyoming. (morro-bay.s3.amazonaws.com) Those same board minutes said Wambolt recommended Rupp as a candidate for the full-time job. The board formed a transition subcommittee to interview candidates and oversee the search. (morro-bay.s3.amazonaws.com) Morro Bay’s tourism office has been under pressure to lift visitation after a weak summer. In January, Wambolt told KSBY that hotel occupancy was down 7% to 10% during peak summer months and international travel was off 5% to 7%. (ksby.com) Visit Morro Bay says it has promoted the city since 2009 through marketing, event support and community partnerships under its own Tourism Business Improvement District. That gives Rupp a larger, established coastal brand to run after building Morgan Hill’s from scratch. (morrobay.org) (morganhilltimes.com) Morgan Hill officials said they will start an executive search for Rupp’s replacement. Rupp said her time in Morgan Hill had been “incredibly meaningful” as she heads back to the coast. (morganhilltimes.com)
