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Landis named bureau director

Interim director elected to head visitors bureau

LEWISTOWN — The Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau Board of Directors has announced the election of Jenny Barron Landis as the new executive director. Landis has been serving as interim director following the death of the previous director, Jim Tunall, last October.

“Jenny has been our project coordinator since she joined the Visitors Bureau three years ago,” JRVVB Board President Don Chapman said. “She’s made a big impact by developing new ideas and improving on the projects we already had going. We’re looking forward to continuing this development that makes the Juniata River Valley a better place to visit and live.”

Landis comes to the Visitors Bureau with a broad spectrum of marketing experience. She has held related positions at Mountain Dale Farm in McClure, The Patriot-News in Harrisburg and Extrava Market in Lewistown.

Landis is joined in the office by Janet Walker, distribution manager, who’s been there for 14 years.

The Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau represents Mifflin and Juniata counties and is funded primarily by room tax on overnight stays in hotels, motels, cabins, cottages, and bed-and-breakfasts. Its mission is to encourage economic growth through tourism promotion and development. It produces the annual Festival of Ice and has been working to rejuvenate Goose Day in the Juniata River Valley by encouraging businesses, groups and organizations to host an event or activity.

“The Visitors Bureau’s job is mainly promotional,” Landis said. “We collect information and spread the word about all the interesting things we have to do here in the Juniata River Valley.”

The bureau does that by producing and posting a calendar of events on its website and social media accounts.

Landis also created an ongoing series of special interest tours. Each tour focuses on a specific theme and lists a variety of locations that relate to it. Examples include road trips on Routes 655, 35 and 333, greenhouses, things to do outside, local wineries, and more. There are a total of 13 special interest tours that are available on the bureau’s website. Each is linked to a Google Map to help visitors navigate country roads.

“Some of what we do isn’t necessarily noticed by the people living here,”  Landis said. “We regularly send press releases to media outlets in the Mid-Atlantic states as well as monitor and contribute information to a host of event listing websites. Our goal is to share what’s going on here with as many potential visitors as possible.”

Landis was born and raised in Lewistown and lives in Downtown Lewistown with her husband Dave and German Shepherd, Schleussel. She was recently named one of Pennsylvania Business Central’s Top 100 People of 2016.

The Visitors Bureau shares office space with the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce but each has its own board of directors and missions.

The office is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday  in the Historic Courthouse. The Visitors Bureau welcomes walk-ins. For more information, call 248-6713 or email info@juniatarivervalley.org. Local visitor information can also be found at www.juniatarivervalley.org.

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