Brent Lonteen is president and CEO of the Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, which represents an eight-county region and solicits visitors to the area through leisure trips, meetings, conventions and sporting events. Lonteen is the point person for all interaction with decision makers who represent state, regional and national organizations that bring their events to the Peoria area. He also works closely with political leaders on issues pertaining to the hospitality industry.
Lonteen was instrumental in bringing the mayors of the five largest cities in the Tri-County Area together in a new kind of regional cooperation by organizing a bi-quarterly meeting. Under his leadership, the board of directors has grown to include membership from those five major cities, as well as the private sector. He also helped author a piece of legislation that has passed through both the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate and will balance the hotel taxes among the communities in the eight-county area surrounding Peoria.
Lonteen sits on the Peoria Civic Center Authority Board and the board of Economic Development Growth Experts, and represents the Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau by actively participating in several state and national organizations in the industry. He chairs the Riverfront Programming/Policy Advisory committee and the Peoria Area Sports Commission. He is also one of the few businesspeople nationwide who are about to become certified in the hospitality industry through Destination Management Association International.
An eager volunteer in the community, Lonteen is a strong advocate of the Tim Ardis Foundation for Hope and makes public service announcements for numerous groups in the area. He serves on the steering committee for the Mark Linder Walk for the Mind and volunteers regularly with the Children’s Home Association of Illinois, the Festival of Lights and the St. Vincent de Paul Men’s Club.
Lonteen has dedicated his entire professional career to serving the Peoria area. Prior to his role at the Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, he was a trusted source in the news business at WMBD-TV and WHOI-TV. The relationships he fosters are built on trust, fairness and familiarity. There is no bigger cheerleader for the Peoria area than Brent Lonteen. iBi
