Flagstaff Wins Governor's 2006 Spirit Of Service Award

For the 2nd year in a row Governor Janet Napolitano presented Flagstaff with the 2006 Governor's Tourism award for Spirit of Service on July 11th at the Governor's Conference on Tourism in Tucson.

The Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureau proudly submitted the nomination for the Flagstaff Historic Walking Tours by local authors & historians Richard & Sherry Mangum. Since 1994, the 2 have provided free historic walking tours, while dressed in period costumes to more than 8,500 people each summer, making an impression on visitors & residents as they stroll through Flagstaff's historic streets downtown. The couple was extremely honored to receive such a prestigious award at the Governor's luncheon at the Loews Ventana Resort for their significant contributions to the tourism industry.

The Governor's Tourism Awards recognize individuals & organizations that have made exceptional contributions to Arizona tourism. Flagstaff CVB Public Relations Manager Meg Roederer said, the Mangums offer something special & unique adding to the quality of life in our community & state. They exemplify our Arizona tourism industry's commitment to outstanding visitor services & we are grateful & impressed with the impact they've had on tourism.

In addition to being the winner of the Spirit of Service award, the Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureau was a 2006 finalist in 2 best practices categories: Cooperative Marketing for the Flagstaff Discovery Passport program & Innovative Promotions for its Flagstaff 5-Day Explorer brochures. The Flagstaff Discovery Passport was nominated by the Arboretum at Flagstaff, & the Flagstaff CVB nominated the Flagstaff 5-Day Explorer.

All nominations are reviewed by a judging panel that evaluates each submittal based on exceptional efforts (above & beyond normal day-to-day responsibilities), innovation, uniqueness, effective use of resources, measurable results based on stated objectives & contribution to the tourism industry of Arizona. In 2005, the Flagstaff CVB nominated, Eleanor Gardner from the Little America Hotel & she won the award - now the title remains in Flagstaff with Richard & Sherry Mangum.

Governor Napolitano, Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) Director Margie A. Emmermann, AOT Deputy Director Karen Scates, & Arizona team mascots such as the Arizona Cardinals, Big Red, & others provided an entertaining awards program during the luncheon at the 26th Annual 2006 Governor's Conference on Tourism. Recognition from the tourism industry is an important component of the Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureau as we strive to develop, promote, & maintain Flagstaff as a year-round visitor destination with professional visitor services that will benefit the community economically, environmentally, & socially.