from staff
Visit Jacksonville recently named the six recipients and five finalists of the National Tourism Week hospitality awards at a ceremony held at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. The top prize of the evening, the Visit Jacksonville Hall of Fame Award, was granted to the City’s Office of Special Events Director Theresa Price.
The Hall of Fame Award honors an individual whose vision, creativity and passion have had a positive and significant impact on the development and/or growth of Jacksonville’s hospitality and tourism industry. Price and her staff develop and produce such events as Jacksonville Light Parade, Freedom, Fanfare & Fireworks, World of Nations and Jacksonville Jazz Festival, among others. Her work was also a significant component to the success of Super Bowl XXXIX, which brought over 100,000 visitors to Jacksonville and generated exposure on an international stage.
“Theresa’s thoroughness and dedication to the growth of tourism through her spectacular array of special events is a key asset for the entire city of Jacksonville,” said John Reyes, president & CEO for Visit Jacksonville. “On behalf of Visit Jacksonville, I applaud Theresa and all of the other honorees for their efforts in increasing tourism and economic impact for Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.”
Other winners from the evening included:
• Madeline Scales-Taylor, Margo Dundon Leadership Award — Named for the past Visit Jacksonville Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, this award recognizes an individual who portrays Margo Dundon’s vision and commitment to enhancing local tourism. As a member of Visit Jacksonville’s Executive Board, serving this year as immediate past chair, Scales-Taylor exemplifies thoughtful leadership through collaboration, creativity and passion for the destination and the industry.
• City Council member Michael Corrigan, Tourism Advocate Award – As a long-standing member of the community, Corrigan’s passion for this city is evident through his outstanding support for the local tourism industry. This commitment was responsible for a significant increase in advertising and marketing the destination which was underfunded in comparison to other Florida cities.
• PRI Productions, Visit Jacksonville Partner of the Year Award – PRI Productions earned the top spot for Partner of the Year due to its support of tourism and Visit Jacksonville. PRI is an event production company headquartered in Jacksonville and has been involved in a number of Visit Jacksonville events throughout the year including the organization’s annual meeting, Destination Outlook, The Players Downtown Experience and many other special events.
• Mike Feit, Hometown Ambassador Award – Florida Order of the Eastern Star 103rd Annual Session 2008 Committee Chairman Feit has been instrumental in keeping the annual meetings for Order of the Eastern Star in Jacksonville. The group has booked consecutively in Jacksonville since 2005, averaging 1,300–1,600 room nights per visit which translates to big economic impact and jobs for the city.
• Mary Andrew, Client of the Year Award – As founder of the Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Association, which hosted five tournaments in the past year alone, Andrew has made significant contributions to the city. This year’s tournaments welcomed a total of 6,566 room nights to Jacksonville during the 2008-09 year which generated $6.9 million in total economic impact for visitor spending. Andrew also contributes to the community as the women’s volleyball head coach at Florida State College at Jacksonville.