Anne Young has been named as marketing director for the Town of Winthrop, succeeding Rebekah Peterson in the contract position.
Young and her husband, Nathan, are among the co-owners of the Old Schoolhouse Brewery in Winthrop. She and her family will move to the Winthrop area in the next few weeks and their children will attend Methow Valley Elementary School, Young said in an email.
At its meeting last week, the council accepted the recommendation of council member William Kilby, who represents the town on the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC), to hire Young. Kilby said earlier that there had been 23 applicants, narrowed down to a field of eight finalists, for the job. LTAC oversees how the town’s motel and hotel taxes are used to promote tourism.
The council also adopted a revised contract for the position, which increases the annual contract amount for marketing services from $37,560 to $40,000.
Young, who grew up in Richland, was a teacher for 10 years in Bellevue. She has operated her own photography business for the past four years.
“I’m someone who likes to connect people and am excited about collaborating with Winthrop businesses and nearby towns to facilitate grown in Winthrop tourism,” Young said in the email. “I’m looking to set up face to face meetings with local business owners in the near future to learn how I can support them and let them know more how we can ensure tourism growth during the shoulder seasons.”
Peterson will be leaving this fall because her family is moving to the west side. She took the position in September 2018.
Before Peterson was hired last year, the town’s marketing director worked for the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce. After the chamber opted out of that arrangement, marketing services became a responsibility of the town.
Kilby said at last week’s meeting that he will meet with Young soon to begin the transition process. He told the council that the marketing position “is not a full-time job,” but could involve more hours in the future.
The council also considered a proposal for revamping the town’s promotional website but postponed a decision until Young can review the proposal.
