Oneida County Tourism names new president

UTICA, N.Y. — The Oneida County Tourism board of directors has selected Sarah Foster Calero as the next president of the Convention and Visitors Bureau for Oneida County, which does business as Oneida County Tourism (OCT).

Foster Calero steps into the new role on July 1, succeeding outgoing OCT President Kelly Blazosky, who steps down June 30 because she is moving and the position has a residency requirement. Blazosky led OCT for 14 years.

Being named president is a promotion for Foster Calero, who has been with the agency for 12 years in various positions, including director of communications and TV/film, director of media relations, and director of sales.

“I’m so honored to assume the role of president of Oneida County Tourism,” Foster Calero said in a press release. “Having dedicated my entire professional career to promoting the place I call home, this promotion is both a personal and professional milestone. I’m committed to working collaboratively with our talented team, stakeholders, and community to continue to build on the hard work and dedication Kelly has given and feel fortunate to have been mentored by her.”

Foster Calero has earned several awards for her work at OCT, including two New York State Tourism Awards for the 2021 campaign she created — “The A-to-Z Food Tour” —that creatively highlighted the region’s culinary offerings.

She will lead the team in seeking to attract visitors to Oneida County through active public relations and strategic marketing across multiple industry sectors including leisure, group tour, meetings, sports, travel trade, and film/TV production.

A New Hartford resident, Foster Calero grew up in Vernon. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and public relations from Marist College and currently serves as a board member of the New York State Tourism Industry Association.