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Tourism staff promotes destination-development hires, public-arts events and readies education on beach renourishment
Summary
Visit Flagler announced the promotion of Deborah Naughton to destination development and community engagement manager, upcoming public-art turtle unveilings and a Feb. 26 community engagement event; the meeting also included public comment and a countywide discussion on beach renourishment education and outreach.
Visit Flagler staff used the Jan. 15 Tourist Development Council meeting to report staffing and program updates, to announce a series of public-art events, and to describe community-engagement plans tied to the county’s beach-renourishment work.
Amy (tourism staff) announced Deborah Naughton’s promotion to destination development and community engagement manager. "Deborah Naughton was promoted this week to the destination development and community engagement manager," Amy said, citing Naughton’s role leading projects such as Dodge the Dunes and the Palm Coast Arts Foundation turtle-sculpture program.
The tourism office confirmed several public-art and community events: a turtle-sculpture dedication on Feb. 26, 2020 (planned 3 p.m.–7 p.m.) that the office described as a block-party-style community engagement event and the launch opportunity for beach-renourishment outreach; another turtle unveiling at the community center on March 17, and a Nancy Lopez tribute turtle and celebrity golf event in May tied to a charity tournament. The office said it will send invitations and coordinate with partners for those events.
Staff also previewed near-term special events taking place across the county, including a Tech Beach Hackathon in Town Center, an MLK lacrosse tournament, and the First Coast Amateur Golf tournament. Amy said organizers expect participants from out of state and that such events are intended to generate hotel room nights and exposure for the county.
Public commenters raised related countywide issues. Richard Hamilton invited stakeholders to a Jan. 29 public presentation by a national architecture firm about the Flagler Auditorium’s long-term needs. Joe Mullins and other speakers urged the county and city to "dream big" and highlighted how tourism investments can lower property taxes by increasing tourism-generated revenue. A county official (Chairman Sullivan in the transcript) described ongoing county work on beach renourishment and the need for broad public support; he said the program requires property easements and significant coordination and described it as a multi-decade, multi-million-dollar program protecting the county’s beaches.
Amy and county staff told the TDC that educational town-hall-style briefings will be arranged for Flagler Beach and other stakeholders to explain the beach-renourishment plan and to gather input. The tourism office also said it is revising the special-event grant process and engaging regular grant applicants for feedback.
The board and staff praised the Tech Beach Hackathon and the Innovation District projects in Town Center, noting the potential to draw technology and medical-innovation audiences to the community. No formal votes were taken on staffing or program changes at this item; the announcements were presented as updates and next steps.
