Sports Tourism in Florida

Central Florida's Polk County Sports Marketing Staff

Mr. Jackson is currently the Director of Central Florida’s Tourism and Sports Marketing (CFTSM), an initiative of the Central Florida Development Council (CFDC) and Board of County Commissioners, an award winning program that promotes tourism, sports and economic development in Central Florida’s Polk County.

Mr. Jackson brings more than 29 years of marketing, sales management and tourism experience to the position. During his tenure with the CFTSM, Mr. Jackson successfully: developed the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex; merged the VCB and Sports Marketing initiatives; created the area’s first, and Florida’s most honored sports commission; developed creative new golf, cycling, water sports and fishing programs; created the organization’s first Visitors Services initiative and the Polk Outpost 27 Visitors Center; coordinated CFTSM’s recruiting of the Florida Youth Soccer Association; Florida Sports Hall of Fame; Cleveland Indians, Independent Softball Association and the Futures Golf Tour to Polk County; and developed a community promotional program that includes a sports and tourism television show Sports Central; a sports talk radio show, Polk County Sports Hall of Fame, celebrity luncheons and television productions.

Prior to his tenure with the CFDC he was employed by a United States Olympic Committee national governing body, USA Water Ski. As the organization’s first Marketing Director, Jackson created and directed a comprehensive marketing program that included corporate sponsorship, membership development, televising and promoting national and world championship events and marine industry promotional programs.