Al Hutchinson is Baltimore’s highest-paid ‘storyteller.’ Supporters say he’s worth every cent.

As the world started shutting down in March 2020, Al Hutchinson, CEO and president of Visit Baltimore, began to prepare for a seismic shift in the business of marketing Charm City to potential visitors. The leader of the city’s tourism arm, a quasi-governmental agency, is responsible for “heads in beds,” or attracting visitors to spend time — and money— in Baltimore. Soon enough, the destination marketing specialist realized the work had hit a historic roadblock. Like so many others during the initial months of the coronavirus pandemic, Hutchinson learned to pivot. Before the Baltimore Convention Center transformed into a field hospital, he and his team showed up to what events were left and distributed hand sanitizer. When stay-at-home orders went into effect, he helped connect small businesses with financial resources to keep the lights on.