Aug 1, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                         

August 1, 2008

CONTACTS: Nancy Hamilton, Lee Rose, Katie Meckley (239)338-3500

Lee County VCB Names Program Manager

Position will oversee tourist tax-funded Beach & Shoreline Capital
Improvement projects, Events Marketing and Attractions Marketing programs

LEE COUNTY, FL – With growing importance and responsibility to efficiently maintain the more than 50 miles of beaches and other inland shorelines that attract millions of visitors to southwest Florida, the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) welcomes Program Manager Nancy MacPhee, CPRP.

MacPhee will oversee and implement Beach and Shoreline Capital Improvements projects that are funded solely by one-third of the five-cent tourist tax.  This program provides direct benefit to visitors and residents alike, with the goal of promoting tourism while preserving and enhancing the area's beaches and shoreline.  Since implemented by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners in 1988, the program has provided more than $50 million to a variety of countywide projects related to beach maintenance, beach nourishment, and park development. 

Responsibilities of the position include monitoring current and new projects, along with interaction with the County Attorney's office and numerous government and community agencies to develop inter-local agreements.  MacPhee will regularly update the VCB executive director and the nine-member Tourist Development Council (TDC) on the status of projects. 

The multi-faceted position will also entail oversight of the VCB's Events and Attractions Marketing programs.  The Events Marketing program assists not-for-profit organizations by funding advertising and promotional efforts with the goal of generating overnight stays by visitors.  The Attractions Marketing program is a partnership with the VCB, TDC, Alliance for the Arts, and Southwest Florida Community Foundation to award financial assistance for not-for-profit art and attraction organizations, in order to promote such entities and enhance visitors' experiences.  Both of these programs are funded from a portion of tourist tax collections. 

In 1983, MacPhee graduated from Slippery Rock State College in Slippery Rock, PA, with a bachelor of science degree in parks and recreation resource management.  Her career began as a recreation supervisor with the Monmouth County (NJ) Park System, implementing and managing a variety of adventure programs.  She then moved to Fort Myers in 1990 to work for Lee County Parks & Recreation, with varied responsibilities including recruitment and training of park staff and volunteers for several park facilities, wildlife habitat improvement projects, capital improvement project management, grant management, and the development of The Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail.

MacPhee's professional certifications are numerous, such as Certified Park & Recreation Professional, Florida Master Naturalist, and Certified Outdoor Leader.         

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