For Immediate Release: September 10, 2020

 For More Information, Contact:                                                                                                
Amanda Koone, Director of Communications
Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau
830/997-6523
communications@fbgtx.org 

 

Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau Welcomes New Board Members

FREDERICKSBURG, Texas – The board of directors of the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau (FCVB) recently welcomed the addition of two new board members and the reappointment of one board member.

On Tuesday evening, September 8, the Fredericksburg City Council approved the appointment of Doug Cochran and Dr. Rorie Cartier to the FCVB board for three year terms.

Miguel Lecuona, who just completed one three-year, has been appointed to serve another three-year term.  

“We are excited to welcome a new face and some former members back to the board of the FCVB,” noted Ernie Loeffler, President/CEO, of the bureau.  “We will count on their experience and knowledge as we work to market our great destination through the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Cochran, previously served on the Board of Directors of the Fredericksburg CVB, from 2014-19, and helped lead the board as vice chairperson in 2016-17 and chairperson in 2017-18. He has been the Park Superintendent at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area since 2013. Under his leadership, Enchanted Rock was one of the first state parks in Texas to achieve Dark Sky Park Gold Tier status with the International Dark Sky Association. Cochran is a graduate of Texas A&M University in 1982 with a BS in Parks and Recreation.  He is a Certified Tourism Executive with the Texas Travel Alliance since 2017. 

Cartier is the Museum Director of the National Museum of the Pacific War. A native of New Orleans, La., Dr. Cartier has B.A. and M.A. history degrees from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, an M.A. degree in European Studies from the Universiteit van Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and a PhD in history from Trinity College Dublin. Dr. Cartier moved to Fredericksburg in 2017 with his wife Erin and their dogs.

Lecuona is the co-founder of Siboney Cellars, a new winery in the Texas Hill Country. He has an M.B.A. from North Carolina and is an M.B.A. graduate of INSEEC-Bordeaux. Miguel and his wife Barbara founded the winery in 2017 with a full production facility slated to open in 2021. He is also a Nikon professional photographer and owner of Hill Country Light Photography. His work is found in tasting rooms, billboards, Decanter and many websites.

The staff and board of directors would also like to thank the following board members who have completed their terms:  Krista Gratigni, director of visitor services, The Admiral Nimitz Foundation; and Stephen Harris, owner of Insight Gallery.

Members of the board who will continue to serve in FY 20/21 include Claudyne Clark, owner of Class A Event Rentals and Featherstone Ranch; Kelly Criddle, senior marketing manager for The Hangar Hotel, Fredericksburg Herb Farm and the Fredericksburg Brewing Company; Katelyn Eames, manager of Burg’s Corner and Allied Ag Services in Stonewall; Mary Easterling, owner of Easterling Custom Boot Company; Linda Goldsmith, general manager of Luckenbach Texas;  Larry Jackson, owner of Larry Jackson Fine Art & Antiques;  Jessica Mittel, owner of Gästehaus Schmidt Reservation Service and Mary Ann H. Turbeville, owner of Hill Country Outfitters, The Grasshopper and Narrow Path Winery.

Ex-officio members of the board are City Councilman Tom Musselman, representing the City of Fredericksburg, and Commissioner Donnie Schuch, representing the Gillespie County Commissioners Court.

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The mission of the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau is to market Fredericksburg and Gillespie County as a premier travel destination on the regional, national and international stage thereby creating a positive impact on the local economy and the quality of life here.