ACVB evecutive committee recommends new President ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - Leaders of an Atlanta non-profit responsible for bringing in conventions and tourists are sold on a marketing expert as their new chief.

Today, the executive committee of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau recommended William Pate take over as President next year. The final vote is in 2 weeks.

Pate was picked out of 178 candidates.

Michael Robinson chaired the search committee. He says Pate has the best of both worlds: 27 years of marketing experience and the benefit of being a native Atlantan.

ROBINSON: You can have the greatest ideas in the world but when you get into an institution like Atlanta and you try to get things done it's very very difficult to turn the bow of the ship in any different direction. William has those contacts. When he calls people, they call him back.

And Robinson hopes Pate's expertise will mean more money. The Bureau is funded mostly by a hospitality tax. Robinson hopes Pate can reign in many local businesses that benefit from tourism but don't pay the tax.

Pate would take over for Spurgeon Richardson who's retiring at the end of the year. © Copyright 2012, WABE