Blake Williams, Communication & Research Specialist with the Limestone County Economic Development Association, has completed the three-year program of the Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Marketing College and earned certification as a Travel Marketing Professional (TMP).

Blake Williams was among 82 STS Marketing College graduates in the Class of 2023. Seven individuals also received their Festival and Event Planner certification. The graduates were announced at the STS Connections conference in Jackson, Mississippi, in September. The program began in 1992 and has produced 1,407 TMPs.

Marketing College uses facilities at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, for one-week sessions each summer. Tourism industry professionals volunteer their time to teach all classes. Instructors come from a variety of tourism sectors, which includes convention and visitor’s bureau executives, public relations practitioners, sales and marketing consultants, and research experts. Sample class topics include destination branding, social media content planning, strategic partnerships, tourism product development, and crisis communication.