The Missouri Tourism Commission announced that Katie Steele Danner was nominated by Gov. Jay Nixon to be the Director of the Division of Professional Registration. She was confirmed Thursday in that role by the Missouri Senate and begins her new duties immediately.

Danner has served as director of the Missouri Division of Tourism for five years.

Dan Lennon, deputy director for strategic communications at MDT, was appointed and agreed to serve as the division’s interim director.

Lennon has more than 20 years of successful strategic tourism marketing and brand management experience in the private and public sectors in Missouri.

He joined the Missouri Division of Tourism as its deputy director for strategic communications in 2013, after serving 10 years as the vice president of marketing and public relations for the Branson Convention & Visitors Bureau. In that capacity, he directed Branson’s advertising, brand development, publications, website and public relations efforts.

Over the next few weeks, members of the Tourism Commission search committee will interview several candidates to fill the director’s position. The committee will forward a candidate to the full commission for its vote.