Visit Quad Cities Saddened by Death of Former CEO
December 04, 2020
Quad Cities (Friday, December 4, 2020) – Visit Quad Cities mourns the loss of Joe Taylor, 65, former President and CEO of Visit Quad Cities, then-Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (QCCVB), who passed away on December 3, 2020, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“On behalf of our Board of Directors and team, we are incredibly saddened by the news of Joe Taylor’s passing,” said Dave Herrell, President and CEO, Visit Quad Cities. “A leader and accomplished veteran of our industry, Joe’s love, passion, and contributions to the Quad Cities regional destination are appreciated and valued. His legacy is far-reaching, and we are grateful for all he accomplished throughout his storied career to make the community that he cared for a better place to live and visit. Joe will be dearly missed, and our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Kathy and their family.”
Joe Taylor worked for the region’s official destination marketing and management organization (DMMO) for almost 30 years. He served as executive director of the Davenport Area Convention & Visitors Bureau in 1989. Then on July 1, 1990, the three local tourism organizations officially merged to become the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, now Visit Quad Cities. Taylor was the first director of marketing and communications of the new combined organization. He was appointed the President and CEO in 1998.
“Joe Taylor was known for his regional vision and led Visit Quad Cities and our community towards that vision during the 25+ years he served as President and CEO,” said Mo Hyder, General Manager of Rhythm City Casino and Chairman of the Visit Quad Cities Board of Directors. “He was a champion for all things Quad Cities and his passion for tourism, supporting our industry, economic growth, and quality of life played a big role in how far we have come as a destination. He will be greatly missed by the many people he worked with—within and outside the Quad Cities region.”
Joe Taylor was known for his passion for tourism and connecting the regional destination. He had an extensive knowledge of Quad Cities history and loved sharing quirky facts and important dates. Taylor led the region in adopting a wayfinding system in 2008, became one of first 47 CVBs in the world to be accredited by Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), and was excited to welcome RAGBRAI back to Scott County after 26 years when it ended in LeClaire.
Joe enjoyed books, travel, and the quiet and slow pace of hiking. He was a longtime member of the Black Hawk Hiking Club, and a leading advocate for our Mississippi riverfront destination and outdoor recreation. Several of Joe’s highlights he mentioned when he retired included the Quad Cities hosting the National Trails Symposium, Midwest Birding Symposium, and Grand Excursion 2004.
Joe graduated from Illinois State University and was very proud when the Quad Cities won the bid to host the Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Championship in 2016. He also considered career highlights hosting 45,000 for the Women’s International Bowling Congress in 1998, bringing back the World Series of Drag Racing to Cordova in 2017, and hosting national ASA softball tournaments.
Mr. Taylor was a native of Mercer County. After college, Joe worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for 10 years before accepting his first tourism position at the Galesburg Convention & Visitors Bureau. He later worked at the Clinton Convention & Visitors Bureau in Iowa before joining the Quad Cities team in 1989.
Funeral arrangements are pending at Trimble Funeral Home, Moline.
About Visit Quad Cities
Founded in 1990, Visit Quad Cities is the official Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO) for the region. Visit Quad Cities is a private 501(c)(6) non-profit engine charged with driving economic opportunity through tourism, building our authentic brand, telling & selling the Quad Cities story, and enhancing Quad Citizens’ quality of life and quality of place.
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Media Contact: Charlotte Doehler-Morrison, VP Marketing & Communications, Visit Quad Cities, 309-781-4235 cell