History & Organization

HISTORY

Individuals from Wood County affiliated with the Country Roads Travel Council, a ten-county regional tourism development agency, organized the bureau in 1985. This action followed the elimination of state funding for regional travel councils and the passage of a law by the West Virginia Legislature permitting cities and counties to impose a hotel occupancy tax. This law mandated that bureaus receive at least half the tax proceeds with the balance used for selected tourism projects and activities. Following the enactment of the hotel occupancy tax in this area, the local bureau was created as an independent, non-profit corporation.

ORGANIZATION

A volunteer board of directors governs the bureau. The board sets policy, approves financial matters and sees that the mission and objectives of the Bureau are fulfilled. Most of the board members are elected by the membership with some directors appointed by the cities and county that have enacted the hotel occupancy tax in Wood County. The board employs a president and chief executive officer who is responsible for hiring the other employees, directing the day-to-day operations of the bureau and seeing that the various objectives, projects and activities of the bureau are successfully accomplished.