Sedona council appoints four to Tourism Advisory Board after interviews focused on trails, arts and visitor management

The Sedona City Council on Jan. 28 interviewed five applicants for four openings on the city’s Tourism Advisory Board and—after a brief executive‑session deliberation—voted to appoint Julie Richard and Brett Labbett to four‑year terms and Lars Romick and Gregory Stein to two‑year terms.

Council members began the public interviews in the afternoon and questioned each candidate about destination marketing, visitor management and the board’s advisory role. The council then recessed to executive session for personnel and legal consultation under Arizona statutes before returning to open session to take the appointments vote.

Why it matters: Candidates and councilors framed the board’s work as a balance between encouraging economically valuable tourism and protecting the trail and public‑land resources that draw visitors to Sedona. Council members said they expect the TAB to advise city staff and help the city coordinate with agencies such as the Forest Service on trail and access issues.

Candid…