New Board Officers Named for Tourism Bureau

ALTON - Two new officers will lead the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau along with returning Chairman John Hopkins. Lauren Pattan of Old Bakery Beer Company in Alton has been elected vice chairman and Kristi Hyten of Edwardsville is secretary/treasurer. All will serve one-year terms effective July 1.

“I am very proud to be the chairman of this dynamic and growing organization,” Mr. Hopkins said. “I am looking forward to building on past successes and moving forward.”

The Tourism Board of Directors is made up of 21 representatives of the tourism industry and local communities and counties in the Great Rivers and Routes tourism region which includes Madison, Macoupin, Montgomery, Greene, Jersey and Calhoun counties.

The Board of Directors was reorganized last year to include representatives of new communities in the region. This year, Montgomery and Greene Counties signed on with the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau expanding the tourism bureau’s tourism footprint.

The 2019-20 Board of Directors includes representatives from the following areas: Alton - Brian Campbell, Cameo Foster, Michael Barker, Karen Brncic and Linda Jun; Jersey County - Sandy Hefner; Collinsville - Mitch Bair; Edwardsville – Kristi Hyten; Sports/Recreation – Doug Stotler (athletic director at Lewis and Clark Community College); Higher Education – Kim Durr (SIU-E Chief of Staff); Attraction – JD Lorton; Convention – Cindy Warke (Gateway Convention Center); Restaurants – Tom Guarino of Bella Milano, Lauren Pattan of Old Bakery Beer Co., and Erin Ventimiglia of Tony’s Restaurant; Lodging – Cathy Luttrell of Edwardsville Comfort Inn, Stacy Frierdich-Hinrichs of Doubletree Collinsville, and Patty Rotermund of Best Western Premier Alton – St. Louis Area; At Large – Dave Miller, Mike McCormick, and John Hopkins.

Retiring board member Ann Badasch was named an Emeritus Board Member.

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