Larry Friedman, who has long ties to Lake Tahoe, will become the interim director of the Nevada Commission on Tourism when Director Dann Lewis steps down Dec. 17.

Friedman is NCOT’s deputy director of Sales and Industry Partners.

Lewis was appointed to the agency in early 2009 and helped steer its operations through a period of adjusting to severe state budget constraints, during which NCOT’s operating budget was reduced by 41 percent.

Larry Friedman

Under Lewis’ direction, the “Let Nevada Capture Your Heart” ad campaign for winter 2009 and summer 2010 was aimed specifically at lucrative markets with active adults likely to travel to Nevada. The $3.6 million campaign attracted visitors whose spending generated $110 million in tax revenue, a record $31 return for every $1 invested in the campaign, outside research by the company TNS Global showed.

“Having accomplished some outstanding achievements together with this great team, I feel the time is right for my departure and a move to other endeavors,” Lewis said in a prepared statement.

Friedman currently oversees the rural programs and domestic and international sales, which include the work of NCOT’s international offices in Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom and continental Europe. During his more than 20 years with NCOT, Friedman has created the Rural Roundup conference, chaired the development of Nevada’s Scenic Byways Program and produced the guidelines for the Projects Relating to Tourism Rural Infrastructure Grant Program.