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Roger Clute
Executive Director
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Roger Clute, Executive Director since 2005 was born in Seattle, Washington and raised in Wenatchee. He graduated from Wenatchee High School and Wenatchee Valley College. Mr. Clute transferred to the University of Washington and graduated in 1970 with a BA in political science. He married his high school sweetheart, Marsha in the same year and they made their first home in Bellevue before moving back to Wenatchee two years later.
Roger was in the food and beverage business in Wenatchee at the Chieftain for thirteen years as restaurant manager and part owner until he sold his interest. Mr. Clute went to work for WestCoast Hotels and was Director of Sales at WestCoast Wenatchee Center Hotel. He was promoted to regional sales manager and worked from company headquarters in downtown Seattle for 12 years; during that time he was promoted to VP of Sales responsible sales offices in 22 hotel properties in the western U.S. In 2000 the company sold to Red Lion Hotels in Spokane where he worked as Regional VP of Sales. He left that position in 2002 and worked for two other regional hotel management companies until moving back to Wenatchee in 2004 when he accepted the Executive Director position with the WVVB in December of 2004.
In addition to a passion for promoting his hometown Roger enjoys spending time at his cabin in the woods on the Wenatchee River with Marsha and their two dogs. He also enjoys woodworking and home remodeling projects, cooking, learning about and collecting wines, hiking, bird-watching and reading books on American history.
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Marcia Janke
Tourism Director
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Marcia Janke, Tourism Director since 2007 was born in New Rockford, North Dakota and raised in Montana in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. She graduated from Cut Bank High School and attended the Billings Business College graduating with a certificate in Computer Programming/Operations.
Marcia was employed in the banking industry for many years providing computer operations functions and eventually branching out into the private industry to work for Darigold in Yakima, WA. When the Darigold plant was closed she was then hired by Pace International as part of the satellite shipping office team and continued to work for them until the company downsized in 1999. Moving to East Wenatchee with her husband in the fall of 2000, she was hired in 2001 by the Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau as a part time receptionist. Since starting with the Bureau she has been promoted to Office Manager, Tourism Development and now holds the position of Tourism Director.
Marcia enjoys a variety of personal interests that include: knitting, making silver wire jewelry, motorcycling, reading books of many varieties and sharing information about the amazing area she lives in.
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Matt Kearny,
Wenatchee Valley Sports Council
Director of Marketing
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Matt Kearny brings to the position many years of industry expertise, having spent 24 years at The Wenatchee World. During this time, Kearny managed the classified and retail advertising departments, eventually becoming advertising director. He was directly involved in the marketing of the newspaper, routinely working with other department managers and teams to help promote and secure the image of The Wenatchee World as the top source of news and information in North Central Washington.
With more than 34 years of experience in the marketing and sales industry, Kearny has a strong background in media including newspaper, television, and radio as an on-air personality. His sales and marketing career began at KPQ Radio in Wenatchee in 1976, following the launch of his radio career in Grand Coulee and Moses Lake. He held the position of sales/marketing manager at KPQ, and for 10 years was sports director. He produced and performed regionally recognized, award winning sports programming while helping the station continue its dominance in the area's radio market. He also provided play-by-play coverage of over 1,000 North Central Washington sports events. Kearny has made his home in East Wenatchee throughout his time in the Valley. He spent his childhood on Snoqualmie Pass, where his family owned and operated Conifer Basketball School, the first destination sports camp in the Pacific Northwest.
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Wendy Le Sense
Director of Marketing
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Wendy Le Sesne has been with the Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau since January 2002. She was hired originally as Group Sales Manager and was promoted in 2009 to Director of Marketing. Wendy, a Wenatchee Valley native, moved to the Seattle area to pursue a vocation in business shortly after graduation. Two short years and 31 straight days of rain later she moved back to the Wenatchee Valley. While she didn't discover her career path in Seattle she did find Craig Le Sesne the man she would later marry and with whom she would have her two children, Colton and Trevor.
Wendy's career in hospitality began shortly after her return to the Wenatchee Valley from Seattle. She was employed by WestCoast Hotels as their Sales & Catering Secretary and over six year's time, she gained valuable experience in various positions including Reservation Manager, Corporate Sales and Group Sales Manager. The summer of 2000 she was offered and accepted a position as project manager for a computer company. She was employed there until shortly before she had her first son, Colton Le Sesne. In January of 2002 she returned to the hospitality industry working as Group Sales Manager for the WVVB. In 2006 she took a two year hiatus from the Bureau to stay at home with her second son, Trevor Le Sesne. During that time she pursued an interest in Real Estate; remodeling and selling houses. Wendy returned to the WVVB in 2008. In 2009 she was promoted to Director of Marketing for the convention and group market. Wendy's enthusiasm for the outdoors and the beauty of the area serves as an asset in her marketing efforts to meeting planners. Her passion is contagious and is essential in motivating interest in the area.
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Sandy Appel
Visitor Center Services
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Sandy Appel, receptionist with the Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau was raised in Eastern Washington. Her years in Eastern Washington have given her an immense familiarity of the Wenatchee Valley, its natural beauty, attractions, cultural history, agriculture and a limitless scope of other features throughout Eastern Washington. Working at the Visitors Bureau enables Sandy to share her knowledge with visitors from all reaches of the world.
Sandy worked at the Convention and Visitors Bureau from January, 2001 through October, 2005 at which time she left the Bureau to spend time with her young son. Sandy's recent return to the Bureau has been gratifying. It is her genuine delight to have the opportunity to work with such an outstanding group of individuals.
In addition to being employed at the Visitors Bureau, Sandy is a part time student at Wenatchee Valley College where she is working toward completing her Associative Arts Degree. Upon completion of her AA, Sandy plans to continue her education at Wenatchee's Central Washington University Satellite Campus, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications.
Outside of work Sandy enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She passionately takes in the genuine beauty of all four seasons in the Wenatchee Valley and enjoys skiing, bicycling, baseball and motor sports with her husband, Tracy and son, Seth.
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