Partner Agency Tourism Champion Award from Governor Sonny Perdue.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Evans, GA—The Tourism staff representing the counties of the Clarks Hill Partnership of Georgia was thrilled to receive the Partner Agency Tourism Champion Award from Governor Sonny Perdue. This prestigious award was presented to team members at the Governor’s Brunch and Awards Ceremony that concluded the program for the Governor’s Tourism Conference held in Albany this week.
The Clarks Hill Partnership of Georgia representing Columbia, Lincoln, McDuffie, Warren, and Wilkes Counties utilized a 2007-2008 Georgia Department of Economic Development Tourism Foundation Co-op Marketing Grant for the 2007 Bassmaster Weekend Series National Championship held at Wildwood Park last November. Additionally, the group worked together effectively to manage the following projects in the last year:
- Development of a Partnership banner stand display and brochure (co-op with the Classic South Travel Association)
- Sponsorship of 30-minute fishing show, BassEdge that appeared on Versus Network in January 2008
- Booth at the Bassmaster Classic Championship February 2008 (675 leads shared)
- Share Angler Partner, J Todd Tucker with boat wrap and jersey
- Booth at the FLW Cup Championship and Expo in August 2008 (1200 leads shared)
- Potential for marketing our counties for hub and spoke group travel
The Tourism Team for the Partnership that accepted the award on its behalf included the following:
Beda Johnson, Columbia
County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Sherry McKeller, Lincoln County Development Authority
Elizabeth Vance, Thomson-McDuffie County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Ashley Turner Barnett, Washington-Wilkes County Tourism
Jeannie Buttrum, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Classic South Regional Tourism Representative
The other team member, O.B. McCorkle from the Warren County Development Authority, was unable to attend the conference.
The Clarks Hill Partnership of Georgia was originally created by former State Senator, Jim Whitehead whose legislative district represented each of the counties in the Partnership. The group meets quarterly and the voting members are the County Administrators, County Commissioners, and Community Mayors (see list below). However, in 2006, the Partnership Tourism Team members began attending the meetings to work together to cooperatively market the Clarks Hill area. The counties range from Tier 1 to Tier 4, yet find commonalities in tourism marketing.
Clarks Hill Partnership Board of Directors
| Diane Ford | Columbia County | Secretary |
| John Graham | Warren County | Treasurer |
| David Jenkins | Wilkes County | |
| Ken Usry | McDuffie County | Public Relations |
| Georgia Leverett | Lincoln County | |
| O.B. McCorkle | Warren County | |
| Sam Moore | Wilkes County | Vice Chairman |
| Walker Norman | Lincoln County | Chairman |
| Don Norton | McDuffie County | |
| Steve Szablewski | Columbia County |
Beda Johnson from the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau expressed the group’s delight at winning this award. “This recognition from the Governor and our tourism peers shows how essential it is that we continue to pool our resources and work together to represent our region at a national level. We’re thrilled to be able to bring this award back to the leadership of the now ‘award-winning’ Clarks Hill Partnership of Georgia!”
###
Media Contact:
Beda Johnson
bjohnson@choosecolumbiacounty.com
office: 706.312.1361
mobile: 706.951.4189