The small but dynamic team of St. Joseph Today delivered a solid year despite the departure of their Executive Director in the last quarter of the year, and their new leader is forging a plan that calls for “Full Steam Ahead.” That was the overarching theme of the St. Joseph Today Annual Meeting at The Box Factory for the Arts last night. Amy Zapal set the stage for the coming year as the organization is just weeks away now from the busiest season of the year — the summer time.
Several dozen members joined the staff and board of directors last night in looking back over the past year and ahead to the balance of 2017.
Board Treasurer Rick Dyer of Edgewater Bank told members that the organization is on solid financial ground and in good financial shape and is virtually debt-free. In fact, the only “debt” on the books is the roughly $7,000 in un-redeemed gift certificates that have been sold but not yet utilized. There are 86 participating merchants in the gift certificate program and in 2016 $10,719 worth were sold with $9,075 redeemed.
The merchant promotion agency welcomed just under 20,000 (19,959) visitors to the official Welcome Center downtown, and prepared 1,326 group packets for organized visits. Social media activity soared in 2016 for St. Joe Today with 16,000 likes on Facebook, representing a 19-percent increase, 1,100 Twitter followers for a 28-percent increase, and more than 1,900 Instagram interactions for a 453-percent hike. Snapchat has also increased activity dramatically with 34,000 views of the Winter Beer Festival alone.
Zapal highlighted a number of the organization’s ongoing events each year from the downtown Chili Tour to the Magical Ice Festival…from the BBQ, Brews & Blues which gets bigger & bolder each year to the ongoing successes of the Farmers Market each week…and from the Mike Yore Car Show to the Wine Festival, Halloween, and Live Mannequins — all drawing rave reviews.
St. Joe Today functioned well in the absence of a leader thanks to the interim role played by Events Coordinator Brian Smith and his colleagues Daniele Crevier, Tess Caragher and Karen Prussing. Executive Director Whitney Behnke had stepped down at the end of October and Zapal came on board this month to take over.
Retiring Board Chair Deb Sailor welcome the group last night and thanked the myriad members, board members and partners of the organization for helping keep operations running well and improving year after year.
Sailor was later replaced in a formal board meeting at the conclusion of the night by new Chair Nicole Beltz who runs the Shadowland Silver Beach Center below the bluff. Also elected were Vice Chair Nancy McDonnall from Be Our Guest, Treasurer Rick Dyer of Edgewater Bank, and Secretary Pat Moody of Mid-West Family Broadcasting.
The membership voted in two new board members during the meeting including David Costas of Silver Beach Pizza and Lars Petzke of Re/Max by the Lake. They replace outgoing board members Mary Schaut of FuzzyButz Pet Bakery and Mark Whitwam from The Boulevard Inn & Bistro.
Zapal thanked the 150 volunteers who helped keep events and the Welcome Center staffed and running, as well as the key partners to St. Joe Today including the Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council, the City of St. Joseph, members of the Shoreline Assessment Association, which includes all hotels and motels in the region, as well as the general membership and members of the board of directors of the organization.
Last night’s event was hosted by The Box Factory for the Arts and CK Catering.
