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MORGANTOWN - "I'm a competitive person," Susan Riddle told The Dominion Post in July.
Her comments came during a conversation about her decision to leave her "dream job" after a decade as executive director of the Visit Mountaineer Country CVB to become the Chief Executive Officer of Mylan Park.
“I guess I never realized how competitive I was, but I'm competitive. I strive for excellence, and there's no reason why all of us should not be striving for excellence. That doesn't mean we can't have different opinions. It doesn't mean we can't have different styles or different skills, but for goodness sakes, we have a fabulous, sought-after place to be. Whether it's visitors, people who want to come here for school or people who want to put a business here. This is a place where people want to be. And our competitive advantage is our ability to work together."
As you can see, in addition to being competitive, Riddle speaks about tourism like she's delivering a pre-game speech. It's hard not to get excited.
It's this enthusiasm that helped make Visit Mountaineer Country CVB the class of West Virginia's local tourism bureaus under her watch.
And it's likely a big part of why the West Virginia Department of Tourism has selected Riddle as its 2026 Tourism Professional of the Year.
"Receiving this recognition is truly an honor," Riddle said of the award in a release issued by the Mylan Park Foundation. "Tourism is about people, partnerships and creating opportunities that benefit entire communities. I have been fortunate to work alongside incredible colleagues, board members, volunteers, community leaders and tourism professionals who share a passion for West Virginia. This award reflects the collective efforts of many individuals working together to make our state an even better place to visit, live, work and call home."
Under her leadership, Visit Mountaineer Country achieved record growth in destination marketing, sports tourism, placemaking partnership development, and visitation, helping position north-central West Virginia as one of the state's premier tourism destinations.
Riddle was central to bringing in record events, including the largest Governor's Conference on Tourism ever held in West Virginia.
From an innovative apprenticeship program to develop future tourism professionals to The Hollar destination placemaking podcast, to the Leave No Trace youth education initiative, Riddle has fostered programs that will create a lasting impact on the state's tourism future.
As CEO of Mylan Park, Riddle will help write the next chapter of one of West Virginia's premier destinations for recreation, sports tourism, entertainment, outdoor experiences and community engagement.
Mylan Park welcomed more than 1.4 million visitors in 2025 and is continuing to expand, with projects like the multi-acre Mountaineer Bike Yard - a fully inclusive, USA BMX-sanctioned bike park - currently in the works.
“On behalf of the Mylan Park Foundation Board of Directors, staff and stakeholders, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Susan on this well-deserved recognition,” Craig Walker, President of the Mylan Park Foundation Board of Directors, said. “Susan has dedicated her career to creating opportunities that strengthen communities, generate economic impact, and showcase the very best of West Virginia. Her vision, leadership and passion have elevated tourism across our region and throughout the state.”