ARTC appoints new President

The Adirondack Regional Tourism Council Elects Powers as President

Michele Powers, director of the Champlain Shore Visitors and Convention Bureau and vice president of marketing for the Plattsburgh-North-Country Chamber of Commerce, was elected president of the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council (ARTC) at its annual meeting in December.

Powers served as vice president of the ARTC in 2008. She joined the Convention Bureau, a division of the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce, in 2005. She is also on the board of the New York State Tourism Promotion Agency Council, and has more than 17 years of experience in the communications and marketing fields.

"With the challenging economic climate, and inevitable cuts to state funding, it is imperative we work together as region to promote tourism in the Adirondacks," Powers said. "But with such a strong board and tremendous product, I believe we're well positioned to leverage existing marketing dollars by pooling resources and streamlining our message to welcome tourists to the Adirondack Region in 2009 and beyond."

Neil Seymour, executive director of Franklin County Tourism, was elected vice president of the ARTC. Carol Joanette, executive vice-president of the Lake Placid/Essex County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Anne Merrill, executive director of the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce, were elected to serve as treasurer and secretary, respectively.

Each officer will serve for one year. The Adirondack Regional Tourism Council is a non-profit consortium of eight counties that cooperatively promote economic development through tourism. It maintains offices at the I- 87 South Welcome Center in Beekmantown.

The Adirondack Park, named for the Adirondack Mountains that lie within its boundaries, offers some of the best opportunities in the United States for outdoor recreation in a superb natural setting. The wilderness lands of the Adirondack Park are an outdoor-lover's paradise and vacation packages offer a wonderful opportunity for visitors to sample all that there is to see and do in the region.

The Adirondack Regional Tourism Council provides information about planning a vacation in the Adirondack region. Call 800-487-6867 or visit www.visitadirondacks.com for package listings, events, activities, restaurants, lodging and interactive maps.