In April 2021, Sonya transitioned from serving as Visit Sacramento’s longtime Chief Marketing Officer to the Chief of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. This position was created specifically to address the organization’s commitment to taking actions and creating change when it comes to DEI within Visit Sacramento, the tourism industry in the Sacramento region and beyond.

As a 25-year veteran of the tourism industry, Sonya felt a deep, personal call to use her expertise, widespread relationships, and experiences to create a better path forward for people of color and other underrepresented people in her community to be part of Sacramento’s tourism industry. In this role, she is involved with all Visit Sacramento departments to ensure that DEI is brought to the forefront of every program and practice. Sonya shares and collaborates on best practices and continues to explore with peers around the country how tourism organizations can better incorporate DEI into daily operations.

She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University and a Master of Science from San Jose State University. She serves on various committee and Boards, including CalTravel, Destinations International, DMA West, and a Sacramento non-profit that focuses on youth and family. She’s a self-described nerd who enjoys reading (especially true crime), armchair decorating, traveling, spending time with family, going to baseball games and hacking around a golf course.

A 2018 addition to Visit Sacramento, Rachael Durling loves her current role working with local partners. She has also worked closely in the Convention Sales and Services space and uses her creative and collaborative mind helping other Visit Sacramento teams as well. If you know Rachael, you know that she always goes the extra mile in everything she does, priding herself in the small details. She is a lover of all things art and imagination, funky shoes, any kind of pickle, and believes that pineapple belongs on pizza. In her spare time, you can either find her with a camera in her hand, listening to true crime podcasts, crafting something awesome or performing and watching live theater.  Although she has many accomplishments, her biggest ones by far are the children that call her mom, and the Rottweiler who just slobbers.

As Marketing and Communications Specialist, Montana assists with marketing and communications projects, including Sacramento 365, partnership development, email campaigns and sponsor reporting.

Montana received her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Chico in 2016 and her master’s degree in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University in 2019. Prior to Visit Sacramento, Montana has worked many unique positions in many locations such as a photopass photographer at the Disneyland Resort and volunteer coordinator at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento.

In her spare time, she enjoys sharpening her drawing and photography skills, visiting theme parks, and exploring the many sites in California.