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 As part of the merger between the Lincoln/Logan
County Chamber of Commerce and the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of
Logan County under the umbrella of the Logan County Alliance, the
board of directors for the Bureau dissolved at its December 2014
meeting.
Under the new format with the LCA, the Board of Directors has been
replaced with a Tourism Council. The Council will consist of seven
members, but at the first meeting only five were seated. The five
members of the council are Director of Sales for the Hampton and
Holiday Inns, Jean Bruner-Jachino; Lincoln College Professor and
Director of the Lincoln Heritage Museum, Ron Keller; Owner and
manager of the Best Western, Lincoln, Paresh Patel; Assistant
Director of Heartland College Lincoln Campus, Kristi Powell; and
owner/manager of Logan Lanes, Shawn Taylor. Two members will be
added at a later date, one being a representative of the sporting
activities in Logan County, and the other being an appointee from
the Lincoln City Council.
Also on hand for the meeting were newly hired Executive Director for
Logan County Tourism, Maggie McMurtrey; LCA vice-chairman, Greg
Basford; LCA member Frank Adubato, and LCA Executive Director, Andi
Hake. Hake explained that she was at the meeting to assist McMurtrey
as she makes the transition to her new position with the Bureau.
Hake offered the council an update on merger activities as they
pertained to the Tourism Bureau. When the city of Lincoln took on
the oversight of the Bureau, tourism became an entity of the city
operating under the city’s employer ID number and tax-exempt status.
In the last quarter of 2014, the Bureau began the process of
separating itself from the city and becoming a standalone entity.
This is necessary so that it can qualify for a 501(C)3
not-for-profit status and be able to receive state grant awards as a
member of the LCA.
The Bureau hired an attorney to assist in getting all the proper
paperwork filed. Hake said that this had taken longer than anyone
expected and that for the time being, the Bureau is still an entity
of the city of Lincoln.
She said the paperwork has been completed with one exception. The
Bureau needs to name its officers. Currently, Jachino is listed as
the chairperson of the Council, but the listing on the 501(C)3
application also needs to include a vice-chair and a treasurer.
Hake said that those two offices needed to be decided immediately,
so the names could be added to the application on Wednesday. Once
the names are added, the Bureau’s part of the work is finished. She
noted that once in the state’s hands the council has no control on
how soon the 501(C)3 will be granted. Therefore, the Bureau will
remain with the city for the time being.
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This led to the discussion of who would fill those positions. Hake suggested
Powell for the treasurer, but Powell said that was an office she did not want to
fill.
Taylor said he was willing to help, but at the moment, the entire program was
new to him, and he didn’t feel comfortable jumping into an office with no
tourism bureau experience.
Jachino talked about the role of the vice-chair and explained that it would be
primarily filling in for her when she was not able to attend meetings or certain
events. She indicated that it would not be a huge responsibility for anyone who
chose to take the seat.
Hake also spoke about the treasurer position saying the primary responsibility
would be to review and sign the checks issued by the Bureau. She explained this
was a less complicated task now than in past years because the Bureau is now
using QuickBooks to track its dollars; financial reports are more accurate and
easier to review.
In addition, the full Tourism Council receives monthly reports on the Bureau’s
finances. They receive a copy of the most recent bank reconciliation, a list of
bills paid, and a report of revenues versus expenditures.
The discussion moved on to who has the final say on dollars awarded for tourism
promotion? The question was posed, would the LCA Board veto decisions made by
the Tourism Council?
Basford addressed the question saying that he felt it was highly unlikely that
the LCA Board would veto any recommendation from the Council. The thought behind
this is that the various councils under the LCA are designed to be the authority
on a specific topic. For the Tourism Bureau, Council members are to know and
understand the goals and mission of the Bureau and assure that dollars awarded
and activities they are involved with adhere to those goals and mission.
In the end, Powell said she would volunteer to be the vice-chair of the council,
and Patel volunteered to be the treasurer. A single motion was made to accept
both to their respective positions and passed by unanimous vote.
[Nila Smith] |
