3 Appointments to VLC Conference Center and Tourism Authority LCC 2012 Jan 9-10

Who is on the Tourism Authority Board, and why do they have such rapid changeover in executive directors?

The Commissioners considered Monday 9 January and made Tuesday 10 January three appointments to the Tourism Authority: Commissioner Joyce Evans (reappointment), Jerome “Andy” Anderson (reappointment), and Greg Charbeneau apparently to replace Linda Jenson (who had been appointed to fill a vacancy for ? Montgomery).

5.a. Valdosta/Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority
County Manager Joe Pritchard said at the Tuesday Regular Session that Greg Charbeneau is a Vice President at Wild Adventures. Here’s video of that session:


3 Appointments to VLC Conference Center and Tourism Authority LCC 2012 Jan 10
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

According to Wild Adventures’ own press release of 29 July 2011 and the VDT 14 August 2011, Greg Charbeneau is also their general manager.

We learned a little more at the Monday Work Session, but not much. Here’s video:


3 Appointments to VLC Conference Center and Tourism Authority LCC 2012 Jan 9
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 9 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

VLCCCTA’s own webpage has no indication that such a board even exists, much less who’s on it. Lowndes County’s web pages say nothing about it that I can find; instead they have their own tourism web page that doesn’t even name the Tourism Authority, although the county’s link from Rainwater Conference Center does lead to the Tourism Authority’s web page. The City of Valdosta’s web page on boards and authorities says:

The primary purpose of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority is to give direction and leadership towards the achievement of the authority’s mission, goals and objectives. Contact: Michael Jetter, Interim Executive Director at 229-245-0513 or mjetter@valdostatourism.com.
Even the VDT has taken VLCCCTA to task for violation of open meetings laws; Brittany D. McClure wrote 24 November 2011,
While various issues were being discussed, numerous private conversations were held throughout the course of the meeting. As Tourism Authority meetings are an open meeting, all issues, concerns and discussion should be discussed in an open manner as required by Georgia Sunshine Laws. There were several instances that took place throughout the meeting that violated the Open and Public Meetings Law.
Oh, and it’s not even clear who is the Interim Executive Director:
Tim Mabe joined the Conference Center in December of 2009 and left in August 2010. At that time, Michael Jetter became the Interim Executive Director and was let go less than a year later. Mary Culbreth, director of accounting, now fills the role of Interim Executive Director.

“This is the third time I have been the Interim Director,” said Culbreth.

Yet the City’s web page still says Jetter. Is he back? Or is Valdosta as unable as the rest of us to keep up with the less than transparent doings at the Tourism Authority?

And the board, whoever they are, apparently wants to outsource everything to an even less transparent unnamed management company:

According to Culbreth, the board has expressed interest in pursuing a management company as opposed to pursuing a search for a single Executive Director.

“Within the management company, they would have their own director,” said Culbreth. “I’m not sure, everybody would probably be employed by the management company, not saying that we wouldn’t have our same employees but instead of being employed by the authority they would probably be employed by the management company.”

Let’s see if we can pull together a partial list of Tourism Authority Board members from VDT articles and the LCC meetings:

  • Rob Evans, Chairman
  • Tim Carroll (also on Valdosta City Council)
  • Joyce Evans (also on Lowndes County Commission), just reappointed by LCC
  • Charlie Felts, human resources director for the City of Valdosta
  • Rick Williams
  • Dr. John Gaston
  • Jerome “Andy” Anderson, just reappointed by LCC
  • Greg Charbeneau, Wild Aventures VP and GM, just appointed by LCC
Is that all of them?

Why do we the taxpayers have to ferret out such information?

-jsq