Tami Sortman named Person of the Year by Philadelphia Gay News

Tami Sortman Named Person of the Year by Philadelphia Gay NewsMonday January 14, 11:35 am ET
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Philadelphia Gay News recently named Tami Sortman Person of the Year. Sortman, a vice president at the Altus Group, earned the honor for her visionary work with the Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus and for her commitment to building Philadelphia’s reputation as a gay-friendly travel destination.
“I can think of no one more deserving of this honor,” said David Jefferys, president of the Altus Group and a Board Member of the PGTC. “Her unwavering efforts on behalf of Philadelphia and her ability to forge relationships in the travel industry are amazing.”
Sortman helped found the PGTC in 2002. The goal of the organization was to make Philadelphia a more attractive destination to GLBT travelers. In 2004, she became the Caucus’ second president after the departure of former president John Cochie.
As president, Sortman helped to create the Philadelphia Freedom Hotel Package, which offers GLBT couples overnight accommodations at gay-friendly hotels in the city. She also helped organize a sensitivity training program to help hospitality and tourism organizations to be more sensitive to the needs of GLBT travelers.
Sortman is a 16-year veteran of the Altus Group, which developed the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation’s award-winning “Philadelphia: Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay™” tourism campaign. The campaign was one of only three tourism campaigns to win platinum awards from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association. The other two were “I Love New York” and Las Vegas’ “What Happens Here Stays Here.”
She also helps to produce the agency’s City Navigaytour GLBT travel guides for cities including Philadelphia, Chicago, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and San Diego.
Sortman currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Washington West Civic Association. She was born in Williamsport, Pa. and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s in Art and Graphic Design.