J.C. Poma will become Chesterfield County’s first-ever executive director of sports, visitation and entertainment. His appointment was effective May 1.

Sports tourism is a multibillion dollar business in the U.S. and plays a significant role in bringing visitors and revenue to Chesterfield. According to county records for fiscal year 2022, Chesterfield hosted 63 sports-related events that drew more than 250,000 attendees and generated $34.4 million in direct economic impact and $1.28 million in direct local tax revenue.

“Tourism is a vital element of our ongoing work to increase commercial tax revenue and reduce our reliance on residential property assessments,” said Kevin Carroll, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “Thanks to our mutually beneficial partnership with Richmond Region Tourism, Chesterfield has built a reputation as an attractive destination for visitors. We’re pleased to add J.C. to our team and are confident he’ll help take us to the next level.”

“Having someone with J.C.’s experience and relationships in a leadership position will help us bring it all together and build on our strong record of success,” County Administrator Joe Casey added.

Mr. Poma comes to Chesterfield from Richmond Region Tourism. Over the past seven years, he worked his way from sports development manager to vice president of community relations for the region’s official destination marketing and tourism organization. As part of the senior leadership team, he was able to develop connections within the U.S. tourism industry as well as the many stakeholders across the Richmond region.

Honored in Style Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 last year, Mr. Poma serves as an advisory board member for the United States Sports Congress and is on the board of directors for the Sportable Paralympic Sports Club.