Local Action: How Your Voice Drives Community Change (2026 Travel Unity Virtual Spring Summit)

Community change rarely happens on its own. It usually comes from people who are willing to get involved and stay engaged in the places where they live and work. In this session, Tony Snell (Visit Milwaukee), Nathan Bruemmer (LGBTQ+ Liaison, St. Petersburg, FL), Lew Myers (American Bus Association), Josh Heinz (Visit Greater Palm Springs), and Robin Troutman (Board of Advisors, Travel Unity) discuss what local action looks like in practice. Drawing from work in destination leadership, accessibility advocacy, and public policy, the conversation explores how individuals and organizations can help move issues forward in their communities and influence outcomes that affect both residents and travelers. What you’ll take away from this session *How anyone can get involved and help push an issue toward real change *How community engagement and coalition-building can shape the places we represent *The nuts and bolts of how to influence elected officials and move issues through the political process"