New head of Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau announced
Susan Hamley
The county’s snowy winter should make the new executive director of Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau (CCCVB) feel right at home.
The CCCVB board announced on Thursday, Jan. 30, that Susan Hamley would take the reins of the organization, replacing Blair Mahoney, who retired. Hamley has held several executive positions throughout her 30-year career, most recently as the tourism director for Snowmass, Co., a post she held for 10 years, a bureau news release said.
In her Colorado role, she was responsible for building awareness, generating visitation, and stimulating spending in the multi-seasonal resort of Snowmass, often in collaboration with Aspen as a key strategic partner, the release said.
“Chester County, and the Brandywine Valley in particular, offer so many diverse reasons for people to visit and enjoy their own customized experiences. I’m excited to join the CCCVB and support its mission of increasing tourism as a viable economic engine for the area and its businesses,” Hamley said.
Chester County Commissioners Ryan Costello, Kathi Cozzone and Terence Farrell jointly applauded Hamley’s appointment, pointing out that the economic impact of tourism in Chester County is more than $877 million, with tourism employing more than 10,000 people.
“We were pleased with the caliber of the candidates that were interviewed for the role of executive director of the Conference & Visitors Bureau, and Susan Hamley’s experience and enthusiasm will serve Chester County tourism well,” the commissioners said in a prepared statement. “We’re confident that, through Susan’s leadership, and the dedication of the Conference & Visitors Bureau staff, tourist attractions will continue to thrive, and the selection of Chester County as a sporting or conference event destination will increase.”
The Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau is a nonprofit, independent agency that serves as the official Tourism Promotion Agency for Chester County. The Visitors Bureau was created in 1963, and is responsible for marketing Chester County and the Brandywine Valley to individual leisure travelers, motor coach and group tour operators, meeting planners, and travel writers.
The bureau maintains the Brandywine Valley Tourism Information Center outside the entrance to Longwood Gardens, at 300 Greenwood Road, Kennett Square. The center, which boasts an impressive display of quilts created by local artisans, welcomes visitors daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
