Hinton represents Kilgore Chamber at TFTR meeting

CENTER - The Texas Forest Trail Region hosted its largest group of regional partners at the annual strategic planning meeting, held recently in Center.

Attendees at the strategy session, which doubled as the final board meeting of the fiscal year, included 25 tourism, economic development, education, and historic preservation professionals from communities across the heritage region, including Kilgore, Henderson and Longview.

Carol Hinton represented the Kilgore Chamber of Commerce at the meeting.

Texas Historical Commission's (THC) State Coordinator for the Texas Heritage Trails Program, Janie Headrick facilitated the meeting.

This year's annual meeting began with a guided tour of the Historic Shelby County Courthouse and a walking tour of downtown Center, hosted by the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, whose director, Pam Phelps, is a longtime supporter and board member of the Texas Forest Trail Region. "It is a privilege to have so many of our neighbors and friends come together for this collaborative purpose on our historic town square," said Phelps. Following the tour, the group adjourned to Hawkeye Hunting Club for dinner and networking before the meetings.

The board approved new officers for the 2008-09 fiscal year presented by current board president Tim Culp, director of Crockett Economic Development. Linda Woods, director of the Shenandoah Convention and Visitors Bureau was named president. Other officer appointments include Brian Bray, City of Nacogdoches Historic Sites as president-elect, Nita Fran Hutcheson, Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council, as secretary, and Chris Holm, Huntsville State Park, as treasurer.

New board members beginning terms in 2008 include Kilgore's Hinton and Shane Shepard, Winnsboro Main Street and Economic Development.

The purpose of strategic planning is to bring regional partners representing the diversity of the 35-county area together to collaborate on the direction of the organization. These regional partners are critical to the development and implementation of the region's goals, making up the organization's task forces, which outline strategic goals in the areas of advocacy, education, finance, historic preservation, and marketing to address region-wide critical issues through the power of partnerships.

Strategic planning, which began with the organization of this year's task forces, will continue identifying goals for the year's work plan at the next Texas Forest Trail Region board of directors meeting, scheduled for Thursday, September 18, at 11 a.m. in Nacogdoches. Those interested in regional tourism, historic preservation, and economic development are welcomed and encouraged to attend.

The Texas Forest Trail Region is a regional tourism initiative developed by the THC that fosters regional economic development by promoting heritage tourism through the preservation of cultural and historic resources and regional partnerships. The Texas Forest Trail Region encompasses 35 counties in East Texas including Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Franklin, Gregg, Hardin, Harrison, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Marion, Montgomery, Morris, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Panola, Polk, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Walker and Wood.

For more information, contact Regional Coordinator Mary Turner at 936/560-3699 or txforesttrail@gmail.com or visit www.texasforesttrail.com.