Interim Visit Fergus Falls director outlines marketing push, KPIs and two‑track transition plan

Ryan Tunksworth, serving on contract as interim executive director for Visit Fergus Falls, told the council on June 15 that his immediate priorities are twofold: keep daily operations and marketing active during the transition, and document processes so a new permanent director can step into a clearly defined job.

Ryan said Visit Fergus Falls is funded by the lodging tax and that the primary goal remains increasing overnight stays to boost economic impact. He described marketing priorities (campground promotion, highlighting the Ferber Park mountain bike trails, aquatic center and park system) and a campaign to attract multiday events such as tournaments and conventions to increase room nights.

The board voted to reduce its minimum membership to seven and to relocate the organization back into City Hall. Ryan said the interim contract is three to six months, with the possibility of staying through the transition if the incoming director needs longer support. He described work to build outcome‑based KPIs tied to visitor impact (not just marketing activity) and said the group is exploring Placer AI’s anonymized mobility data to better measure where event attendees and visitors come from.

Council members asked for examples of KPIs and for regular reporting; several requested at least monthly updates during the transition. Ryan said the Big Wood Event Center website design is complete and coding is in progress, with a developer update expected within a few weeks.

The council thanked Ryan for the update and asked staff to determine an appropriate reporting cadence while the board completes its hiring work.