The Little Rock Conventions and Visitor’s Bureau is proud to welcome its newest national sales director, Celia Anderson. Anderson is no stranger to the city, having attended both junior high and high school in Little Rock. She says she is happy to return home after nearly a decade.

“It was time,” she says, “time to invest in the community that invested so much in me. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and building relationships with new ones.”

Anderson began her quest in charge of the diversity market and religious markets this past July. Given her background in sports, it seems as if the former Razorback basketball player would be a natural fit for the sports market, but Anderson is quite satisfied with her current position. “I’m so much more than basketball,” she says. “I am committed to education and community empowerment.” Plus, she added with a smile, “The current director over that market does an amazing job. Those would be big shoes to fill.”

The last time Anderson made local headlines it was to celebrate the release of her second young adult novel, “Daddy’s Home.” Although, she has not resided in Little Rock, she has always remained close to the city. When asked how Anderson’s background translates into a sales position, Alan Sims, the vice president of sales, had this to say, “Celia is impressive. She has a knack for building great business relationships and what we do is based a lot on that. We had over 60 applicants apply, and we are confident that we made the right decision.”

So far so good. Two months into her position and she is off to a great start. Welcome Celia, not only to the Little Rock CVB, but welcome home.