Meet Our Team

Our team is comprised of leaders, innovators, collaborators, experts, and trail blazers located over three different states. At Civitas, we work as a connected team to inspire, encourage, and support one another in an environment where we’re able to show up as ourselves and do our best work every day.

John Lambeth

Founder & CEO

John Lambeth

Founder & CEO

John Lambeth, Civitas’ Founder & CEO, specializes in developing and advocating for unique tourism and travel promotion funding strategies. He and his team deliver unequaled knowledge, depth, and experience globally to destinations and communities that seek sustainable funding solutions to fuel their futures. He is the leading national expert in tourism district creation. He also drafts statewide enabling legislation, builds support among tourism businesses and electeds, and provides non-profit assistance. He and his firm have been recognized as a national leader in developing and implementing revolutionary financing mechanisms for destinations, including those looking to build or upgrade their local sports facilities. Mr. Lambeth and his team are frequent speakers on advocacy and funding who have presented at conferences around the world, including those hosted by Destinations International, CalTravel, US Travel, ISHA, and Sports ETA. He is the former Clerk to the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, the former Chair of the Board for Destinations International Foundation, a current member of the Board of the U.S. Travel Association, and a former Chair of the CalTravel Board of Directors.

Email:jlambeth@civitasadvisors.com

Tiffany Gallagher

Vice President & Deputy Executive Officer

Tiffany Gallagher

Vice President & Deputy Executive Officer

Throughout her career, Ms. Gallagher has shown strong commitment to the tourism and business communities. Her industry experience includes a board position on the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Board of Directors, Past President of the Greater Syracuse Hospitality and Tourism Association, serving on the Board of Directors of Destination Marketing Organizations, Strategic Planning Councils, and Business Improvement Districts. Ms. Gallagher works out of Upstate New York, where she leads, initiates, and manages projects nationwide.

Email:tgallagher@civitasadvisors.com

Carson Lambeth

Co-Principal, Strategy & Business Development

Carson Lambeth

Co-Principal, Strategy & Business Development

Ms. Lambeth’s career has included over 17 years of experience with project and relationship management, human resources and recruiting. Ms. Lambeth specializes in consensus building and successful program implementation. Carson has also been involved with many non-profit organizations in the Sacramento community, including St. Hope, March of Dimes, Breakthrough, and the Child Abuse Prevention Council. Carson earned a bachelor’s degree from UC Davis in Organizational Studies and a minor in Rhetoric and Communications.

Email:CLambeth@civitasadvisors.com

Gina Reed

Director of Project Management

Gina Reed

Director of Project Management

Mrs. Reed is Civitas’ Project Manager in the Greater Los Angeles area. Since 2014, Gina has been working with clients in all aspects of district formation, renewal, and modification. She has an extensive background in the hospitality industry in sales, marketing, and event planning. She graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing, and is a founding member of the LAX Coastal Area Chamber Young Professional’s Organization.

Email:greed@civitasadvisors.com

Kelly Rankin

Senior Project Manager & Director of Team Engagement

Kelly Rankin

Senior Project Manager & Director of Team Engagement

Ms. Rankin is Civitas' Project Manager in Sacramento. Kelly joined the Civitas team in 2018. Prior to Civitas, Kelly attended California State University, Fresno where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Advertising. She started her career in the travel industry, then continued on in television advertising sales in New York City. Upon her return to California five years later, she joined the Civitas team with experience in operations, client relations, and media expertise.

Email:krankin@civitasadvisors.com

Emily Brown

Project Manager & Director of Operations

Emily Brown

Project Manager & Director of Operations

Prior to Civitas, Ms. Brown graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences and began her career working in a lab as a Microbiologist. She enjoyed the project management aspect of her lab work which ultimately led to her joining the Civitas team in early 2022 as a Project Manager, where she utilizes the organizational and analytical skills she gained working as a scientist.

Email:ebrown@civitasadvisors.com

Jeremiah Toles

Regional Project Coordinator

Jeremiah Toles

Regional Project Coordinator

Mr. Toles comes with 15 years of devoted work in the hospitality industry as an Operations and Revenue Manager for some of the largest lodging properties in Syracuse, New York where he continues to reside. He is passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Mr. Toles assisted to help pass the Dignity For All Students Act Law in New York and was recognized for his volunteer work with the Human Rights Award by the Syracuse Human Rights Commission. Mr. Toles' hospitality experience combined with his passion for DEI brings a unique perspective to further the innovation of tourism marketing and funding programming.

Email:jtoles@civitasadvisors.com

Madison Deschamps

Senior Legal Analyst & Paralegal

Madison Deschamps

Senior Legal Analyst & Paralegal

Ms. Deschamps is a recent graduate of the University of California, Davis, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science as well as a minor degree in Women’s Studies. Her coursework emphasized American Politics and Institutions, and she followed her academic experiences centered around policy and legislation with an internship at the California State Assembly. She joins Civitas following professional experiences in the legal field, administrative work, as well as membership in on-campus organizations that fostered her passion for community development.

Email:mdeschamps@civitasadvisors.com

Tess Gallagher

Project Coordinator

Tess Gallagher

Project Coordinator

Tess is our Project Coordinator in Sacramento. She started her career in the Service Industry, then continued in E-commerce Merchandising. She enjoys the networking and relationship building aspects of her work. In addition to an Associate of Arts Degree in Behavioral Science, Tess holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art with an emphasis in Sculpture from California State University, Sacramento. She looks forward to contributing to the success of Civitas with her commitment to offering exemplary service to the communities it serves.

Email:tessgallagher@civitasadvisors.com

Wendy Forwood

Legal Analyst - Certified Law Student

Wendy Forwood

Legal Analyst - Certified Law Student

Wendy joined the Civitas team in 2025 as a Paralegal and brings a strong foundation in compliance, regulation, and legal research. She is a third-year law student at Lincoln Law School of Sacramento and holds a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California, Davis. Now playing a vital role at Civitas, Wendy supports the creation and legal structuring of improvement districts across the U.S., combining her public service background with a deep commitment to making the law accessible for the communities it serves.

Email:wforwood@civitasadvisors.com

Shreya Nene

Legal Coordinator & Paralegal

Shreya Nene

Legal Coordinator & Paralegal

Shreya joined the Civitas team in 2024 as a Legal Administrative Assistant. She holds degrees in Psychology and Economics from the University of California, Davis, with an interest in Behavioral Economics and law. Shreya's academic background includes research on the theory of mind and having held impressive leadership positions on campus. She is eager to channel her passion for advocacy and actionable change in her work at Civitas!

Email:snene@civitasadvisors.com

Katie Thomas

Director of Marketing & Communications

Katie Thomas

Director of Marketing & Communications

Ms. Thomas joined the Civitas team in 2021. Coming from a DMO background, she discovered her passion for tourism and community development while working for Destination Gettysburg. Katie has a Bachelor's degree in Communications and recently completed her Master's in Integrated Marketing and Communications from West Virginia University. With experience in destination marketing, web, event planning, and content management, she heads up Civitas' marketing and communications efforts, finding new ways to connect with destinations on all things funding.

Email:kthomas@civitasadvisors.com

Megan Kang

Marketing & Account Coordinator

Megan Kang

Marketing & Account Coordinator

Ms. Kang is a recent graduate of the University at Buffalo, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology and Counseling. Megan is driven by a passion for promoting growth, diversity, and inclusivity. With a track record of impactful internships at nonprofits, she has cultivated a unique skill set focused on driving positive change. Now an integral part of the Civitas Advisors team, Megan channels her passion for creating a better world into actionable initiatives that make a lasting impact.

Email:mkang@civitasadvisors.com

Maya Kitt

Account Manager

Maya Kitt

Account Manager

Ms. Kitt joined the Civitas team in 2022, shortly after graduating from UC Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Though she joins Civitas following professional experiences in the legal field and administrative work, Ms. Kitt comes from a family-owned small business background which she believes has truly allowed her work ethic to thrive within a team-driven environment like Civitas. As a Sacramento native, Ms. Kitt takes great pride in giving back to the city where Civitas’ story began.

Email:mkitt@civitasadvisors.com

Jeraphon (Gap) Srion

Data Coordinator

Jeraphon (Gap) Srion

Data Coordinator

Jeraphon (Gap) joined the team full-time in 2025. Graduating from San Francisco State University with a degree in Computer Engineering, he is passionate about continuous learning, personal growth, and applying technology to solve real-world problems. He has experience working with data organizing, analyzing, and presenting it to support informed decision-making. Eager to expand his skills further, he thrives in environments where he can contribute, grow, and make an impact through data-driven insights.

Email:jsrion@civitasadvisors.com@civitasadvisors.com

Meet Our Team

John Lambeth

Tiffany Gallagher

Carson Lambeth

Gina Reed

Kelly Rankin

Emily Brown

Jeremiah Toles

Madison Deschamps

Tess Gallagher

Wendy Forwood

Shreya Nene

Katie Thomas

Megan Kang

Maya Kitt

Jeraphon (Gap) Srion

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