After spending 10 years as a newspaper reporter and editor in Centralia and Jefferson City, Stephen was hired as the travel guide editor at the Missouri Division of Tourism (Visit Missouri) in 2009. He held varying roles at Visit Missouri through 2017, when he was named marketing director at the Missouri State Medical Association. In March 2020, he returned to the travel industry when he was appointed Visit Missouri’s director, leading a staff of marketers, communicators, researchers, program managers, legislative and financial specialists, and welcome center ambassadors focused on promoting Missouri as one of the country’s top travel destinations.