Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation

Announcement of New Director of Tourism and Visitor Center Associate

Dec 21, 2009
Martinsville, VA (December 21, 2009) – The Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation is pleased to announce the hiring of Jennifer Doss as Director of Tourism, as well as the hiring of Melissa Craig as the new Visitor Center Associate.

Doss comes to the EDC from her current position as the Rivers and Trails Project Manager with the Dan River Basin Association. In her current role, Doss facilitates meetings and develops partnerships for the Martinsville-Henry County Rivers and Trails Group. She has been responsible for developing and promoting recreational facilities such as the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve, as well as assisting in the creation and promotion of Smith River Fest.

“The EDC realizes that Tourism is a way to increase the tax base of our community,” said Mark Heath, President/CEO of the EDC. “Jennifer’s background and experience in developing and promoting tourism related assets make her a good fit to implement the goals we have in place for our Tourism division.” The goals for the Tourism Division include increasing the lodging and sales/meals tax revenues in Martinsville-Henry County. Tourism is working to reach these goals by continuing to develop the furniture and specialty foods clusters, working with the Southern Virginia Sports Authority to promote the soccer complex, as well as continuing to promote our existing assets such as the Martinsville Speedway, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Piedmont Arts, Philpott Lake, and the Southern Virginia Artisan Center.

“I am thrilled about joining the EDC and promoting the vast tourism attractions Martinsville-Henry County is home to,” said Jennifer Doss. “Our community has so much to offer, from the rivers and trails to the museums to the speedway. I look forward to working with the entire community to promote our area as a desirable destination for people to visit. “

Craig comes to the EDC from a position with the Henry County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office where she worked as a clerk serving the public on a daily basis.

“Melissa’s experience with the public makes her a great fit for operating our Visitor Center,” said Heath. “We are confident she will excel in her duties to make those that visit our center welcome to our community.”

Both Doss and Craig will assume their roles with the EDC on January 11, 2010.

The mission of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation is to create new job opportunities and expand the tax base for the area. The organization strives to support and develop local industry, as well as market Martinsville-Henry County globally as an exceptional place to live, work and play.

The EDC is a public-private partnership between the City of Martinsville, Henry County, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber’s Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG) and the Harvest Foundation.