Moab tourism advisory board recommends Felicia Beatty for ninth seat; commission to confirm

The Moab Tourism Advisory Board voted March 10 to recommend Felicia Beatty as its ninth member after a series of candidate interviews at its regular meeting.

The board held interviews with multiple applicants, including hospitality representatives who emphasized hotel operations and marketing experience. After discussion about fairness of the interview timing and whether absent applicants should be given another opportunity, Laurie McFarland moved to nominate Felicia Beatty; the motion was seconded and approved by the advisory board. Chair Linda Williams said the recommendation will be sent to the Grand County commission for final action.

Board counsel Steven Stocks advised the group that voting in the meeting is best practice to preserve fairness and avoid claims of meetings outside the public process, but he noted it is not legally required. That guidance helped frame the board’s decision to act while interviews remained fresh in members’ minds.

Board members praised the applicant pool and noted the benefit of including TRT collectors on the advisory board. Several members said they would welcome additional transparency about applicants’ affiliations and requested that the full set of applicants be submitted with the recommendation to the commission.

Next steps: the board’s recommendation will be forwarded to the county commission for a confirmation vote; the advisory board’s action is a recommendation only and does not complete the appointment process.