image description

Outgoing Tourism Director thanks community

July 28th, 2017 by WCBC Radio

 

Friday, July 28th was the final day on the job for Tourism Director Barb Buehl. She has posted the following statement to the community:

As you may already be aware, Allegany County Tourism will be experiencing a “changing of the guard” in the coming weeks. As of July 1, 2017, I am no longer the Director of Allegany County Tourism. I would like to thank all of you who have supported the efforts of the Tourism office for the past 14 years. Without our stakeholder support, the hard work of the tourism team, and the successes of our marketing campaigns, Allegany County would not have benefitted from the construction of five new hotels with even more in the planning stages (with local hotel/motel taxes reaching $1.3 million annually, more than double the amount when we took over) ten amazing years of DelFest, or the continuous growth in visitor numbers year over year.  

I wish my team luck as we each move in different directions. My faithful assistant since March of 2016, Caitlin Squires, will be taking on the role of the Communications Projects Coordinator at the City of Winchester. She will be serving as the public information officer for the City’s police and fire departments, and providing public relations support to the City as a whole. Caitlin was a valuable asset to Allegany County Tourism. She worked tirelessly and was instrumental in making Fireball Run a success, as well as bringing Mountain Maryland Restaurant Week into being. We look forward to the premier of the program this September. I am so happy for Caitlin and her new position. My only regret is that Allegany County has lost a bright and talented young person to another state. 

I cannot express how grateful I am for the opportunity to work with such a dedicated and passionate team over the years. McClarran and Williams developed award-winning advertising campaigns. Jen Rowe and Sam Wakefield contributed creative and memorable art work for our ads, flyers and exhibits. Dave Williams and Becky McClarran have provided their expertise and years of experience to help put "Mountain Maryland" on the map.
 
We have been so fortunate to have Exclamation Labs, under the direction of Jonathan Hutcherson, as part of our team. Jonathan and his team are also responsible for being recognized for award winning technology and creativity in the development of our interactive kiosks. The project was often imitated, but never duplicated to the same standard. Jenny Krampf at Exclamation Labs has kept us up to date and on target through the years. 

Ty DeMartino is a nationally recognized playwright and still has time to work with our team on Facebook, and Mountain Maryland now has 55623 followers. He introduced us to “thumbs up” Mountain Mo and the Best Kept Secrets series, featuring Kimberly Rowley Dinteman. 

The best ambassadors for Allegany County can be found right inside our Visitor Center. Tim Thomas and Tyler Clayton work through weekends and holidays to make sure our more than 34,000 visitors that stop in can get directions and the help they need. Misty Lewis is the manager of the Visitor Center and “jack of all trades.” You need info, you need the trolley, or want to have welcome packages with giveaways? Misty handles it all. 

Alicia Phillips of Enuff Ideas has been responsible for our Visitor Guide from day one. She has patiently worked with multiple people to pull it off each year. Over 100,000 are distributed annually.  

I am proud of what we accomplished and have no regrets. It has been a great journey and experience and a joy.  I wish the new Tourism Director, Ashli Workman, the best of luck and success for the coming years. 

With misty eyes, but a happy heart, I sign off from this newsletter for one last time as the Director of Allegany County Tourism. I look forward to working with you again during my next adventure.
 

Barb Buehl
Allegany Department of Tourism 

 

Leave a Reply