FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Isaac Reichman, ireichman@choosechicago.com, (312) 805-9586
Stephen Crano, scrano@choosechicgao.com, (312) 567-8505
Chicago, IL (January 8, 2026) – Choose Chicago, the city’s official destination marketing organization, today named Shakara Shelton as the Vice President of Sales. Shelton brings more than 15 years of progressive leadership in sales and hospitality, most recently serving as a National Accounts Manager at Hilton.
In this role, Shelton will help drive growth across Chicago’s meetings and events portfolio, strengthening the city’s competitive position as a top-tier global destination for events of all sizes.
“We are thrilled to welcome Shakara as our new VP of Sales at Choose Chicago,” said Kristen Reynolds, President and CEO of Choose Chicago. “Her ability to lead, inspire, and scale high-performing sales teams—combined with her proven success in winning complex, competitive business—will take our sales efforts to new heights and position Chicago for continued growth in the global meetings and events marketplace.”
At Hilton, Shelton led national accounts across corporate, intermediary, and association markets, managing a broad portfolio of hotel properties nationwide. Her career also includes leadership roles with Embassy Suites, InterMountain Management, and Atrium Hospitality.
“I’m excited to join Choose Chicago at a moment when the city is building real momentum,” said Shelton. “Chicago’s venues, hotels, neighborhoods, and cultural experiences make it a truly world-class events destination, and I look forward to working with this incredible team to show meeting planners why we really are the Best Big City.”
Shelton will join the Choose Chicago sales team led by Senior Vice President of Sales and Client Services Dustin Arnheim, which secures high-value conventions and meetings at McCormick Place and across more than 150 partner hotels—driving more than $3 billion in annual economic activity and supporting thousands of jobs across Chicago’s hospitality and tourism sectors.
As part of Choose Chicago’s strategy to grow market share and solidify the global competitive edge, Shelton will lead sales efforts focused on self-contained hotel events, meetings at signature venues such as Navy Pier, and smaller events requiring fewer than 3,000 peak hotel rooms.
“Shakara is the kind of leader who understands that strong results start with strong teams,” said Dustin Arnheim, Senior Vice President of Sales and Client Services at Choose Chicago. “She invests in people, builds trust, and creates environments where teams feel supported, challenged, and empowered to grow—and that’s exactly the leadership our organization values.”
Shelton’s first day with Choose Chicago will be January 9. She will join the team in Philadelphia for PCMA Convening Leaders 2026, where she will begin connecting with colleagues, clients, and industry leaders at one of the meetings industry’s most important annual events.
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About Choose Chicago: Choose Chicago is the official destination marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global tourism and meetings destination—the city that’s Never Done and Never Outdone. Choose Chicago leverages the city’s unmatched assets to enrich the community by attracting meetings, events, and more than 55 million annual visitors, generating over $20 billion in economic impact. Follow @choosechicago and tag #NeverOutdoneChi on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X/Twitter. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.
