Press Release - Front-line CTA Receives First National CTA of the Year Star Award

May 25, 2010

Contacts:
Mickey Schaefer, CAE, 520-219-0469, mickey@mickeyandassociates.com
John Meroski, 910-483-5311, jmeroski@visitfayettevillenc.com
Leisa Greathouse, CTA, 910-486-1330, 910-574-0344, leisa.greathouse@ncdcr.gov

North Carolina museum educator Leisa Greathouse, CTA "tireless" in her work on Fayetteville Area history, tourism marketing and visitor service

North Carolina museum educator Leisa Greathouse, CTA received the first national CTA of the Year Star Award in a new program that recognizes excellence among Certified Tourism Ambassadors (CTAs).

Greathouse, 47, supervises a staff of three and a 40-member volunteer program as curator of education at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex in Fayetteville, N.C.

The Certified Tourism Ambassador™ program teaches members of a community how to enhance their area's total visitor experience by understanding the importance of tourism and their role in "living" the destination's brand.  It is offered by the Tourism Ambassador Institute™ (TAI).

Greathouse was among nine CTAs nominated in the inaugural year of the awards program. Participating TAI-accredited programs named their local CTA Star, who then qualified for the national CTA of the Year honor.

Greathouse won the local Star Award presented by the Fayetteville Area Ambassador Program administered by the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The national CTA of the Year award is a "culminating" honor, said the Fayetteville native. "I've been doing this my whole life."

Her parents took her to many parks and attractions during her childhood, she said. She works in museum management "to give someone else the same kind of feeling that park rangers and tour guides used to give me."

A graduate of the first Fayetteville Area CTA class in 2009, Greathouse has used her expertise to develop visitor information for the area's Cultural Trails. She organized nearly 20 groups to create and manage the annual 31 Days of Glory, a May series of events honoring and celebrating Fayetteville's military heritage.

A strong advocate of the ambassador program, she is helping to create a history boot camp as continuing education for her fellow CTAs.

"We selected Leisa for her tireless commitment to the CTA program," said John Marks of the TAI selection committee, "coupled with her creativity in bringing so many travel industry people together to market the destination."

Marks, immediate past president and CEO of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, co-chaired the committee with Mark Hurwitz, immediate past CEO of the American National Standards Institute.

John Meroski, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, praised Greathouse for her passion for and advocacy of tourism. "She understands, preaches and lives partnership marketing," he said.

David Reid, administrator of the museum where Greathouse works, said the recognition honors "the work she has done toward promoting this community (and) the history of this area."

As the national winner, Greathouse received a distinctive crystal star and earned a continental U.S. trip for two that includes airfare and two nights' lodging.

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ABOUT TAI AND CTA

The Tourism Ambassador Institute™ licenses and accredits TAI Accredited Providers, often destination management organizations such as convention and visitors bureaus, to offer the CTA program at the local level.

The institute, founded by Mickey Schaefer, CAE, president of Mickey Schaefer & Associates LLC, customizes a CTA program for each destination through research and collaboration with the TAI Accredited Provider and local stakeholders.

More than 7,500 CTAs enhance the visitor experience in retail and restaurant businesses, lodging, government, community service and other settings. Fourteen CTA programs exist in 14 states and involve more than 90 DMOs.

RELEVANT LINKS

Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau: http://www.visitfayettevillenc.com/

Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex: museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov