Silver was the color of the evening as the Halifax County Convention and Visitors Bureau celebrated a major milestone Thursday night – the 25th Anniversary of the organization.
The evening’s festivities, which were held at The Centre at Halifax Community College, focused on tourism industry partners in Halifax County, especially hotels and attractions.
The highlight of the evening was the Spirit of Hospitality Awards that were presented to two individuals in the hotel industry who show exemplary dedication within the hospitality industry and community, specifically providing special services, displaying outstanding leadership qualities, performing heroic duties or consistently adding to the general well-being of the guests, the company or the industry.
There were 12 nominations for the Spirit of Hospitality Awards this year, and the Halifax County CVB Board of Directors selected the winners at their board retreat in September. The winners were James Handsome of Hampton Inn and Vivian Roberts of Quality Inn.
James Handsome handles maintenance at the Hampton Inn and has been in his current position for four years. His nomination by Hampton Inn General Manager Percilla West states, “One morning he was in my office discussing what was going to be done that day when he noticed outside my window that a little boy dropped his waffle. He quickly said, ‘Oh no, that boy needs another waffle made.’ He sprung into action. He is always thinking of our guests. That’s why we are award winning.”
Minton with Roberts.
Vivian Roberts is the breakfast hostess for Quality Inn, and she has been there for 25 years. Her nomination by Quality Inn General Manager Jessica Hedgepeth states, “She’s always friendly and keeps a smile on her face … Without her dedication to the Quality Inn, we would have made it, but things would not have been the same without her. Her positive spirit is a constant encouragement to us all, and I feel she is most deserving of the 2012 Spirit of Hospitality Award.”
Another special presentation was made to Linda Taylor, assistant Halifax county manager, who serves as an ex-officio member of the Halifax County CVB Board of Directors. Taylor has been a part of the board of directors since the beginning.
Taylor, center, with Minton and Medlin.
“Linda Taylor is truly the silver lining on our tourism board. She is always ready to lend a hand or explore new ideas or solve a problem. We couldn’t do it without her,” said Lori Medlin, Halifax County CVB president and CEO.
In addition to celebrating 25 years of tourism in Halifax County, the impact of tourism in the area was acknowledged.
Since 1987 tourism spending in Halifax County has grown by 128 percent.
Tourism spending in Halifax County was $78.54 million in 2011, generating $6.39 million in state and local tax revenues, and saving each Halifax County resident more than $116 each year.
The tourism industry in Halifax County is directly responsible for 490 jobs and supports more than 1,000 more.
“The Halifax County CVB Board of Directors is very proud of these numbers and the impact that tourism makes to each citizen of Halifax County,” said Gene Minton, Chairman of the HCCVB Board of Directors. “The Halifax County CVB strives to continuously fine tune our current efforts and explore new, creative ways of reaching out to visitors, letting them know that Halifax County is a great place to spend a weekend, a week or a lifetime.”
