Board takes step to restart CVB

Two months after opting to "hit the pause button" on operations, the Putnam County Convention and Visitor Bureau is taking steps toward restarting.

The CVB Board took a tangible step in that direction Tuesday evening in voting to hire Lynne Fuller as a consultant to reorganize the bureau and get the day-to-day operations at the CVB going again.

Having talked to three candidates, the hiring committee of Eric Wolfe, Don Gedert, Michele Faison, Page Cotton and Steve Greeson unanimously recommended Fuller.

Wolfe spoke of Fuller's extensive public relations experience, an expertise the board will lean heavily upon in looking to rebrand the county away from the "Covered Bridge Country" image that has long been the staple of CVB branding efforts.

Fuller has worked as a contract consultant for Global Orientations in Carmel since 2012 and as a tourism and quality of place consultant with F2 Inc. in Danville since 2006.

Her prior experience includes 13 years with the Indiana Department of Commerce and seven years with Heintz-Barton, an advertising and PR firm in Denver.

Fuller is a graduate of Iowa State University.

The board voted 10-0 to hire Fuller at a rate not to exceed $4,000 per month.

Perhaps Fuller's most relevant experience comes in the 10 years she has been a member of the Visit Hendricks County (DBA Hendricks County Convention and Visitor Bureau), serving as president and currently as treasurer.

She has also been affiliated with the Indiana Tourism Council; Indianapolis Convention and Visitor Association; Indiana University Department of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management; Indiana Hotel and Lodging Association; and Indianapolis Downtown Inc. marketing board, among others.

The projection for Fuller to serve in Putnam County for 90-120 days, with an goal of having operations transferred to a full-time director before the end of the year.

"We want to have someone in here by early-to-mid-December, at the latest Jan. 1," Wolfe said.

In the meantime, the plan is to have Fuller reporting to the board at each month's meeting about progress.

The board authorized President Rick Patel and Treasurer Faison to negotiate a contract with Fuller.

Following up on a matter of business from June, auditor Charlene Brown has all of the needed information from the CVB, but is not officially starting her review until the coming week.

With progress reports likely from Fuller and Brown, the board is set to meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25.