To view online go to: http://www.visitmaryland.org/Newsletter/Insights/02.18.09/index.html

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Baltimore County
Jill Feinberg became director of the Baltimore County Conference and Tourism Bureau after it had merged into Baltimore County's Department of Economic Development in late 2008. Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith also established a Tourism and Conference Advisory Council in the re-organization. The council has 16 members who represent related sectors – hotels, restaurants, retail, sports attractions, historic destinations, arts and agriculture.

"In many ways, we are like a start-up," says Feinberg, who was previously director of Advancement Communications at UMBC and director of marketing at Marriott International. It's a time to define the organization's priorities, she adds. To accomplish this, Feinberg has spent her first three months on a "listening tour."

"I've met with every member of my Advisory Council to learn about their products and priorities," she says. And, "I've met with or talked to about eight to 10 DMOs to learn their best practices."

About her county's appeal, she says: "We are a county rich in history and heritage; we are home to vibrant arts, education, and recreation communities. With 175 miles of waterfront, we are the gateway to the Chesapeake." She also mentions that "the locally-grown movement is alive and well in Baltimore County – including wineries, horse farms, and farmers' markets – and we are home to more than 100 festivals and events."


Calvert County
Joyce Baki, the new Calvert County DMO, plans to develop "an ongoing integrated marketing campaign" that will "open up our horizons" with a mix of radio, web, social media and print.

She says the county's Patuxent Wine Trail will be launched in mid-April. "We have five wineries – the smallest, four acres, and the largest, 300 acres." Baki also envisions an art trail. She says Calvert has numerous galleries and artist studios in four town centers – Chesapeake Beach, North Beach, Solomons and Prince Frederick – that could be included.

Baki says the county has a rich African-American heritage that she plans to cultivate, as well as a wealth of historical sites related to the War of 1812 and the Star-Spangled Banner Trail. "Jefferson Patterson Park is one of the signature sites on the trail," she says.

Ecotourism is another sphere that she'd like to develop. "We're a rural county and we cherish our agricultural sites," she says. And, "we're surrounded by water – the Patuxent (River), the Chespaeake (Bay)." She points out the abundance of opportunities for water recreation and birding in the county.

Previously, Baki was sales director for the Annapolis and Anne Arundel Convention and Visitors Bureau. She also had been director of sales for the National Aquarium in Baltimore. In 2006, she was named Maryland Tourism Person of the Year at the Maryland Governor's Conference on Tourism and Hospitality.


Caroline County
Too often, says Kathy Mackel, Caroline County is referred to as the only landlocked county on the Eastern Shore. The new DMO wants to change that perception. The county should be recognized for its waterways, she says. As one of her top priorities, she plans to “create a water trail map that guides kayak and canoe enthusiasts to landings and walkways into local towns."

Improving the county's tourism web site is another top priority, she says. It's all part of promoting the county as "a viable destination for short-term leisure trips." She also wants to highlight Caroline's rural and agrarian tradition while building on its appeal "as a great outdoor/heritage destination."

Mackel's background in tourism-related work extends across the Atlantic. Prior to coming to Maryland's Eastern Shore, the Caroline County DMO was engaged with hosting activities for NATO events and tours in Iceland. Her husband, Andrew, is a retired U.S. naval commander who was stationed in Keflavik, Iceland.

In addition to arranging programs for dignitaries, she led charity fundraising campaigns and planned programs that promoted Icelandic culture. About seven years ago, she and her family landed in Denton. Hosting a Christmas-time charity event at her home led to involvement with the town's efforts to preserve historic residences as chair of the Denton Historic Review Board.

Several years later, she was named Denton's first tourism coordinator. That position merged into the county's tourism department when the county funded a full-time tourism director. Mackel became Caroline’s assistant director of tourism for a year and was promoted to director this past fall.

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