Chamber of Commerce, PEP hire visitor center coordinator

Posted 6/8/17

Powell resident Rebekah Burns began at the chamber Monday, bringing significant experience in communications and marketing — including with websites and social media — to the newly created position.

Burns said in a news release that she’s …

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Chamber of Commerce, PEP hire visitor center coordinator

Posted

The consolidation of the Powell Economic Partnership and the Powell Valley Chamber of Commerce continues to move forward with the hiring of a visitor center coordinator.

Powell resident Rebekah Burns began at the chamber Monday, bringing significant experience in communications and marketing — including with websites and social media — to the newly created position.

Burns said in a news release that she’s looking forward to using that experience “to help grow the Powell Visitor Center and Chamber from a brick and mortar one-stop to a valued resource for all ages, locally and nationally.”

PEP Executive Director Christine Bekes said Burns’ skill set is a perfect fit for a position that will continue to evolve as duties and responsibilities become more clearly defined. Because Burns is relatively new to the area, she will bring a fresh perspective to the table.

“Rebekah’s work experience is incredible,” Bekes said. “The communications and marketing background she brings from the private sector, especially around video, multimedia and social networking, I think will really elevate Powell.”

The visitor center coordinator position is a direct result of a series of community outreach events PEP and the chamber hosted last winter. Surveys were distributed throughout the community, and an evaluation of those results indicated a desire for more emphasis on marketing and promoting the city of Powell.

“From our perspective, I think there’s so much opportunity there,” Bekes said. “And really, it was something the community pointed to. Rebekah is passionate about Powell, and even though she’s new, she brings that freshness of eyes, which is pretty awesome.”

Bekes said there was a talented group of applicants to choose from, making the decision that much more difficult.

“I think the amount of interest we had in the position really speaks volumes for the energy that is in the community,” she said.

Burns and her family moved to Powell in 2015, after her husband Logan joined the faculty at Northwest College. In that short time, Burns has ingratiated herself into the community, volunteering with Powell Makerspace, the Parkside Pride Parent Group and NWC Intercultural House, to name a few. After a couple of years as a stay-at-home mom, Burns decided her kids were at an age where she could entertain the idea of re-entering the workforce. When the opportunity to apply for the coordinator position presented itself, Burns jumped at it.

“I liked the idea of working for a non-profit in town,” Burns said. “And I really liked the idea of helping the downtown businesses and small businesses reach their target market in this 21st Century landscape.”

Burns has a background in film production and content creation, which she cultivated over a decade-long career at Crews Control, Inc. in Fulton, Maryland. As a multimedia marketing manager, Burns hosted and created two media podcasts, managed the company blog and wrote targeted pieces and industry articles designed to drive traffic to the company. She believes that experience will serve her new position well.

“The job description is still pretty fluid, and is being nailed down by the board of directors,” Burns said. “I think we’ll understand a little bit more once certain decisions have been made, but I do know there is a priority on updating the digital face of Powell to inside and outside of the community.”

Helping with local events and streamlining communications from businesses to Powell residents and visitors has become the center’s top priority, and Burns said she would like to create a visitor’s brand that the chamber can use to contact and engage people locally and nationally.

“I want what everyone else wants: a vibrant downtown and opportunities for socialization,” she said. “I think what people can expect from the visitor center moving forward is a cohesive communication effort, especially with event planners and local businesses. What has been tricky in the past is just communicating a lot of stuff that’s going on. We’d like to get everyone on the same page for the benefit of the community.”

PEP, the chamber and visitor center will be hosting an open house to welcome Burns on Thursday, June 22, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the visitor center, 111 S. Day St.

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