Tourism Board Complete

When the Common Council first proposed levying a lodging tax, it was agreed, as a concession to the proprietors of inns and B&Bs, that a portion of the revenue from the lodging tax would go to promoting Hudson as a destination. It was also agreed that how the money, which maxes out at $250,000, was to be spent would be determined by a Tourism Board.

Photo: Bruce Gilbert|Newsday

Yesterday, the Council Common passed a resolution appointing its four members of the Tourism Board: Jeff Hunt, president and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce; David Brown, proprietor of a B&B at 26 Warren Street; Ellen Thurston, former alderman, former supervisor, longtime organizer of Winter Walk, and chair of the committee that created Hudson's "Namesake Celebration" to mark the Quadricentennial in 2009 of Henry Hudson's discovery of the river that bears his name; and Jamie Smith Quinn, executive director of the FASNY Museum of Firefighting.

Today, Mayor Rick Rector announced his appointments to the Tourism Board: Chuck Rosenthal, proprietor of Valley Variety and president of the Hudson Business Coalition; Tambra Dillon, executive director of Hudson Hall; and Kristen Keck, proprietor of Wm. Farmer & Sons. Ted Gramkow, an executive coach and strategic adviser, was appointed to the Tourism Board last year by Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton.

The nine member board is now complete. Alderman Rich Volo (Fourth Ward) will chair the Tourism Board, by virtue of the fact that he is the chair of the Common Council Economic Development Committee.

Gossips Note: In searching for a photograph to accompany this post, I discovered an article that appeared today in Newsday: "Hudson, New York, makes for a perfect weekend getaway." The article begins: "Just when you thought Hudson, New York, could not get any more trendy--well, it does." It goes on to describe Hudson as "the picturesque but still gritty 19th century town." I commandeered a photograph from that article to illustrate this post.
COPYRIGHT 2018 CAROLE OSTERINK