Visit Baltimore Names Kireem Swinton Permanent President and CEO

Nine months after taking the helm on an interim basis, Kireem Swinton has been confirmed as the permanent president and CEO of Visit Baltimore. The Baltimore Convention and Tourism Board made the appointment official on April 1, elevating an internal candidate who has been part of the organization's leadership since 2017.

Swinton steps into the role with a 24-year record in the hospitality industry, including 11 years in sales and marketing at Marriott properties and five years with Visit Seattle before joining Visit Baltimore as vice president of sales and customer experience. His predecessor, Al Hutchinson, departed in July 2025 after a long tenure leading the agency.

The board's decision rested in part on deals Swinton closed while serving in the interim. He secured a multi-year extension of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament through 2029 and won the bid for the 2033 American Society of Association Executives Annual Meeting and Exposition, a major citywide convention that represents a concrete booking more than seven years out. Board chair Chuck Tildon cited those wins directly. "During his time as interim president and CEO, Kireem demonstrated exceptional leadership, a deep understanding of our industry, and an unwavering commitment to Baltimore," Tildon said. "His efforts have been crucial in maintaining our city's trajectory as a premier destination for meetings, conventions and leisure travel."

Swinton inherits an agency with real momentum behind it. In 2024, Baltimore welcomed 28.5 million visitors who generated $4.3 billion in spending, supporting jobs across the city's hotels, restaurants and cultural attractions. Mayor Brandon Scott praised the appointment, calling Swinton "a dedicated and effective leader" whose expertise is "exactly what we need to keep attracting visitors to Baltimore."

Swinton acknowledged the weight of the moment. "I am incredibly honored and excited to permanently lead this talented team and represent a city I care so deeply about," he said.

Not every indicator is favorable. Several downtown hotels have closed or shown signs of financial trouble in recent months, even as overall visitor numbers climb, a tension Swinton will need to manage as he works to grow the convention pipeline. A near-term opportunity arrives quickly: SAIL250 Maryland and Airshow Baltimore, running June 24 through July 1, is a maritime and aviation event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary and is expected to be among the city's largest draws of the summer.

Swinton has signaled he will pair an aggressive meetings-sales strategy with deeper outreach to local businesses and cultural partners, a dual mandate the board framed as central to Visit Baltimore's next chapter.