Weisensteiner
When Karen Niverson stepped down last year after seven years as the executive director of the Columbus Area Visitors Center, she left some very big shoes to fill.
But Jenny Kim, president of the Visitors Center’s board of directors, said last year that Niverson was also “leaving the organization in a solid position with a talented team of professionals to carry on the work.”
And it turned out that in searching for someone to lead an important team for our community, Kim and others didn’t have to look too far to find an ideal successor.
As The Republic’s Brian Blair reported last week, Misty Weisensteiner stepped into the role of executive director on July 5. She formerly served at Radius Indiana as the first chief operating officer of Discover Southern Indiana. As part of the first regional tourism effort in the state, she led marketing initiatives and oversaw a brand refresh for the organization.
That’s a sizable task that included overseeing tourism and promotion efforts for destinations in an eight-county area including Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Orange, Martin and Washington counties.
“Weisensteiner, a native of Orange County, has more than 20 years of experience in hospitality and tourism management. Before joining Radius, she was director of core strategy implementation for the Indiana Destination Development Corp. She also worked as the executive director of the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, Orange County Economic Development Partnership and Visit French Lick West Baden,” Blair reported.
That’s a career that demonstrates accomplishment on multiple levels where relationships are the foundation of success. That was something that Niverson was noted for during her tenure, providing leadership to a variety of community boards and committees, including the Columbus Area Economic Growth Council, Landmark Columbus Foundation and the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce.
Weisensteiner is no stranger to our area, and she told Blair that her priority “is to get to know the people and organizations that make Columbus work.
“Already I see the tremendous level of collaboration that takes place in this community,” she said. “I’m excited to contribute to the partnerships that advance economic growth and create vibrancy in our neighborhoods.”
She’s also familiarizing herself with Edinburgh and Hope, which also benefit from promotion provided by the Visitors Center.
Kim had this to say about why Weisensteiner was chosen to lead the Columbus Area Visitors Center:
“The search committee was impressed by Misty’s experience as a leader in the Indiana tourism industry. … She is well-known and respected among her peers throughout the state, and as a native of southern Indiana, we believe she’ll be a great cultural fit for Bartholomew County.”
Weisensteiner is a true pro in representing destinations and welcoming people, and we take this opportunity to welcome her and wish her and the Visitors Center continued success as one of our area’s most important ambassadors.
