Editor:

I would like to share today a very “interesting” and important topic that you all should be aware of and deserve to be participating in as this will impact the very future of Brown County tourism which involves all the stakeholders including you, your business, your organization also our schools and children. This is about the current issue between CVB (Conventions and Visitors Bureau) and CVC (Conventions and Visitors Commission) and here is the story.

On Tuesday, July 23, at 8:30 a.m., I attended as a first-time ever observer at CVB monthly meeting and had to witness an unbelievable scene. Kara Hammes was resigning from her Chair position. All the board members were sitting there with their backs stooped down in the atmosphere of hopelessness and despair. The CVC had been warning to CVB since January that they will defund CVB, and extending the contract on a monthly basis. Therefore, no surprise that CVB’s monthly financial report looked and was disastrous. On top of it, CVB was dealing with 5-year balloon mortgage (of the building now they reside in) and that was hitting them hard with all the blames on CVB (imposed by CVC). Bruce Gould, Vice Chair, announced to the board that CVB had been “fired” by CVC. What? Who fires who? As a novice attendee but feeling something completely unjust from this scene, I almost yelled (you all know me) and asked “Who gives that authority to CVC?” I just could not believe this horrible scene happening in my own eyes to my respectful friends of leaders in Brown County. Moving forward, In the midst of newly invited feedback and conflicts, Barry Herring resigned from both CVC and BCMC board on Aug. 8, and CVB is now hosting a public forum on Wednesday Sept. 4, at 6:30 p.m. at the Playhouse. Folks, PLEASE BE THERE. You should be involved as a concerned resident and individual stakeholder of Brown County.

CVB has started about 40 years ago and Jane Ellis was the official Executive Director who started this operation with no computers nor website on her hands in 2008. Then Brown County Music Center was built right before COVID hit, then things started going in some weird directions. Jane Ellis abruptly left in 2022, then next Executive Director Kamady Lewis also left within two years of time, and now Cristina Villani, a new college graduate, is working as an Interim Executive Director at Visitors Center. Now, CVC is going to move CVB function to Brown County Music Center. As you all know or are ready to be educated, CVC whose members are appointed by Commissioners and County Council, has a function and authority of funding CVB from the inn-keepers tax money. They are the ones who have the power of money and control.

For CVB, regardless of its functional efficiency, it has been the roots of Brown County tourism and part of its identity for more than last three decades with its long-built relationships with our small business owners.

Not only business owners, but also artists and non-profit organizations have been also important stakeholders along with Brown County schools. With the new current location in the heart of downtown, Brown County Visitor Center has been the hub of millions of tourists, various local events like Chocolate Walks, Christkindle, now Chamber Fest…you name it. With its rich and long history, CVB has been working behind Brown County Visitor Center as an important non-profit organization who has made our tourism prosperous and supported. CVB is the one that has made Brown County Visitor Center branded as part of identity of Brown County and its tourism. Brown County Music Center, on the other hand, is a brand-new baby to our community. We do admire, and appreciate the initiation by Barry Herring and great work done by Jim Schultz and Kevin Ault along as a main trio together in creating and developing Brown County Music Center as it is today. However, Brown County Music Center, cannot and more correctly should not replace CVB. Regardless how good CVB does, CVC can’t get rid of its presence or minimize its roles, or toss its function to Brown County Music Center.

So, there are a few of my constructive suggestions.

First, to fix CVB issue. CVB first needs to have enough money to properly operate Visitor Center and hire appropriate director and staff. To fix its inefficient operation, what CVB needs is an ultra-high quality of leader as an Executive Director, who can streamline all the tangled issues around accounting, communication and collaboration. No college graduate. No single young man without parenting experience. No outsider. It must come from within our community who knows well enough all the aspect of our Brown County and its relations. CVB must pay the money to hire this quality director, a super leader who is not afraid of being assertive, and even able to fight off against the unduly pressures to move our Brown County tourism from current to the next level. It is extremely important to find a right person for this spot and I recommend Maddison Miller. With her unmatched leadership, drive and passion, and unequalled professionalism, and uncanny level of communication and collaboration skills, no one can beat her for that position. She now works as Vice President of Indiana Philanthropic Association supervising Community Foundations and their executive leadership. If CVB can prove it deserves her, she may consider the position. But again, those high-quality talents never come cheap and we Brown County, through CVB, should be ready to pay for it. And what is more worth than putting money if that one person can change the future trajectory of Brown County tourism? More so if that investment brings millions more dollars to Brown County?

Second, to fix the leadership issue of CVC. I do believe CVC needs a new leadership. It’s time for new people. New people who know how to communicate and collaborate and how to nourish and encourage CVB to grow from one level to the next.

Third, to fix the funding arrangement from Brown County Music Center. Brown County Community Foundation is already fat and rich in their financial resources and is it still so essential they need extra money from Brown County Music Center? Whoever came up with the idea had no clues on priority, in my small opinion. Hello, CVC, your first job is to grow and develop CVB. And you have been negligent on this. Please find the way to maximize the funding on CVB for higher salary of Executive Director, Accounting Manager and other staff so build the solid foundation and structure first. Then CVB can plan for the Conventions you have been singing and dreaming about. For CVB needing money, you CVC find the source.

For this I also recommend new Commissioner and new Council member should be assigned to “supervise” both CVC and CVB so this complete nonsense case of abuse or harassment by one entity against another never and ever happens in Brown County. On top of it, for you my friends and residents of Brown County, it’s time for you to step in how and where our Brown County tourism is going, so this profit section flows and prospers for more financial resources to be available for our residents, businesses, government, organizations and schools and children.

Thank God, my referendum maniac took me to the CVB meeting on July 23. Our children are the ones, as I always say, who connect the community. Again Wednesday, Sept. 4, 6:30 p.m. at Brown County Playhouse. It’s time to build a new future for Brown County and its tourism!

Clara Stanley

Brown County resident