Dutchess Tourism Announces New Board Members

From Dutchess County Tourism: Dutchess Tourism, Inc. (DTI) announces its slate of new board members who were elected at its Annual Meeting on January 19th. The following people were elected to three year terms: J’aime Bonura – Bonura Hospitality; Mike Cobb – Crown Maple at Madava Farms; Colleen Cruikshank – Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation; Elaine Hayes – Mount Gulian Historic Site; Barbara Malley; Debra Pemstein - Bard College; and Andrea Reynolds – Dyson Foundation.

The board also elected officers at the meeting. Denise Doring VanBuren from Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. will serve as board chair while Judy D’Alessandro from the HYATT house in Fishkill will be vice chair. Additionally, Colleen Cruikshank from Northern Dutchess Hospital will serve as secretary and Angela LoBianco-Barone from the Hyde Park Brewing Company will serve as treasurer.

“It is an amazing time in our county’s evolution, as we welcome record numbers of new visitors to our beautiful and historic part of the country,” said VanBuren. “Our new executive officers, board of directors and professional staff are excited to channel the burgeoning interest in Dutchess County’s tourism assets to provide maximum economic benefit to our community. We welcome the support, input and enthusiasm of our many partners as we reach new heights of accomplishment.”

President and CEO Mary Kay Vrba thanked Andrea Reynolds for her service as the first board chair of Dutchess Tourism, Inc. and for her leadership as she helped guide the organization through its transition from being a part of the Dutchess County Economic Development Corp. to its own separate non-profit entity. “Andrea really helped us establish a solid footing on which to build and to make sure, as an organization, we had everything we needed in place to be successful,” said Vrba. “We are excited about the future and also appreciate the support we receive from County Executive Marcus Molinaro, the Dutchess County Legislature and the Dutchess County IDA. Combined with our dedicated professional staff, we have a powerful and effective coalition committed to welcoming new and returning visitors to the rich experience of visiting our community and its wealth of amenities,” she added.

Tourism has a significant economic impact in Dutchess County, where more than 4.5 million people visit annually and spend an average of $528 million on lodging, food, shopping, and area attractions. Tourism is New York’s fourth largest industry.

The DTI office is located at 3 Neptune Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie with 18 Tourism Information Centers located around Dutchess County. Their website is www.DutchessTourism.com and they can be reached at 845-463-4000. Dutchess County Tourism was founded in 1984 under the umbrella of the Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation, became incorporated as Dutchess Tourism, Inc. in 2014 and is partially funded by monies received from the County of Dutchess.

Image via Dutchess County Tourism