Visit Durango is currently accepting applications for our Board of Directors from now through October 31, 2020.
The Visit Durango Board of Directors is organized by sector to ensure all categories of La Plata County’s tourism industry are well represented. Today, the Retail Sector seat on our board is vacant and coming January 2021, the Restaurant and Special Events & Entertainment Sectors will be open as well. More information and applications can be found at bit.ly/2Z5oAEX.
Serving on the board of directors is an important role serving La Plata County’s tourism community. It is a large responsibility, rewarding and a highly regarded position. The Visit Durango board is composed of 14 individuals. Current members include:
Board Chair Bruce Moss – Gateway Reservations (Sector: La Plata County)Board Vice Chair Lorraine Taylor – Fort Lewis College (Sector: Higher Education)Board Treasurer Nigel Peck – Adventure Inn (Sector: Specialty Lodging)Board Secretary Jenn Wheeling – James Ranch (Sector: Agritourism)Amber Blake – City of Durango (Sector: City of Durango)Tony Vicari – Durango-La Plata County Airport (Sector: Transportation)Phoebe Ogden – Holiday Inn Express (Sector: Lodging)David Moler – Durango Rivertrippers (Sector: Outdoor Recreation)Denise Leslie – Rocky Mountain Uke Fest (Sector: Arts & Cultural Attractions)Carrie Whitely – Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (Sector: D&SNGRR)Keith Guyett – Purgatory Resort (Sector: Purgatory Resort)Angie Beach – Music in the Mountains (Sector: Special Events & Entertainment)Matt Arias – Gazpacho (Sector: Restaurant Industry)Tourism Retail Sector – VacantAs you can see, our board is comprised of many impressive and accomplished individuals from the tourism industry. Board members typically serve up to two terms, and each term is for three years, so the total commitment is for three to six years. Both Angie Beach and Matt Arias have served the full six years, which is why these seats will be vacant at the end of this year. Antonia Clark served the retail sector and her term expired in January 2020. Our goal is to fill these seats with motivated stakeholders who want to help shape the future of tourism in La Plata County.
If you are familiar with non-profits, Visit Durango’s board of directors is a “steering” board. And while it is a significant time commitment, Visit Durango’s full-time staff performs the work of the organization. That is, board members are not “in-the-weeds” or providing free work and their role, rather, is in an advisory capacity.
In addition to attending our monthly meetings on the third Tuesday of each month from 3-5pm, board members provide leadership to the Executive Director. They are also asked to serve on Visit Durango’s advisory committees or task forces, including:
Executive CommitteeFinance CommitteeGovernance Committee (new)Marketing CommitteeSales & Service Task Force (new)Responsible/Sustainable Tourism Task Force (new)The newly formed Governance Committee is responsible for recruiting and selecting new board members, reviewing resumes, conducting interviews and onboarding. Currently there have been applicants for all three sectors, but the committee is hoping to have a large pool of qualified applicants to choose from.
Applicants must be an active participant/employee/owner in the local tourism industry with operations based in Durango or La Plata County. The mission of Visit Durango is to generate demand in visitation and overnight stays in Durango and La Plata County through strategic marketing and sales programs that promote the area for the benefit of visitors and local stakeholders. We promote the Durango brand, support a positive visitor experience and drive positive economic impact. Board members are responsible for representing their sector in the community, ensuring two-way communication between Visit Durango and each sector of the tourism industry.
Visit Durango’s board members are passionate about La Plata County and the tourism industry, experts in their fields and strategic thinkers. They offer oversight without involving themselves in the nitty-gritty operations. This well-intentioned group has great a long-term vision for the future of La Plata County. Tourism tends to attract customer-service focused, fun individuals and The Visit Durango Board of Directors are a lively, friendly group. The reasons listed above and many more are why I encourage you to apply for the board of directors. We are currently accepting applications for the Retail Sector, Restaurant Sector and Special Events / Entertainment Sector until October 31, 2020. You can find more information and applications at bit.ly/2Z5oAEX.
Rachel Brown is the executive director of Visit Durango. She can be reached at 261-1052 or rachel@durango.org.
