Robins, Peacock named to Visitor Bureau board
posted 11/17/05
Christopher Peacock of Rosario Resort & Spa and Stephen Robins, M.D. of Pelindaba Lavender were selected to fill two unexpired terms on the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. An election for expiring terms will be held at the Bureau’s spring membership meeting. All board positions are for staggered three-year terms.
Peacock, Director of Marketing for Rosario Resort & Spa, has been at Rosario Resort since 1980. He is also the resort’s resident historian, a recording artist and active participant in Orcas Island community activities. He was elected to complete an at-large position from Orcas.
This opening was created with the recent resignation of Mike Stolmeier who had served in several capacities since 1999, including that of president and founding member of the Business Association of San Juan County, now "doing business as" the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau. Stolmeier, manager of Smuggler’s Villa Resort, resigned to devote time to new positions on the boards of the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce and Anacortes Chamber of Commerce and his continuing service as the Visitors Bureau board’s liaison to Washington State Ferries committees.
"Mike Stolmeier had the creative vision to see a greater future for the tourism industry in San Juan County," Visitors Bureau President Laura Saccio said. "He understood the significance of tourism’s benefits not just for those directly serving the industry, but for all county residents. We can all thank Mike for having the foresight and fortitude to create a stronger economic base for this community."
Robins is co-founder/owner of Pelindaba Lavender and has lived on San Juan Island since 1988. He and his wife Susan have been the recipients of recognition locally and at the state level for their contributions to island economic development and business innovation. Stephens was elected to complete the at-large term of Mike Vouri who resigned from the board for personal reasons. Vouri, Historian and Chief Interpreter for San Juan Island National Historical Park, had brought a much valued cultural and historical perspective to the board.
The other board members are:
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Laura Saccio (president and acting treasurer), Friday Harbor Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Rep, Friday Harbor Inn/Friday’s Historic Inn;
- Jim Nelson (vice-president), San Juan County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Rep, Bayside Cottages, Orcas Island;
- Carl Silvernail (secretary), Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce Rep, Otter’s Pond Bed & Breakfast;
- Daren Holscher, Lopez Island Chamber of Commerce Rep, The Bay Café;
- Liz Illg, San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce Rep, Nonprofits Unlimited;
- Linda Hersey, At-Large, Friday Harbor House;
- Peter Allen, At-Large, Kangaroo House, Orcas Island;
- Bill Diller, At-Large, Lopez Islander Bay Resort;
- Chris Minney, At-Large, Tif & Gif Creative, San Juan Island.
San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
kicks off Fall advertising campaign
posted 09/13/05
San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau (SJIVB) kicked off its fall advertising campaign in the greater Seattle/Puget Sound market on September 8. The campaign will run through mid October. "Media chosen will target environmentally-conscious, young and older couples, with higher incomes, who are interested in beautiful surroundings, recreational activities, and festivals and cultural events, " according to Deborah Hopkins, Executive Director. The main theme will be "there's no place more beautiful this fall " for various outdoor activities and events.
Television, radio and print will be used for the campaign. The SJIVB received a matching grant on KING5 and Northwest Cable News and will air 30-second spots during "Northwest Backroads. " Radio stations chosen include three public radio stations: KUOW (NPR) 94.9 FM, KPLU (NPR) 88.5 FM and KEXP 90.3 FM.
Print ads will be included for five weeks in the Seattle Times Thursday "Northwest Weekend " issues, as well as the Seattle Post Intelligencer's Thursday "Getaways ". Ads will also be featured in the October issue of Seattle Magazine highlighting romantic getaways, as well as British Columbia AAA's Westworld Magazine featuring a fall Western Washington road trip.
The mission of the SJIVB is to strengthen the County's economy by promoting the San Juan Islands as a preferred, year-round travel destination with particular emphasis on increasing off-season visitation, while respecting the Islands' unique and diverse ecosystems, environments, lifestyles and cultures.
For information regarding SJIVB marketing programs please contact Deborah Hopkins, Executive Director, 378-3277 x5.
Watchable Wildlife conference Sept 28-29
posted 08/13/05
PRESS RELEASE: Up to 140 community leaders and business owners, tour operators, conservationists and state officials are expected to convene Sept. 28-29 in Friday Harbor for a forum aimed at building Washington’s $1 billion annual wildlife-viewing tourism business.
The event — the third of its kind in as many years — is presented by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED), the Department of Transportation and the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau.
Themed "Byways and Watchable Wildlife – Making the Connection," the conference will take place at the San Juan Island Yacht Club, 237 Front St., in Friday Harbor.
Washington’s wildlife-viewing tourism industry is the seventh largest in the nation, with wildlife watchers in Washington State spending nearly $1 billion annually. More than a dozen local communities across the state host annual wildlife-viewing festivals, most launched within the past decade.
The conference will feature presentations by John Herron, director of conservation programs for the Texas chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and Judy Walden, president of Walden Mills Group and a specialist in rural tourism development.
Herron will speak about working with communities and private lands, offering lessons learned from his involvement in creating the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail that covers 600 miles and includes over 100 communities. Walden will discuss how scenic byways can play a role in balancing the economic benefits of tourism with protection of local, natural, and cultural resources.
A reception at The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor will kick off the event, and field trips will be available before and after the conference.
The conference is part of a larger, on-going state effort to assist communities in developing sustainable wildlife-based tourism. In related activities, WDFW and CTED, in collaboration with community and business leaders, have developed a master plan for statewide wildlife-related tourism development.
More recently, the 2005 Legislature approved $500,000 in capital funds for watchable-wildlife projects, including signage, trails, parking areas, and other amenities.
The conference registration fee is $50, which includes the reception, breakfast, and lunch. The deadline for registration is Sept. 15. Interested individuals are encouraged to register early, as the conference facility capacity is limited to 140.
For more information, visit the conference website
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