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MINUTES Chapel Hill /Orange County Visitors Bureau Board of Directors Meeting April 19, 2017 The Chapel Hill /Orange County Visitors Bureau met at Durham Technical Community College, Hillsborough Campus, Hillsborough, NC Board Members Present: George Cianciolo, Andrew Strickland, Tim Hoke, Rosemary Waldorf- Chair, Kayla Austin, Aaron Bachenheimer, Meg McGurk, Penny Rich, Lydia Lavelle, Annette Lafferty, Jeffery Strickler, Lee Storrow, Shannan Campbell, Lee Pavao, Mark Bell Not Present: Allison Nichols- Clapper, Mark Sherburne Staff attendance: Laurie Paolicelli, Marlene Barbera, Allison Chambers, Steve Brantley, Katie Murray Also present: Penny Gluck, Executive Dean of Orange County Operations, Durham Tech, Erik Lars Myers, Mystery Brewing, Hillsborough, NC Call to Order Chair Rosemary Waldorf called the meeting to order at 8:00 am. Introductions were given by all. Approval of Minutes Chair Waldorf requested a motion to approve the April 19, 2017 minutes. George Cianciolo so moved and Penny Rich seconded. With all members in favor, the minutes were approved as submitted. Host Introduction Penny Gluck welcomed the board to Durham Tech. She reported that they have started some new initiatives at the Orange County Campus. In June of 2016 the Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved the Orange Connect Fund that awards $500 to any high school senior in Orange County who attends Durham Tech. There is no application and Durham Tech identifies the recipients. In the first year of the award 81 students benefited from this fund. Of the 81 that started, 65 returned in the spring. Penny Rich noted that it was the Commissioners goal to provide education to all county residents regardless of their level of financial need or immigrant status. Through Durham Tech's College Promise program a motivated high school junior or senior could graduate with an associate's degree from Durham Tech at the same time they graduate from high school. Qualified high school students can take Community College classes tuition free. Some of the credits earned can be completed online. Last year they started an associate's degree that prepared students for careers in hospitality and tourism. The Visitors Bureau Board thanked Durham Tech for helping to train the workforce for hospitality jobs. Guest Presentation Erik Lars Myers, CEO and Master Brewer from Mystery Brewing, joined the board to talk about craft brewing in Orange County. He shared that Orange County is home to two of the oldest breweries in North Carolina in the Top of the Hill and the Carolina Brewery. Both of these breweries have been important to Orange County tourism. Craft brewing is a 1.2 billion dollar industry in NC and employees 150,000 people. Mystery Brewing employees 26 people in Hillsborough. The challenges to new breweries in Orange County are expensive rents and a long permitting process for business development. He feels one answer is the promotion of local tourism and that will in turn bring tourism from outside the County. It is important to prioritize local breweries. He asked the board to help Orange County breweries grow, and