Leadership and staff

Caroline Beteta serves as president & CEO of the industry-led Visit California, a nonprofit organization created to market California as a premier travel destination to increase the state’s share of tourism-related revenues. She simultaneously serves as a strategic advisor for the Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz). She is responsible for implementing Visit California’s global marketing program on behalf of the organization’s more than 18,000 investors and serves as the lead spokesperson for California’s travel industry. In her tenure, she has overseen a decade of growth for California’s travel industry, peaking in 2019 with a record $144.9 billion in economic benefit to the state. She has shepherded the growth of Visit California into a global marketing franchise and helped restore travel and tourism following numerous natural and economic crises.

She has previously served as Chair of the Board, as well as Acting CEO for Brand USA, where she provided strategic direction for the $200 million global program, interfacing with national congressional leaders and the administration. During a two-year term as National Chair of the U.S. Travel Association, she guided the successful merger of the Travel Industry Association with the Travel Business Roundtable and the creation of Brand USA. Caroline was recently elected to the U.S. Travel Association Executive Committee and serves as Vice Chair. Caroline also serves on the Executive Committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council — Visit California was the first destination marketing organization invited to join the WTTC.

Caroline has received numerous awards for her creative work and leadership in the travel industry, including induction into the U.S. Travel Association’s Hall of Leaders.

Caroline holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of California, Los Angeles and a master’s degree in Public Administration/ Intergovernmental Affairs from the University of Southern California. She also completed the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Marketing Management Program.

Matthew Sabbatini is the chief operating officer for Visit California. Since stepping into the COO role in 2015, he has successfully scaled the organization as its budget more than doubled to $131 million while keeping operational costs at less than half the national average for nonprofits. He oversees finance, human resources, information technology, assessment revenue and California Welcome Centers, as well as financial and accounting policies, technology systems, personnel and organizational controls. Matt has continued the organization’s 24-year string of unqualified financial audits.

Since 2004, Matt has worked at Visit California to create an efficient global operating infrastructure to support Visit California’s mission. He has led the charge on cost-effective and innovative operational tools to scale Visit California’s international program of work, including the Dream Big Dividend operations activation plan. He previously served as vice president of operations; senior director of finance, human resources and information technology; and operations manager and commission liaison, managing all aspects of the organization's operational systems while acting as a direct liaison with Visit California’s board members and numerous committees.

Matt has more than 24 years of operations and executive experience and is the recipient of the 2011 Business Journal's CFO of the Year. Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in finance from Colorado State.

Ryan Becker is the Senior Vice President of Communications & Strategy for Visit California. He leads the teams responsible for corporate communications, media relations, industry relations and public affairs.

Ryan has worked at Visit California since 2012, where he has successfully guided the organization’s strong PR presence and crisis response efforts. Before joining Visit California, he spent more than 10 years as a journalist, primarily as a newspaper editor.

Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a master’s degree in business administration from California State University, Sacramento. A California native, Ryan enjoys the state’s active lifestyle. He seizes every opportunity to snowboard in the Sierra or SCUBA dive along California’s spectacular coastline. He lives in Sacramento with his family.

Lynn Carpenter is Senior Vice President of Marketing for Visit California. Lynn oversees all of Visit California’s marketing, including advertising, cooperative promotions, travel trade, web and interactive, and publications.

Lynn steers a marketing budget that has grown from $6 million in 2006 to $131 million today. Under her leadership, Visit California has marketed the state as a place of abundance and opportunity. Lynn has added international offices in China, Mexico, and South Korea – among others – to Visit California’s portfolio, spreading the state’s brand around the globe in an effort to grow California’s share of tourism revenues.

Lynn has more than 20 years of professional marketing experience and extensive knowledge of online technology promotions and brand development. She began her career in the technology industry, serving as Vice President of Marketing at Netscape Communications and AOL Time Warner. She crossed the threshold into the travel industry as Executive Director of Marketing and Sales for Mammoth Mountain Resort.

She is a resident of Loomis, where she lives with her husband and two children. They enjoy spending their time in the outdoors.

Leona Reed serves as the Vice President of Global Marketing for Visit California. She leads the international marketing team and oversees brand advertising, cooperative marketing, digital content, travel trade and public relations initiatives for Visit California’s 13 target international markets: China, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Middle East, Japan, Germany, France, South Korea, Italy, Nordics and India.

California welcomes over 17 million international visitors annually who infuse more than $25 billion into the state’s economy through direct spending. In her 17 years working to promote California tourism and grow the international program, Leona has represented Visit California across the world as a spokesperson, strategist and collaborative marketer.

Prior to her current role, Leona served as the European marketing director for Visit California, managing all aspects of Visit California’s marketing programs in Europe, as well as international media relations manager, directing all communications and public relations efforts for Visit California’s international markets.