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Two women to lead tourism board
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Published: August 19, 2008
Updated: 08/19/2008 12:05 pm
The Forsyth County Tourism Development Authority reached a compromise today on its chairperson for the 2008-09 fiscal year by having two board members share the role.
Pat Bryan, the former vice-chairwoman of the board, and Vivian Burke, a member of the Winston-Salem City Council, were appointed to the position. Each will serve a six-month term.
Bryan will serve as chairwoman until the end of December, while Burke will serve as vice chairwoman. In January, their roles will reverse.
The board deadlocked at 6-6 for a second time in two months before reaching the compromise. Gayle Anderson, the president and chief executive of the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, was not able to attend the meeting.
Wrennie Pitt, the attorney for the authority, said that the board's vote was permitted within its by-laws. Although the chairperson typically is elected for a two-year period, Pitt expects that the authority will vote in June for its chairperson for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
"The authority's work is too important and we needed to move forward past the deadlock," Burke said.
Bryan agreed.
"Vivian and I can work together," she said. "We both have our ideas about projects and committee appointees, but most of all it will be an opportunity for Vivian and myself to move the TDA forward."
Bryan, the general manager of the Fairfield Inn & Suites, received the backing of the hospitality segment of the board, while Burke got the backing of the tourism segment.
Voting for Burke were Burke; Dianne Caesar, the executive director of the Delta Fine Arts Center; Percy Caldwell, the athletes director at Winston-Salem State University; Florence Corpening, the chief executive officer of the YWCA of Winston-Salem; Milton Rhodes, the president and chief executive of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County; and Beverly Sanford, the executive director of SciWorks.
Voting for Bryan were Bryan; Rachna Atwal, the manager of the Hawthorne Inn & Conference Center; Don Baker, the general manager of the Hampton Inn at Hanes Mall; Rob Cote, of Nobel Investment Group; Ted Kaplan, a Forsyth County commissioner; and Lillian Kroustalis, the owner of Westbend Vineyards.
The authority also approved providing $48,750 in business-development grants to five groups.
The largest amount, $20,000, went toward a one-time request to help with the fees for hosting a bowling event that's part of Chris Paul Celebrity weekend in Winston-Salem in September. The event will be held on Sept. 20 at AMF Major League Lanes, 811 Jonestown Road.
The event will match professional athletes with professional bowlers in a doubles tournament that will kick off the 2008-09 PBA Tour season. The event will be televised on ESPN on Oct. 19. The event is expected to be moved to either the Joel Coliseum or Coliseum annex in 2009.
The authority also approved providing $15,250 for the promotion of the robotic Dinosaurs! Exhibit at SciWorks from Sept. 20 through Jan. 31.
Another $5,000 was provided to the Tanglewood Equestrian Association for marketing and the printing of brochures for the proposed revival for the Tanglewood Steeplechase.
Kaplan has proposed to the authority that it take ownership of the steeplechase, which is attempting a comeback after a six-year absence at Tanglewood Park. The races averaged 20,000 in attendance in its heyday in the 1980s. Kaplan said that the association is making progress in securing an overall sponsor and race sponsors.
At the conclusion of the monthly meeting, the authority began a retreat with the aim of resolving issues about administrative costs and salaries that have dogged the authority all year.
The authority operates on an annual budget of $2.7 million that comes from hotel-occupancy-tax proceeds. It promotes travel and tourism largely through marketing efforts.
For months, Kaplan has been challenging how the authority spends money, pushing for more direct grants to agencies that might bring in tourists.
The battle led to the departure of Bob McCoy as the president of Visit Winston-Salem in June on a six-month medical leave. The authority named Carmen Caruth as interim president on July 28. It remains unclear whether McCoy will return as president after his leave of absence ends.
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