District Marketing Mojo: Frank Johnson, Visit Gilroy
AUGUST 2025
Editor’s note: In this blog series, District Marketing Mojo, Verdin President and CEO Mary Verdin interviews a leader in the world of marketing and communications for special districts and business improvement districts each month. Check back here regularly for new interviews.
The Power of Place: Frank Johnson on History, Identity & Creating Meaningful Travel
As executive director of Visit Gilroy, Frank Johnson believes tourism should do more than fill hotel rooms. It should curate experiences — not just to a place, but to something deeper. Tourism professionals are architects of memories.
“I love travel and tourism because I love history,” he says. “It opens our eyes. It makes us curious. And sometimes, it changes how we see the world — and ourselves.”
That worldview didn’t start in a visitors center. Frank’s roots are in museum work, video production and living in a plethora of tourism hotspots, including Sicily, Siesta Key in Florida, the High Sierra and the Virgin Islands. One of his roles was program and outreach manager at a maritime museum in South Carolina, where one encounter changed him forever.
He remembers guiding a group of African American visitors through an exhibit about the Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy ship in combat, a Civil War relic. One woman, nearing 100 years old, quietly shared that her grandmother had been enslaved.
“That moment shook me,” Frank recalls. “She had every right to be disgusted by the specter of slavery, but she was open minded enough to learn about the science, technology and human bravery associated with this one-of-a-kind artifact. She said the learning experience changed her life for the better. That’s the power of storytelling. That’s the power of place.”
Today, Frank brings that same reverence for stories to Visit Gilroy:
“I tell our Welcome Center staff: You’re not just working retail. You’re helping someone make a memory they’ll talk about for the rest of their life.”
More Than Garlic: Changing the Narrative
While Gilroy is famous for its garlic (and rightfully proud of it), Frank is on a mission to show the world what else is simmering in this vibrant community.
“If I could plaster one message across a billboard,” he says with a smile, “it would be: Gilroy—More Than Garlic. Sure, we love our tasty little bulbs. But we also have incredible family-run wineries, community events, shopping and an unmatched spirit of hospitality.”
That community spirit is most alive at Gilroy’s many festivals, an aspect of his job that Frank lights up about.
“La Ofrenda Health and Wellness Fair, a Dia de Muertos celebration, is one of my favorites,” he says. “It’s a cultural awakening that brings people together through ancestry, art and shared experience.”
And the town’s holiday festival? “It made my heart grow three sizes,” Frank laughs. “It’s pure joy.”
Tourism That Reflects, Not Just Projects
When asked about the impact of Visit Gilroy’s work, Frank offers a perspective that’s uniquely his own:
“To travelers, we’re a window. But to our residents, we’re a mirror.”
Visit Gilroy doesn’t just market a destination; it reminds people why they love where they live. That sense of pride, he says, is the ultimate return on investment.
It’s clear that Frank Johnson doesn’t fit neatly into one category, just like Gilroy itself. With a storyteller’s heart, a historian’s mind and a marketer’s instinct, he’s helping shape a destination that’s full of depth, flavor and heart.
Want to see what Gilroy is all about?
To learn more about Visit Gilroy, visit them online and follow @visit_gilroy on Instagram and Facebook. Reach out to Frank Johnson on LinkedIn.