Meet Our Principal
Loán Lake, MTHM (pronounced Lo-An) is an accomplished communications and public relations strategist, journalist, and published author. As an experienced tourism and hospitality marketing consultant and destination coach, she helps clients to develop powerful narratives to attract and engage customers, community partners, and media opportunities. Lake has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, the U.S. Congress, and tourist destinations to increase brand visibility, engage community and corporate stakeholders, and develop marketing and communications strategy. Her public relations expertise has resulted in coverage for clients in The Washington Post, JET magazine, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Magazine, American Way magazine, PBS, National Public Radio, and more.
Originally from St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) – a leading Caribbean destination — Lake is passionate about tourism marketing and destination development. She also provides strategies to expand or enhance the destination’s attractions, products, and experiences. Her industry experience includes leading a community engagement and public relations campaign for a cruise port development project and leading business development efforts for the national sales team of a leading Caribbean destination.
Following the devastating effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, Lake advocated for the inclusion of the U.S. Virgin Islands in national media coverage given its status as a U.S. territory. She is also a co-founder and producer of the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Summit – a national conference that connected the U.S. Virgin Islands diaspora to business opportunities with the local government. The event convened the sitting governor and cabinet members, the member of Congress, and local senators in metropolitan cities with Virgin Islands professionals from around the U.S.
Lake, a 2009 inductee into the Temple University’s Gallery of Success, holds a Masters in Tourism and Hospitality Management from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Maryland at College Park. She has published articles with a number of media outlets and created a profile series, Jewels of the Virgin Isles, featuring over 70 professionals from the USVI which is now a book collection and cultural brand. She resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband.