-Watermark site, Desert Park among biggest challenges DO faced: Mandziuk-
OSOYOOS TIMES-March 18, 2009-
By Karen KnelsenrnOsoyoos Times
The face of Destination Osoyoos (DO) will be changing in the coming months.
Glenn Mandziuk, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Town's economic development arm for the last 15 years, announced last week he has taken a position as CEO of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA).
It should be a very exciting opportunity and a new challenge, Mandziuk said.
His new job starts April 1, but Mandziuk's contract with DO will continue until September and he has said he will continue to help out with any technical and transitional support DO needs until that time.
At a committee of the whole meeting on March 16, Osoyoos mayor Stu Wells wished Mandziuk well in his future endeavours.
Both thank you and congratulations on your move, Wells said. We're all very proud of you.rnMichael Ballingall, vice-president of media relations for TOTA, said it was his organization that first approached Mandziuk and selected him from a pool of 50 candidates.
When you know where the good people live, you go hunting for the good people, Ballingall said. We asked Glenn to put his hat in the ring.
In a TOTA media release, Ballingall said Glenn has a proven track record in tourism and community economic (development) and has successfully administered and co-ordinated several outstanding community and product-development projects, business retention programs, local, regional, and provincial partnership development, and marketing initiatives “and has assisted in attracting over $220 million in investment to the South Okanagan region.rnBallingall said signing Mandziuk ended eight months of searching for a suitable CEO.
For the past six years, Mandziuk has served on TOTA's board of directors and he was also the organization's past volunteer chair.
Mandziuk has a long list of accomplishments credited to him during his time in Osoyoos, including economic growth strategies he created in 1994 which were eventually adopted by the province as Best Practices.
That really started us, Mandziuk said.
He said everything identified within those early strategies has been achieved, including the creation of industrial opportunities, better relations with the Osoyoos Indian Band and the introduction of health spas to the community.
Mandziuk said achievements directly benefitting the year-long residents of Osoyoos, such as grants for the Sonora Community Centre, the Pioneer Fountain and the creation of Cottonwood Park were kind of cool to see.
But everything hasn't always gone as planned.
We went through some very difficult times in the 1990s, Mandziuk said. It just blossomed in the last 10 years.
One of the biggest challenges was to get something going where Watermark is being built.rnMaking the Watermark Beach Resort area part of the economic development of Osoyoos's Main Street took 10 years alone, Mandziuk added.
Another big challenge has always been Desert Park. I wish the new group all the best, Mandziuk said, referring to the Southern Interior Recreation Equestrian Centre, which recently signed an agreement with the Town to begin preparing the facility for spring and summer events and horse-related activities.
It is an underutilized site so hopefully the new group will be able to bring the vitality it needs to make it part of the community again.rnMandziuk's employmer might be out of town– TOTA is based in Kelowna– but he won't necessarily be leaving altogether.
My heart will always be in Osoyoos, he said. I think the most gratifying thing is to actually work in a place which you grew up in. I certainly have been blessed.
And Mandziuk said he is not worried about the empty shoes also being left behind.
Past and present staff have been outstanding, he said. That makes a big difference.
According to a DO media release, the organization is currently seeking a new CEO.
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