What is the mission of your organization?

The mission of the Olde English District Tourism Commission is to improve, enlarge, increase, and otherwise enhance tourism, recreation, and development in the counties of Chester, Chesterfield, Fairfield, Lancaster, Kershaw, Union, and York. Our goal is to attract potential visitors to our seven-county region of the state and encourage them to discover somewhere new in South Carolina, outside of the typical hot spots like the beaches and the mountains — somewhere they can embrace a slightly slower pace of life.

What do you like best about your line of work?

At the end of the day, the travel and tourism industry is about fun! Marketing our region to potential visitors with beautiful and inspirational imagery, curated content, and the lure of what makes our region special is such an enjoyable way to spend my workday.

What is your organization’s biggest challenge?

Brand awareness! Most people have never heard of the Olde English District, or “tourism regions” in general, so our challenge is being recognizable in between the city/county and state levels. Our approach is to group attractions by interest, which typically spans multiple counties, so we’re promoting large parts of the region at once.

What inspires you daily?

I’m inspired by the beauty that is found in the tucked away corners of the Olde English District. Each of our counties has a unique personality and a wide array of experiences for visitors to enjoy, and I love getting to share that with people who aren’t familiar with our area. Many people are surprised when they find the best hash they’ve ever had at an off-the-beaten-path BBQ restaurant, or when they stumble on spider lilies blooming IN a river and say, “I can’t believe I didn’t know about this!”