Brenda Greika, communications and outreach coordinator for the State of Vermont Department of Labor, was recognized as the 2019 Christiane Skinner Vermont Tourism Champion of the Year during the Vermont Tourism Summit Awards Celebration on Thursday, April 4, 2019 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Burlington Hotel in South Burlington, VT.
Brenda has been a member of Vermont’s tourism industry for roughly 30 years. Before beginning her role as the communications and outreach coordinator for the Department of Labor in 2010, Brenda worked for Vermont Life Magazine for almost fifteen years as subscription manager and education officer. She also provided administrative support for the Vermont Downtown Program and helped in preserving Vermont’s downtowns. Her graphic design skills have been seen on many promotional publications including those advertising events for Vermont’s State Historic Sites.
Brenda is a certified Vermont Ambassador. She has been promoting the state in the Vermont Building at The Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA for nearly 20 years, and has recently incorporated showing job openings in the state to attendees and potential Vermonters.
Her most recent marketing campaign brought her to the statehouse as Ceres, the Goddess of Agriculture. Her #CeresOnaStick campaign brought awareness of our beautiful new statue that sits atop the golden dome. Proceeds from chocolate versions of Ceres continue to raise money for the Friends of the Statehouse. (See photo)
Brenda has been a member of Vermont’s 251 Club for nearly 25 years and now serves on their board of directors. Vermont’s 251 Club is a group of Vermont enthusiasts whose objective is to visit the 251 towns and cities in the state. She encourages others to do the same by joining at vt251.com.
The Christiane Skinner Vermont Tourism Champion of the Year Award is presented each year to a member of Vermont’s tourism industry who exemplifies an ongoing dedication to what makes Vermont such a special place to visit. Members of the industry are nominated by their peers and a panel of judges selects the nominee based on criteria such as: Encourages the Vermont brand; Helps position Vermont as a friendly and fun place to visit; Promotes the value of tourism to the state’s economy; and Works in cooperation with the travel industry among other appropriate industries with the state.
In September 2015, the Vermont Tourism Summit Planning Committee unanimously voted to change the name of the Vermont Travel Person of the Year award to the Christiane Skinner Vermont Tourism Champion of the Year. Christiane, who was fluent in French, moved from Montreal to Vermont in 1987. She studied tourism and the travel trade in Spain in the early 1980s. After 20 years as a travel agent both in Canada and Vermont, she joined the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM) in January 2001. At VDTM, Christiane represented Vermont at consumer and travel trade shows, attended group tour and coach marketplaces, and implemented North American and international sales missions. She is known by many within Vermont's travel industry and was a longtime supporter of the Vermont Tourism Summit. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Christiane retired from VDTM in 2015, and passed away that fall. As reflected in the award criteria, Christiane was a true champion for the state of Vermont and the tourism industry.
The Vermont Tourism Summit draws one of the largest gatherings of tourism professionals in the state including owners, managers and employees of the many businesses connected to this important segment of the economy. This event is held annually in the beginning of April, and rotates around the state.
In addition to the Christiane Skinner Vermont Tourism Champion of the Year Award, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce presented their four hospitality awards: Chef of the Year, Restaurateur of the Year, Borden E. Avery Innkeeper of the Year, and Tourism Partner of the Year. The Vermont Tourism Summit also recognized Emily Morton from Deli 126 in Burlington as the Vermont Bartender of the Year. Special recognition was also given to Cabot Creamery Cooperative for their century of commitment to Vermont.