Clarity of Place Welcomes Shelly Green as Executive Strategist
Shelly Green has joined Clarity of Place as Executive Strategist, bringing 35 years of destination leadership and organizational development experience to a firm built on the belief that strategy is only as good as its implementation.
Green has held CEO, COO, and CMO roles across three North Carolina destination organizations in Durham, Asheville, and Chapel Hill and is a 2022 inductee into the Destinations International Hall of Fame. She also holds the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) designation, one of the field’s most respected credentials.
At Clarity of Place, she will focus on the implementation and organizational capacity work that often determines whether a strategic plan succeeds beyond initial adoption. Her expertise includes organizational assessments, executive and board leadership development, governance best practices and succession planning. Together, these capabilities help destinations build the internal alignment and operational strength to carry strategy forward.
“Destinations do not need more plans that sit on shelves. They need leaders who know how to move vision into action,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International, parent company of Clarity of Place. “Shelly has spent her career doing exactly that, and her addition to the Clarity of Place team reflects where the work is headed.”
“Shelly and I first crossed paths working on placemaking efforts in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Region in 2006,” said Tina Valdecanas, Principal at Clarity of Place. “I’ve long admired how she brings steadiness, judgment and genuine commitment to this work. Her addition makes Clarity of Place more capable from every angle.”
“Serving with Shelly through the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program gave me a clear view of her commitment to excellence, accountability and the realities destination organizations navigate every day. She brings the kind of grounded leadership that helps good strategy become durable practice,” said David Holder, Principal at Clarity of Place.
Before joining Clarity of Place, Green served as an Executive Consultant with MMGY NEXTFactor, where she led or contributed to 13 destination master planning and strategic planning projects across the United States and managed the firm’s Destination NEXT assessment program, which included comprehensive stakeholder analysis for 60 destination clients. She has also served on the Destinations International Board of Directors and the DMAP Board.
“What drew me to Clarity of Place is its belief that the work is not finished when the strategy is delivered. The real measure of success is whether it takes root, builds confidence, and helps destination organizations lead with greater clarity and effectiveness over time,” said Shelly Green.
Clarity of Place helps destination leaders make better decisions by connecting strategy, analytics, implementation and stakeholder insight in ways that hold up under real conditions. Green’s addition deepens that offering, giving clients seasoned support in organizational effectiveness, leadership development and the internal conditions that make ambitious strategy achievable.