The Board of Directors of the Monmouth Ocean Development Council recently selected Dana Lancellotti, a longtime MODC member, to serve as its new executive director.
Lancellotti is the former president and CEO of the New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association, which represents 19,000 food service establishments, hotels and other hospitality businesses.
“Dana is a passionate multifaceted professional who brings a talented skill set, significant operational knowledge, creative marketing experience, nonprofit leadership and an amazing network,” Tom Gilmour, president of MODC, said Friday.
During her three-year tenure with NJRHA, Lancellotti rebranded the association, restructured membership and annual partnership programs, modernized NJRHA’s website, and advocated in Trenton and Washington, D.C. on behalf of restaurant and hotels impacted by the pandemic, Gilmour said.
“Dana’s extensive experience includes serving as Ocean County’s director of Business Development and Tourism, where she championed the county’s $5 billion tourism industry,” Gilmour said. “During her tenure, she collaborated closely with MODC to promote the Jersey Shore as a year-round destination and provided critical support in the region’s recovery following Superstorm Sandy.”
Gilmour said Lancellotti dedication to community would be an asset in her new role at MODC.
“She is very involved with Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and served as an honorary commander from 2012 to 2017 and currently serves as an emeritus of that program,” Gilmour said. “As a founding member of the Military Support Alliance of New Jersey, she was the executive director from 2021-2024 and continues as an active volunteer.”
Lancellotti is also a board member of the Jersey Shore Partnership and received the 2015 Tourism Achievement Award, Gilmour said. The Girls Scouts of the Jersey Shore honored her as the 2020 Woman of Distinction. Other accolades include being the recognized with the 2016 Silver Gull Tourism Achievement Award from MODC.
Lancellotti, who grew up in Sea Girt, has deep roots in Monmouth and Ocean counties, Gilmour said. Her grandparents founded Weir’s Pharmacy in Manasquan in 1922 and owned an arcade at Manasquan Beach throughout the 1940s. She graduated from Manasquan High School and met her husband at Monmouth University.
Lancellotti’s appointment was effective March 7, Gilmour said.
